How to Be More Convincing
You’re leading an important project, and you’ve got one hour with the steering committee to get their approval for your plan. How should you maximize the time to increase the likelihood of getting the go-ahead? First, consider who’s in the room, what they pay attention to, and what they value. Then, pitch your plan in a way that makes you more convincing to them.
It sounds easy, but it’s more complicated than you think.
Most of us craft presentations with content and style that resonate with us but miss the mark with people in the audience. To make it worse, when it doesn’t land, we double down rather than adapt.
If you’re trying to influence multiple people simultaneously, anticipate how the audience is motivated differently than you and build something for everyone in your presentation.
Here’s how.
Individual Differences in What is ConvincingBefore you walk into the room, consider who will be at the table and what matters most to them. If possible, talk with them in advance and get insight from others who know your decision-makers.
Form a hypothesis about which broad category each audience member fits into and build your approach accordingly. If you’re interested, here’s a quick overview of the tool I use to assess the thinking styles of people on the teams I work with.
Type 1: Big ThinkersWho they are: Big thinkers are the folks in the room who live in the world of what could be. They embrace the art of the possible and are willing to dream beyond what is.
Key to your logical argument: Big thinkers must understand your picture of the future. Therefore, you want to include trends and scenarios to help them assess your idea’s potential. They will focus on why questions: Why is this the right idea? Why now?
Positive emotions to draw on: Paint a picture of how the world will be better with your plan in place. Connect to their optimism.
Negative emotions to manage: Big thinkers sometimes get stuck in their complex worldview. As a result, they might worry that there’s something your plan hasn’t considered or that it’s not yet as good as it could be. A big thinker will worry that it’s not enough or not ready.
Questions to ask: If a big thinker starts spinning their wheels, ask questions to help them set boundaries on what’s possible. “If we want to get this to 80%, what else do you think we need to include?” “What would be the most important risk we need to manage?” Pose these questions to the room so others can help you convince the big thinker that the plan is sufficient.
Managing the big thinkers in the room is all about managing their energy. When you have them onside, they will help convince the room that your plan is valuable. If you don’t manage their fears, then their anxiety about what has been missed can quickly suck the air out of the room.
Type 2: OrganizersWho they are: Organizers are the people who want the world to make sense. They like predictability, fairness, and detail and are focused on bringing order to chaos.
Key to your logical argument: Unlike the big thinkers, the organizers are less concerned with why your plan makes sense and more focused on what it will take to make it happen. Therefore, they will focus on how questions: How do you define that? How will this rollout? How will we get it done? Organizers benefit from having additional details in an appendix.
Positive emotions to draw on: Include information that shows the organizers that your plan is well thought out and that you’ve considered the essential details.
Negative emotions to manage: Sometimes, organizers get stuck in their need for predictability. That is, they might worry that there are risks you haven’t anticipated or mitigated. An organizer will worry that it’s uncertain or unfair.
Questions to ask: If an organizer digs in, ask questions to help them articulate the risks they feel. “Where do we need to get more specific?” “What scenarios have we not yet considered?” “What is the risk of not moving forward?” Again, pose these questions to the room so others can address the organizer’s concerns.
Managing the organizer is all about convincing them that you’ve gone through an adequate planning process to manage the risks of the situation. If you don’t manage their fears, they will become rigid and put the brakes on the process.
Type 3: InfluencersWho they are: Influencers are the people who want to change things for the better. They like variety, momentum, and attention and are focused on winning.
Key to your logical argument: Influencers are much less interested in why or how and much more interested in how your plan will create an advantage—for your business or them personally. They will focus on the following questions: Who is the competition? Who benefits? Who would need to be involved? Components such as a competitive analysis or a stakeholder map can be very effective with influencers.
Positive emotions to draw on: The excitement for an influencer is tied to how your plan will change your standing. Include information demonstrating how your relative position on a given measure will change. If you can do this visually, with an “up and to the right” type of graph, all the better.
Negative emotions to manage: Sometimes, influencers get stuck in their need for bold moves. They might feel like the plans aren’t big enough to make an impact. An influencer will worry that it’s the same old, same old.
Questions to ask: If an influencer loses their mojo, ask questions to help them express their ideas for making the plan more compelling. “Who should we set our sights on?” “What is the opportunity you think we could capitalize on?” “What would be a good first step?” You might need the help of others in the room to convince the influencer that you don’t have to achieve everything with the first step.
Managing the influencer is about making them feel like the plan will make them (and the team) look good. If you don’t manage their fears, they might go rogue and squash your plan or launch a competing one.
Type 4: ExpeditersWho they are: Expediters are the people who want to get going. They like practicality, action, and forward momentum.
Key to your logical argument: Expediters often don’t need as much convincing as others in the room. They need to know the next steps, and then they’re ready to go. They will focus on the what questions. “What does that look like? “What do I need to do?” “What is the priority?”
Positive emotions to draw on: Expediters naturally have high energy. Tap into that by giving them a logical, practical, no-BS plan that they can picture themselves implementing.
Negative emotions to manage: Sometimes, expediters get frustrated if others aren’t willing to act as quickly as they are. They might feel like others are overthinking things. An expediter will worry that it’s going too slowly or getting murky.
Questions to ask: If an expediter starts getting impatient, ask questions to help them clarify where things feel ambiguous or overly heavy. “Where is it not clear?” “How are we overcomplicating things?” “What risks might we need to understand better?” The other people in the room can help you manage an influencer who might be trying to move recklessly fast.
Managing the expediter is all about showing progress. If you don’t manage their energy, they might become frustrated with the process and derail a healthy decision-making process.
ConclusionDon’t think that all decision-makers are equal. Ensure your presentation includes different components of your logical case, draws on various forms of emotional upside, and allows for other forms of risk. One thing I should have said earlier is to use an overview slide to describe each of the different components you’re going to cover so each person knows that the key information for them is coming. And don’t forget to go in with a list of questions to help you respond and keep the discussion moving forward. That way, you’ll have the best chance of convincing the audience to approve your plan.
Additional ResourcesHow to Sell Your Strategic Idea
Stop Trying to Sound Strategic!
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