Strategic Presenting

For the last number of weeks we have been looking at preparation, understanding our counterpart in negotiations, different types of “listening muscles”; and, of course, types of difficult people. We’ll get back to identifying and dealing with other types of difficult people. But it’s time to get back to our own negotiating skills.

So let’s roll up our proverbial sleeves and actually start presenting. No negotiations can begin without some sort of presentation by the parties involved; and how well we are able to negotiate largely depends on the quality and effectiveness of our initial presentation.

Presenting in a strategic manner to advance our objectives means giving a headline presentation, as well as presenting simply and credibly.

A headline presentation simply means “how, where, when, why, how long, who and cost. Our headline presentation is the very first part of our overall presentation. There is absolutely no selling in our headline presentation. There is no appeal or call to action in our headline presentation and there is certainly no rationalizing.

Our presentation is neither our resume nor our organization’s annual report. If we want to effectively lead parties down a particular path, we want to clearly show them the path and indicate where the path will take them. Only then can we start leading.

Presenting simplistically is different from headline presenting; and it’s important we don’t confuse the two. There is no magic to presenting in a simplistic and comprehensive manner. We use simple words and simple sentences. We always use the active tense.

There is no such thing as “extensive research has indicated…” It is always “My research has indicated…” or “Our research has indicated…”  We lose credibility when we are non-descript with our validation. Let’s leave the fight about unnamed sources to President Trump and the media.

Nor do we need glitz, gimmicks or fanfare. We are still not trying to convince anyone of anything.  Simplistic presenting is explaining our position, solidifying it with our facts and learning from reactions and feedback.

Next, if our presentation isn’t credible, any possible future negotiations are doomed. “Isn’t our presentation credible if we headline and present in a simple, direct manner?” you ask.

Well, we are off to a good start. But we establish credibility through sincerity, honesty, trust and professionalism. If there is a part of our presentation where our factual validation isn’t as strong, it should be us who bring that to light… not a potential opponent.

First, honesty is the single largest component of credibility. Second, we just took the steam out of a potential opponent who might love to expose us.

Good presentations establish the ground rules in future negotiations for disclosure, honesty and even control. Unfortunately, credibility is the perception of the receiver; and we should never forget that.