How to defend your project in a management committee?
11 June 2014
Read by 2669 persons
An investment project, an organizational change or a redefinition of strategy? You have a file that you consider to be essential for the company. Yes, but before implementing your ideas, you must rally all of Top Management to your cause.
How to proceed to put all the chances on your side? Here are 5 tips that will help you achieve this and convince your colleagues to join your project..
Respect your speaking time
Even before preparing your presentation, find out about the time you will be given; will you be speaking at the beginning or at the end of the meeting? Your next presentation will depend on this information.
The language must be adapted to the interlocutors. Concise argumentation is essential with a stake and resources to be implemented…
You can possibly rehearse your presentation, you will be sure to respect your speaking time to the minute.
Involve other departments
You will only be able to convince the assembly by directly or indirectly involving all the members of the management committee. To achieve this, you can present it as a solution to a problem impacting all the company's departments and therefore its overall profitability will be affected and not only that of your department.
Keep in mind your main thread and involve your interlocutors by asking for their opinions and positions. Show that your project is not yet completely finalized, that you remain open to any new proposal from the "management committee". They will only be more flattered and receptive.
Use strong messages and avoid going into details
To gain support, build strong messages. It is better to present the main lines of the project by teasing.
Make their mouths water, make them want to know more and tell them that you are quite willing to give them any further information later.
The less detail you give, the more you avoid the risk of misinterpretations.
Listen to your interlocutors
If you spot a person in the management committee who is reluctant, it is because they have their reasons and they must be respected. If you tell them they are wrong, you are only anchoring the fear that is in them. On the contrary, listen to their reluctance and their fears and reassure them.
Prepare your answers to objections
Prepare your answers to objections in advance so as not to be caught off guard. Make a list of all the objections that could be made to you and carefully prepare your counter-arguments.
This will allow you not to get lost in vague explanations, to perfectly master your subject and thus reassure reluctant colleagues.
Keep in mind that the most important thing to successfully convince your audience is that you yourself are absolutely convinced of the interest your project presents for the company.
Your interlocutors will feel it and thus you will capture their attention and perhaps their approval!
Philippe Montant
CEO of ReKrute
How to proceed to put all the chances on your side? Here are 5 tips that will help you achieve this and convince your colleagues to join your project..
Respect your speaking time
Even before preparing your presentation, find out about the time you will be given; will you be speaking at the beginning or at the end of the meeting? Your next presentation will depend on this information.
The language must be adapted to the interlocutors. Concise argumentation is essential with a stake and resources to be implemented…
You can possibly rehearse your presentation, you will be sure to respect your speaking time to the minute.
Involve other departments
You will only be able to convince the assembly by directly or indirectly involving all the members of the management committee. To achieve this, you can present it as a solution to a problem impacting all the company's departments and therefore its overall profitability will be affected and not only that of your department.
Keep in mind your main thread and involve your interlocutors by asking for their opinions and positions. Show that your project is not yet completely finalized, that you remain open to any new proposal from the "management committee". They will only be more flattered and receptive.
Use strong messages and avoid going into details
To gain support, build strong messages. It is better to present the main lines of the project by teasing.
Make their mouths water, make them want to know more and tell them that you are quite willing to give them any further information later.
The less detail you give, the more you avoid the risk of misinterpretations.
Listen to your interlocutors
If you spot a person in the management committee who is reluctant, it is because they have their reasons and they must be respected. If you tell them they are wrong, you are only anchoring the fear that is in them. On the contrary, listen to their reluctance and their fears and reassure them.
Prepare your answers to objections
Prepare your answers to objections in advance so as not to be caught off guard. Make a list of all the objections that could be made to you and carefully prepare your counter-arguments.
This will allow you not to get lost in vague explanations, to perfectly master your subject and thus reassure reluctant colleagues.
Keep in mind that the most important thing to successfully convince your audience is that you yourself are absolutely convinced of the interest your project presents for the company.
Your interlocutors will feel it and thus you will capture their attention and perhaps their approval!
Philippe Montant
CEO of ReKrute
