How to defend your project in a management committee?

An investment project, an organizational change or a redefinition of strategy? You have a file that you believe is essential for the company. Yes, but before implementing your ideas, you must rally all of Top Management to your cause. How can you 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..

1-Respect your speaking time
Before even preparing your speech, find out about the time you will be given; will you speak at the beginning or at the end of the meeting? Your next intervention 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.

2-Involve other departments
You will only convince the assembly by directly or indirectly involving all the members of the management committee. To do 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 guiding principle 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.

3-Use strong messages and avoid going into details
To win over support, build strong messages. It is better to present the main lines of the project by teasing. Get their mouths watering, 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.

4-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 only reinforce the fear that is within them. On the contrary, listen to their reluctance and fears and reassure them.

5-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 response arguments. This will prevent you from getting lost in vague explanations, from perfectly mastering your subject and thus reassuring reluctant employees. Keep in mind that the most important thing to succeed in convincing your audience is that you yourself are absolutely convinced of the interest that 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 ExeKutive.biz