Communication Skills Training to Propose Solutions Learn What Executives Want to Hear
When it comes to getting your recommendations approved, the way you communicate will make or break your presentation. The following communication skills training techniques will help you understand what executives want to hear.
When making your pitch, you’ll likely either present to someone who is pinching pennies or to an executive who already has his or her mind set on a solution that won’t work for your team. Could there be a tougher crowd?
In situations like this, you know that you’re under the gun. You need communication skills training tips to develop a clear, concise, compelling point that is difficult to deny. How do you develop an effective pitch that will accomplish your goals in the short timeframe you’ve been given?
The first step is to think like an executive. What do they need to know? What’s in it for them and the company? The following four communication skills training tips will get you on track to thinking the way they do. Prioritize your information using these tips and you will be well on your way to the approval you deserve.
- Reduce costs and increase profitability.
The number one thing executives and managers are charged with today is doing more with less. It is crucial that you put your idea, recommendation or solution in terms that will meet this goal. If you can tell an executive how your idea will either save money, save time or increase profitability, you are off to a great start. If you cannot provide this information, your idea may be shot down before your limited timeframe to present is even up.
- Short and long-term results.
We all know executives are busy. They have a lot of tough choices to make and are pressured from various stakeholders. As a presenter, it is your job to make their life easier. Give them information that will make it obvious what choice they should make regarding your solution or recommendation. You can help do the thinking for them by explaining the short and long-term impacts of your recommendation. There might be short-term costs, but long-term profitability involved. Don’t leave it up to them to figure that out. Spell it out in a way that is easy for them to follow.
- Identify where the resources are coming from (people or finances).
Your recommendation will likely require an initial investment. Even if there are long term gains, you still need to address where this initial investment, whether it be manpower or finances, will come from. You should provide two or more clear suggestions regarding staff and fund allocations. This shows that you have fully thought your proposal through and are aware of the investment required. Most importantly it takes the guess work out of it for the executive.
- Think outside the box.
You may be addressing a problem that has been around for years and the status quo is no longer efficient. Ask yourself, “How can we do it differently?” To stand out from other managers, you will want to consider how you can do something in a more productive, efficient way. Be creative. Executives like to see that someone is coming up with new ideas. Even though the bottom line (cutting costs and increasing profitability) is important, executives also want to know that you can solve problems differently than in the past.
These communication skills training techniques will help position you a knowledgeable expert with the executive’s and company’s best interests in mind. Visit Power Presentations online for customized communication skills training options and information.
About the Sheri Jeavons
When Sheri founded Power Presentations in 1993, she had two goals in mind. The first was to empower business professionals to look and sound dynamic while communicating in any situation. The second was to deliver training that professionals would leave saying, “That was the best training I’ve ever attended. Ever.” Since then, Power Presentations has successfully trained more than 25,000 professionals from a variety of Fortune 500 Companies and industry leaders such as FedEx, Marathon Petroleum, Goodyear, Bayer and NASA.
