LOGIC ALONE rarely persuades someone. And logic may also be out the window when we are preparing our presentation or pitch.
"Huh?" I hear you say.
That's right. All those cherished phrases we love to spout, like "We're the leader in" or "We've been recognized as" or even "We have offices in " — these can actually get in your way.
I'm not saying these aren't relevant, nor am I suggesting you shouldn't use them. In the right time and place, and with the right set up, they can help cement your case.
Where these phrases hurt your chances is when you lead with them and/or when you don't give a context for why such pronouncements are important to the people you want to influence.
Here's an example from a recent training session. I was working with some construction executives, and one of them wanted to be really bold about a recent award they'd received for safety. He was adamant about leading with: "We have the best safety record in the nation for a firm of our size."
Okay. Definitely something to be proud of. And behind that award are all the things that they did to receive such high recognition — things that would be meaningful for a new client who might be concerned about safety.
But just laying it out there, as he wanted to do, leaves behind all the juicy details (meaningful, visceral details) and forces the prospective client to decide how relevant it is.
It was interesting to watch him clutch onto this idea, even when several of his colleagues (who were getting the idea of "You" v. "Me") challenged him on it. So we did some role playing. One of his co-workers said, "Jerry, I'm really concerned about several aspects of safety on this project."
JERRY'S APPROACH: "Well, we have the best safety record in the nation for a firm of our size, so we can handle all aspects of safety on this project."
"YOU"-FOCUSED APPROACH: "We share your concerns about safety on this project and here is how we're going to manage it." [then detail three specific aspects] "And as evidence of our commitment and results, we were recently recognized for having the best safety record in the nation for a firm of our size."
Do you see the difference?
Jerry's approach is all about "Me". Sure it's a meaningful piece of information, but the client isn't choosing them for their awards, the client is choosing them for their ability to get this specific job done. The "You"-focused approach, on the other hand, answers the question more directly and with richer detail, and then uses the safety award as the icing on the cake.
You should do the same. Focus on the needs, interests, and goals of the ones you want to influence (the "You") and add in details about "Me" (yourself or your company) as needed to help make your case.
