How can you pitch effectively to stakeholders from different regions?

These are must dos 1) Know your audience triggers barriers interest pain points if possible through various sources. 2) Layer point 1 with decent cultural and ethnographic study of the audience 3) Customize your communication and approach as per point 2. Know your MUST HAVES and definite NOs before you communicate as per point 2. Examples in line with point 2 will be key. 4) Ensure you get constant feedback from audience post 1 2 3 to ensure your approaches and communication is validated and help you to improvise.

Interacting with stakeholders regularly has enabled me to understand what matters to them along with their approach. Since it is different for everybody. - Some care a lot about design. - Some about feasibility. - Some about the ops involved. All this gives us the ability to test our proposed solutions through each of these filters to see what fits best.

As a PM understanding your stakeholders is very important. Research and figure out the needs, pain points, motivation and interest level of different stakeholders. If you are communicating with stakeholders in different region you need to found some common ground by researching about their culture, behavior and values and what influence them. Once you understand your stakeholder pitch the idea that matches with their wavelength in terms of interest, preferences, needs, expectations and preferences to create sense of trusting and lasting relationships.

Everyone have different principles and mental models but what connects them all is company vision. Leverage this as a centre piece and take their inputs in their preferred direction. You can say No if not aligned but have heard them or noted their inputs with great attention. Eventually combine it all and present it as team effort. This is important because positioning, design, copy, pricing, speed etc. everything matters and leaving any stone unturned can result in failure.

In 247.ai, we had large Enterprise clients like AT&T, Hilton, and Optus. The average contract varied from $1m to $100m, indicating high stakes cross stakeholders - Sales, Account Management, Solutions, and Operations, in addition to the multiple engineering teams, across regions. Bringing them to the same page was one of the biggest challenges, causing quarterly delays. The following worked for me: 1. to arrive at a common denominator for all the stakeholders, it's both a KPI and a sponsor. 2. use co-creation tools like Design Sprint 4. start with KPI (usually CEO level), then align the sponsor and the rest of them. 3. if not, align stakeholders 1 by 1 using KPI, and build an army as you go upwards. (credit: @Jens Koerner, ex Google)

Build a common pitch and change voice over as per stakeholder preferences. If they find anything interesting even beyond their general direction they will pause you and ask questions. This will maximise value as everyone feels treated equally.

This is true your audience may prefer different format but if you have created a great documentation that conveys and meets everyone needs, it is just the matter of changing format of the document to slides, word document, wiki, etc. Key point is to create a compelling document backed by data, research related to actual users and providing in depth analysis on benefits and values for the users through your assumptions and hypothesis. Also try to convey your point in a storytelling fashion to create more impactful and captivating pitch. Be concise and clear with your document. Adjust it based on the stakeholder research to fit the needs of different audience.

A versatilidade no formato do seu pitch é uma arte que harmoniza com a diversidade dos seus stakeholders. Alguns anseiam por uma imers?o visual com slides e dados, enquanto outros buscam a autenticidade de uma conversa envolvente. Há quem aprecie a profundidade de um documento detalhado, enquanto outros preferem a agilidade de um resumo conciso. A chave está em sintonizar seu estilo com as preferências, contexto e metas do seu público, proporcionando uma experiência que ressoe com cada expectativa. Escolha o formato que transforma sua apresenta??o em uma sinfonia de conex?o e compreens?o mútua.

Tailoring your pitch format to your audience's preferences is vital. Yet, in my experience, even the most thought-out strategy might need on-the-fly adjustments. Sometimes, stakeholders might surprise you, preferring an unexpected format. Being adaptable in these moments can make a world of difference, ensuring you effectively engage your audience despite unforeseen preferences.

Reiteration serves as a fundamental tool in maintaining clear and straightforward language, a crucial element for concise communication. By consistently avoiding jargon, slang, and acronyms and reiterating key points, you reinforce the simplicity of your message. This practice not only promotes clarity but also contributes to a more streamlined and concise presentation, ensuring that your message is easily understood and retained by your diverse audience. Reiteration thus becomes an integral strategy for achieving and maintaining concise communication, allowing for effective cross-regional engagement.

This is a very general advise and it applies to everyone and not just a Product manager. When working stakeholders from multiple regions and countries avoid showing superiority by using some slangs, idioms, sayings that makes another person feel alienated in the discussion or meeting. Instead try to make your conversation more clear, simple, easier to digest and match the wavelength and level of your stakeholders so that you can make your meeting more effective. Use examples or words that makes your stakeholder feel inclusive and familiar to digest the information. Avoid any inappropriate conversations related to culture or using some words that can offend your stakeholders.

In the world of Fin-tech, communicating with stakeholders demands crystal-clear language. Complex financial terms or technical jargon can alienate rather than engage. I've learned that simplifying the message doesn't dilute its importance but actually amplifies its impact. It's about making intricate financial concepts relatable and understandable to diverse audiences, creating connections that drive collaboration and understanding.

Adaptar sua linguagem para stakeholders de diferentes regi?es é como afinar um instrumento para criar uma melodia universal. Priorize clareza, substituindo jarg?es por termos acessíveis e explicando conceitos técnicos de maneira simples. Enrique?a sua apresenta??o com exemplos culturalmente relevantes, transformando complexidade em compreens?o. Evite generaliza??es e esteja atento a nuances locais, construindo pontes de entendimento. Ao cultivar essa abordagem sensível, sua comunica??o transcenderá fronteiras, fortalecendo la?os e elevando o impacto global de sua mensagem.

Communicate your unique value proposition, how you worked backwards with the users to identify their pain points, needs and decision that made you prioritize particular problem to solve. What are the solutions and how it ties to the mission, vision and strategy. Provide insights through data, market and competitive analysis and how our solution and way of solving is unique and brings benefits, values and creates unique value proposition for the users.

To pitch effectively to stakeholders from different regions, adapt your presentation to consider cultural nuances and communication styles. Highlighting the value proposition is key, but how you convey this message should resonate with the specific preferences and expectations of your audience. For instance, some cultures appreciate directness and data-driven arguments, while others might prefer a more story-driven, relational approach. Additionally, consider language barriers and use visuals or demonstrations to aid understanding. Tailoring your pitch in this way shows respect for diverse perspectives and increases the chances of your message being well-received across different regions.

A essência de um pitch envolvente reside na clareza da proposta de valor. Articular de forma convincente o problema resolvido, a solu??o oferecida e os benefícios gerados é a bússola que guia a aten??o e o interesse dos stakeholders. Alinhamento com objetivos e diferencia??o assertiva de alternativas solidificam a relevancia. N?o subestime o poder de dados e depoimentos para fortalecer a credibilidade da sua narrativa. Um pitch convincente é como um convite irresistível, onde cada elemento ressoa com a melodia dos benefícios que você traz para o público.

Always make stakeholder communication more collaborative and 2 way conversation than making it a 1 way pitch. Seek feedback, answer questions, get advice and opinion on open questions, show empathy towards their concerns, pain points and frustrations. Address their concern with valid points backed by qualitative and quantitative data. Use effective tone, body language and gestures which are more welcoming, respectful and approachable that suits their needs and match with their culture and context of the conversation.

Taking your audience on a journey during your pitch involves crafting relatable scenarios that illustrate the direct benefits for them. Paint a vivid picture of how your solution addresses a real problem they face. Use relatable examples and realistic situations to make your proposition tangible and applicable to their specific context. This approach not only clarifies the relevance of your pitch but also sparks excitement and investment. Enabling stakeholders to visualize the positive impact of your proposal on their operations or challenges creates a sense of connection and urgency, fostering enthusiasm and receptivity to your ideas.

Tip: it can be incredibly important for the demand of your pitch to match the relative strength of the relationship you have with all relevant stakeholders. It's not just about who you know: how well you know them, their worldview, and their priorities can make or break a pitch.

Always follow up with your stakeholders after your meeting with a thank you email or direct note for dedicating their time, attention to provide you opinion, feedback or right direction during your conversation. If there were any open items or points that required follow up, gather required information and get back to your stakeholders on time. Always keep them updated with the status changes with your pitch document by uploading the document on a shared location.

Here's an insight into how important follow-ups are in outreach campaigns. A majority of these campaigns may not yield results without consistent and timely follow-ups. Consider this: almost every stakeholder you approach is likely also being contacted by numerous other companies (unless you have a monopoly in the market). It's this extra effort that sets you apart. That one extra follow-up could be the X-factor in securing a deal. Initiating the first campaign is merely the beginning and arguably the simplest part. But I have experienced first-hand that most people tend to get complacent about following up. This is where you can gain a competitive advantage.

It is important to align your stakeholders early, on a high level. It might feel that the back and forth involved is dragging things longer and maybe it might have a hit on your timelines. But keeping them looped since the beginning clears out a lot of stuff and sets a clearer perspective to understand and follow through.

In my experience, effectively pitching to stakeholders from diverse regions involves a blend of cultural understanding and adaptability. It’s crucial to research cultural norms and adapt communication styles accordingly. Using clear language and tailoring the pitch to highlight local benefits can make a significant difference. Visual aids and storytelling are also powerful tools in bridging cultural gaps. Most importantly, empathy and relationship-building are key, as they help in understanding and meeting the diverse needs and expectations of global stakeholders

In my experience collaborating with stakeholders from different regions, I've noticed different cultures have unique communication styles. Some prefer explicit, others prefer direct communication, while some value implicit context or cues. Recognising these differences helps in adjusting speaking style, considering factors like tone, directness , which can contribute to more clearer and effective communication.

Prioritize practicality over theory, employing real-time examples to enhance understanding within your specific context. Ground discussions in facts and figures for a more impactful exchange. By adhering to these principles, a seamless conversation experience is assured I believe.

Tip: unless it absolutely makes sense, avoid using gender in things like stakeholder or customer personas. In many cases, the "problem you're trying to solve" with your product for "a job to be done" can be simply described with customer context, pain point/unmet opportunity, what your differentiated product will do, and the outcome.