Your Slide Deck is Killing You
Some argue against using a slide deck for business-to-business presentations.
They are even worse when meeting with government officials. This article explains why you should ditch the slide deck and focus on talking points.
Do they work?
Successful meetings are defined by reaching an agreement between at least two parties to take one or more specific actions. These actions hopefully also benefit all parties involved.
It is common that slide decks are used to support a discussion and provide evidence in support of a commercial or private sector decision. However, they almost never do because they create a one-way presentation, not a conversation!
Successful meetings use talking points that are designed to facilitate a discussion and are the preferred vehicle for interacting with Federal Congressional and Executive Branch officials.
“So, what can I do for you?”
Imagine you approach a potential commercial buyer and hear the phrase, “so, what can I do for you?” What does that signal? Typically, it means, “okay, let's hear your pitch.” If you hear it from a corporate buyer, you know to pitch them to buy your product; if you hear it from a hiring officer, you know to pitch them why you should work for the company, and so on. This social cue is so well-known, few realize it has a dramatically different meaning in government.
“So, what can I do for you?,” and all its variations, should be translated literally when you hear it from a government official. Every government official has an authority and may use that authority to affect your organization. If you are asking them for something under their power, then they are vetting you as to whether they should exercise that power. If you are asking them something else, then they are trying to figure out where to send you (or whether to avoid you like the plague!).
Many that don’t work with the government frequently find this frustrating. Unfortunately, government officials are asked 100s, sometimes 1000s of times per year to act outside their authority. It is imperative that they filter out these requests swiftly or they wouldn’t have any time to take action when they do have the ability to help.
When you answer this question, do so in no more than one sentence. Some examples of the authority a government official may exercise are:
- Issue a waiver;
- Use a set-aside;
- Commit to a yay/nay vote;
- State their authority is insufficient to assist;
- Agree to arrange a meeting with another official;
- Commit to funding or reimbursement;
- Agree to conduct a formal review/assessment;
- Support a pilot program, etc.
If you are requesting multiple actions, the “ask” becomes a list. For example, “we request you issue a waiver under the authority of 99 CFR 999.99 and agree to assess our proposal.”
Very often, “what can I do for you?” is the first thing an official will say after saying hello. If it is, skip the build up and start with your ask. Unless the official is thoroughly familiar with your request or has already decided to send you elsewhere, you will likely face follow up questions. Your talking points should provide the answers. Resist the temptation to answer questions before they are asked.
What to do if you have more to say than 1-page
Follow the cardinal rule and distill your talking points to 1-page. If you have more to say, create addenda to provide as much detail as you believe your audience may desire. For example, your talking points may say, “our project will create 100 jobs.” You may then reference a supporting document that details what those jobs are, how much they are paid, where everyone will be working, etc.
Does a “yes” benefit U.S. Citizens?
Your proposal must benefit Americans. Federal Executive Branch officials serve U.S. Citizens within the parameters of applicable laws and regulations, Governors serve the same within their state, and Congressional Members serve U.S. Citizens within their state (Senator) or district (Representative).
Thus, your proposal should answer, “how does saying 'yes' to your request serve U.S. Citizens' interests?”
This may seem obvious, yet it is not followed in the vast majority of cases. Maybe the reluctance I've witnessed is driven by a popular opinion that government decision-making is corrupt. In fact, real life is not as the movies, television, and news media depict: corruption is exceedingly rare as the vast majority of government officials work diligently to serve the American people.
Your Opinion Doesn't Matter
This header is obviously untrue! In fact, your opinion matters but no more than anyone else. Unless your opinion implicitly reflects the opinion of many other Americans or has profound economic impacts, your opinion and passion are lost in a sea of opinionated advocates in the District.
A key to successful advocacy in a meeting is demonstrating the objective importance of your opinion via such rubrics as:
- Scientific merit;
- Poll data;
- Logical analysis;
- Third party studies; and
- Demonstrated subject matter expertise; just to name a few.
Anticipate Problems and Alternate Solutions
Have you ever raised a potential concern at a meeting? How was it received? Often, anticipating problems is viewed as negativity. However, it is an essential step for an advocate to anticipate and be prepared to address as many potential obstacles as possible.
The challenge comes when a project is ready to move forward and the question of whether to spend time on a possible problem is raised. In many cases, the problem will never come up and even a few hours of due diligence will feel like a waste of time. On average however, this step saves time—lots of time: months, years in some cases. This step also safeguards against the embarrassing moment of an easy solution put forward in your big meeting that was overlooked because of a scant due diligence process.
This topic could take up a book of its own but is succinctly captured in the old adage: a stitch in time saves nine.
How to Formulate Your Talking Points
If you're interested in a real-world example and template, please let me know in the comments.
-Richard Bennett