Presentations: Why Naming the Decision You Need Wins Every Time
Many technical presentations end without a decision. Nobody tells decision makers what they're being asked to do.
Know the Ask Before You Walk In
Leading with the answer, as covered in an earlier tip, means sharing your conclusion first. Naming the decision is different. The answer is what you believe. The ask is what you need the executives or the commission to do about it.
Write the ask in a single sentence before every executive meeting. “We need approval to proceed with the design contract” or “We need direction on which of two alternatives to carry forward.” The presentation is not ready if you cannot write that sentence.
The Ask Frames Everything
The ask frames your presentation that follows. The ask tells the audience what to listen for and when the discussion is complete. Even an information-only briefing benefits from saying so up front.
Say It Early and Say It Again
State the decision you need within the first minute. A clear ask also invites the right questions sooner because the decision makers are weighing your information against a specific choice.
Repeat the ask at the end with a short statement such as “To summarize, we are requesting approval of the design contract.” Without it, the discussion can drift into more questions or a polite request to come back next month.
Be precise about the type of decision. Remember, a decision is an irreversible allocation of resources.
The Tip: Make the Ask!
Decision makers cannot make a decision they do not know they are being asked to make. Name the decision you need, early and clearly.
The F in FINESSE stands for Frame.
JD Solomon is the author of Communicating Reliability, Risk & Resiliency to Decision Makers: How to Get Your Boss’s Boss to Understand and Facilitating with FINESSE: A Guide to Successful Business Solutions.
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