How to Wash a Chicken

by Tim Calkins

  Meeting with someone just before a critical meeting is a bad idea. When they ask for changes, you won’t be able to make them. If they have concerns, you will be in a difficult spot. You can press on with the meeting, but now you’ll be uncertain and nervous. You will have to dance around their concerns. Alternatively, you can cancel the meeting and try to reschedule it, but this is also a bad option; scheduling meetings is not easy, and a last-minute delay suggests to everyone that there was some problem. When you finally do get around to the presentation, your audience might view things with a heightened level of skepticism.

  For this reason, it is usually better to skip the presell meeting than try to fit it in just before a presentation.

  When taking someone through the draft, watch closely. Do they nod their head? Do they smile? Do they furrow their brow? On a more basic level, are they interested or not? All of this information is helpful.

  At this point you desperately want input. What other information would they like to see? Where are the gaps? What are the issues?

  You then want to follow up. Some people take a while to think through things; you should take this into account. A simple email two days later can do the trick. Simply write, “Susan, it was great to see you on Tuesday. I wanted to follow up to see if you had any other questions about the recommendation. I would be happy to stop by to discuss it if that would be easier.” If someone expressed concerns about your recommendation, a second meeting is useful to show that you heard the issues, reflected on them and then responded in some fashion.

  Learning from BBQ Sauce

  I saw the power of laying the proper groundwork when I restaged the Kraft BBQ Sauce business. After years of deep discounts and cost cuts, the business was in a desperate situation. Results were good but the path was unsustainable.

  The solution was clear: cut the discounts, improve product quality and invest in new advertising to rebuild perceptions. This was a major shift for the business, an investment in differentiation and quality. The problem was that it was an expensive plan and profits would fall dramatically in the first two years.

  The project eventually resulted in a meeting with the division president. He wanted to know the plan and the projected impact. The project would only proceed with his approval.

  I got busy on the presentation. I worked with my team to tell the story, supporting key points with solid data. It was a strong case.

  Once we had the rough presentation, I scheduled meetings with my cross-functional peers: all the different people who would be at the meeting. I met with the head of sales, the head of market research, the director of finance, the operations manager. In each meeting I went through the presentation, addressed each person’s questions and got their suggestions. I then revised the document to reflect their input.

  By the time the meeting came along, I was confident it would go well. There was only one person who hadn’t seen the final presentation: the division president. Everyone else knew exactly what was coming.

  The presentation went well. I explained the situation and the recommendation. Once I was done, the division president asked different cross-functional executives if they were on board. Not surprisingly, given my investment in preselling, they all were.

  We moved ahead and, after a very rough year, the Kraft BBQ business started growing in the right manner, with profitable growth based on product quality and stronger brand equity.

  11

  PREPARE AND PRACTICE

  * * *

  As the presentation approaches, preparation and practice become critical. You have to focus on all the details to make sure things go smoothly. If you are attentive in the days leading up to the presentation, you will lay the groundwork for success.

  Some people think presentations just happen. People schedule the time and show up, ready to go. This is rarely the case. A business presentation and a theater production have a lot in common when it comes to the need for preparation. Performers don’t take the stage unless they know their roles very well. You don’t head out with the attitude that “I really don’t know what I’m supposed to do or say, but I’ll give it a shot.” You don’t just wing it. Even improv performers have a general flow in mind when they begin; there is one activity and it will lead to the next activity.

  If you’re poorly prepared for a show, it isn’t likely to go well. People will stumble over their lines. The timing won’t quite work. People may move awkwardly around the stage. Someone might trip. You can see this if you attend a dress rehearsal. Things are a little rough. It isn’t smooth and fluid. You can tell it isn’t quite ready.

  Presenters have the same need for preparation. You don’t want to head into a presentation until you are ready. You need to know what is going to happen. A little bit of preparation can improve the production dramatically.

  I recently witnessed the importance of preparation in my marketing strategy course at Kellogg when I hosted a new guest speaker. I frequently rely on guest speakers to bring fresh examples to the class and illustrate how the concepts we discuss come to life in the real world. I’ve learned, however, that preparation is essential for success. Someone new to the Kellogg classroom won’t necessarily do a great job. It is a different environment with some unique dynamics, and Kellogg students tend to be a demanding crowd, looking for insights and learnings all along the way. So, before the class session, I had two conversations. First, I talked with the speaker. I encouraged him to interact with the class. In particularly, I urged him to call on students. One of the most powerful tools a teacher can use for getting a conversation going on any topic is the cold call. If you want to start a debate on immigration, call on someone to provide an opinion. And then call on someone else to either agree or disagree with that opinion. Before you know it, you have a lively discussion going.

  This is a useful tool for a guest speaker. Tossing out a general question like “So, what do you think?” will often result in no response from a classroom full of students; the presenter will simply sit there, looking awkward. A specific question, directed to a particular person, will always result in an interesting response: “Susan, what do you think about the food at McDonalds?”

  Second, I spoke with the class. I told them that when guest speakers simply talk for ninety minutes, a class session will usually drag. Few people can be engaging for that long. So the students’ task was to ask lots of questions. Everyone loves answering questions. Having too many questions wasn’t a problem; the presenter could always cut off the flow. The result? A terrific class session. The presenter did a tremendous job; he was energized by the activity and the questions. The students loved the class. It was interesting and informative; the speaker’s engaging approach connected with the students.

  Of course, it didn’t just happen. I had carefully constructed the situation to maximize the odds of success. The lesson is simple: you have to prepare for a presentation. You have to spend the time to lay the groundwork and ensure that everything goes well.

  Prepare

  There are several key things to consider when preparing for a presentation.

  PEOPLE

  The most important preparation point is people. Can you get the right people to attend? If you are hoping to get a decision, you need all the key influencers to be present.

  If the right people aren’t there, it can be difficult to move forward. You don’t want to go through a presentation and have it end up with “Well, we really need to hear from the operations team before we can make a final decision. Let’s try to schedule some time with Marcia in the next couple weeks.” This simply means that you have to repeat the entire presentation.

  You want to think carefully about how many people you are inviting. It is tempting to include a lot of people; there are cross-functional groups that may want to be included. You may have junior people who want to see the discussion. It would be nice to include the summer intern so they can see how these meetings go.

  The problem is that a large group can stifle con
versation, especially if your key decision maker likes a smaller group.

  When sorting out who should attend, remember your goals. You aren’t doing the presentation to train or entertain people. You are trying to accomplish an objective.

  SPACE

  You should think about the room as you prepare for the meeting. Have you reserved the right space? Environment matters; our physical environment has a notable impact on how we feel and how we behave. Later in the book I talk about how to set up for a presentation. At this stage the focus is on securing the ideal location.

  The room should be big enough but not too big. People do not want to be stuck in a cramped, tiny room. This is uncomfortable and might put people in a bad mood. If there aren’t enough chairs, the first five or ten minutes of your meeting will be spent locating more seats and bringing them into the room. This is not a compelling way to use your limited time.

  You don’t want too big a room, either, because people might feel a little lost. Meeting with three people in an auditorium is not a best practice; you feel dwarfed, small and uncomfortable in the cavernous space.

  Reserve the room for at least a half hour before your presentation. This will give you time to set up and get organized. If you reserve a room at 2 p.m. for a 2 p.m. meeting, you will be scrambling. The prior group might not finish until 2 or even 2:05. You will then need to frantically set up your materials.

  CONSIDER COPIES

  Should you distribute copies, or not? If you decide to give people copies, when will you do it? Will you send the presentation ahead of time or hand out copies after the actual event? These are also important questions to consider.

  Of course, before a key meeting you will want to meet with key people to understand their views and take them through the key points. So, you’ll have to show people part of the analysis before the actual gathering. The question is when to send out the final document.

  To a large degree, the answer to this question will depend on your audience. If your CEO wants a copy in advance, you should give them a copy in advance. When I was at Booz Allen, for example, I had a manager who insisted on receiving every presentation at least two days before the meeting. So that is what I did.

  I favor giving people copies just before the meeting. This way they will have the hard copy in case they want to take notes. They can bounce around the presentation if they lose the flow or want to spend a bit more time on an analysis than you provided. They don’t have to worry about writing everything down; this makes them less anxious and more comfortable.

  Sending a presentation a day or two before a meeting is more debatable. On the one hand, people have an opportunity to read it and think about it. Of course, they do this without your commentary; you are relying just on your written deck to carry the argument.

  One problem with sending the presentation in advance is that inevitably some people will read it and others won’t. This will create a bit of a tension in the meeting. People who have read the document will want to go quickly. They might not even want to go through the presentation at all; they will just want to ask questions and debate. This completely takes away your ability to talk through a story. People who haven’t read the document will be lost; they will want to go through the presentation, and really can’t participate in a discussion about the document because they haven’t read it.

  Practice!

  When I talk with gifted speakers about presenting tips, one suggestion comes up again and again: practice.

  People don’t just get up and present in an eloquent fashion, or at least most people don’t. Without practice, you might get bogged down in too many details or stories, or you might end up going too fast, skipping over key points. You might end up providing examples that don’t quite work or, even worse, examples that don’t support your point.

  Great speakers practice. Winston Churchill prepared intensely for every address, practicing six to eight hours before a forty-minute talk. So did Steve Jobs. “Here’s his presentation secret,” writes author Carmine Gallo. “Jobs rehearses for hours. To be more precise, many, many hours over many, many days.”1

  Do a few things to get the most out of your practice time.

  WALK THROUGH THE SLIDES

  When practicing, you want to walk through your slides, page by page, and consider the points you will make. The goal is not to memorize your talk. This will rarely go well; you will become stressed trying to remember it and it won’t feel natural. The objective is to know the presentation, so you can tell the story.

  It is important to actually deliver the presentation; you can’t just think about it. What will you say for each page? “The only way to prepare a presentation is to speak it aloud, just as you will on the day of your actual presentation,” recommends presentation coach Jerry Weissman.2

  You also want to gesture. What will you physically do as you present each page? Will you point at a particular figure? Will you spend time explaining a calculation?

  One way to do this is to simply stand up in your office and walk through it, talking to a lamp or a potted plant.

  Another option is to present to colleagues. You gather several peers in a room and go through the slides. This can feel awkward but it is a very effective approach.

  Videotaping yourself is yet another good approach. You set up a recording device and deliver the presentation. Then you go back and watch it, observing and critiquing how you appear. This is a painful process but it can be very effective. Personal branding expert Brenda Bence observes, “Watching yourself can be a tremendous eye-opener. It may not be something you enjoy, but it will almost certainly show you what you need to work on in order to improve the way you’re perceived.”3

  IDENTIFY TALKING POINTS

  As you go through the presentation, you should focus on identifying the talking points. Is there an interesting story that supports your point? Is there information on the slides that is particularly important?

  You may find it useful to write notes on each page. You don’t want to write out detailed comments; you won’t be able to read these in any event. But it might be useful to note, “Tell story about Columbian business here,” or “Ask if people saw last year’s net promoter score results.”

  It is important to consider each section. Will a particular story enhance your argument or not? As Carmine Gallo recommends, “Practice, practice and practice some more. Don’t take anything for granted. Review every slide, every demo, and every key message.”4

  By the time you are done, you should know your presentation exceptionally well. You should know each page and each talking point. With this level of preparation, you won’t need much in the way of notes.

  FOCUS ON TIMING

  Managing your time is a key challenge. You want to spend time on the important pages, not on the unimportant pages. If you have some wonderful stories related to points that are not significant, your best move is to drop them. This can be painful; we all love telling a great story. Still, spending scarce time on a point that doesn’t really matter is not a good idea.

  In general, you should plan to finish early. If your presentation is scheduled to run from 10 to 11:30, you should shoot for finishing up by 11:15. With this type of planning, everything will work out well. If you actually finish at 11:15, people will be happy to have some bonus time to check emails, locate a cup of coffee or make a phone call. You rarely get in trouble for finishing a meeting too early. If you get a lot of questions, you have some time to work with; you can pause to fully respond to the inquiries.

  Trying to fit too much stuff into a presentation is never a good idea. If you plan to use all of your time, even a simple question can delay you. Then at the end of the meeting, you have a series of bad options.

  Option 1: You can rush through pages in a desperate bid to finish up. This doesn’t go well. You start speaking quickly and racing through the material.

  Option 2: You can cut people off, saying, “John, I love your involvement but I’ve really got to keep mo
ving.” This is even worse, because now you are shutting down John. This doesn’t make John feel good. Remember, your goal is to get approval for your recommendation, so you need people on board.

  Option 3: You could address the questions and never finish the presentation. This is a terrible option; you then can decide to return sometime to finish it, which isn’t likely to happen, or you can count on people reading it back in their office, which they simply won’t do. At the end of the meeting, you want to leave time for the group to reach agreement, or at least to review the next steps so everyone knows what happens going forward.

  So, managing the time is critical, and you have to leave more rather than less.

  The problem is that you can’t entirely control the flow of a meeting. Someone might have a series of questions, and answering these takes time. The vice president might get into a side conversation on travel plans, which consumes your meeting time.

  It all can be frustrating. In the middle of a meeting on pricing, someone might say, “Hey, Susan, did we ever hear back from Carrefour about that in-store seasonal promotion idea?”

  Susan responds, “Well, Dave, we did. But they said the week of October 9th wasn’t available, so they asked if we could move the promotion to the following week.”

  And the conversation then unfolds. “Miguel, could the sales team execute that week?”

  “That would really be a problem, Dave, because we have the national sales meetings exactly at that moment.”