How can you adapt your persuasion style for senior executives with different expectations?

💡To effectively engage senior executives, embrace a multifaceted approach. Delve into their professional ethos and preferences. 🔍 Contextual Awareness Comprehend their world, encompassing industry trends, company performance, and market challenges. Use this knowledge to shape your message and showcase your business acumen. 📊 Decision-Making Insights Adapt to their decision-making style, whether data-driven or narrative-focused. Aligning with their preferences enhances your persuasiveness. 🔄 Feedback Loop Create a feedback mechanism. Seek preliminary input and informal feedback, enabling real-time refinement of your communication.

Always know your audience, their background, and history…as well as their future aspirations. Their past experiences shape their current perspective, while their present decisions impact their own future. What may make complete and logical sense to you may not be at all how they see it. Shape your message in a way that connects with the senior leader.

It's crucial to first thoroughly understand senior executives's unique priorities and how they prefer to receive information. 🔄 Investigate their professional history, key decisions they've made, and what motivates their business decisions. Craft your messaging to align with these factors, employing data-driven arguments and relevant examples that speak directly to their interests. 📊 Present your proposals succinctly, emphasizing their strategic benefits and potential return on investment. 🎯 Approach them with confidence, clearly demonstrating how your ideas support the company's overarching goals. Being adaptable and prepared to address their specific queries or reservations can significantly enhance your persuasiveness.

Adapting my persuasion style for senior executives with varied expectations is all about knowing my audience. As a Program Manager, I invest time in understanding each executive's priorities, preferences, and communication style. Tailoring my approach to align with their expectations ensures that my messages resonate effectively. Whether it's focusing on strategic outcomes, financial impact, or operational efficiencies, recognizing and addressing individual expectations strengthens my ability to influence and drive consensus among diverse senior leaders

There's no playbook, because people are complex - so I like to rely on first principles to ensure I'm taking a natural and human centered approach when attempting to influence Sr. Executives: 1) We are all people just trying to figure it out. 2) Prioritize listening and understanding their priorities 3) Find common ground 4) Propose solutions 5) Communication is 90% of the process. Be a solid POC and filter the noise. Also, don't be afraid to take control every once in a while. Executives are often way too busy to front run any process. It helps to build relationships with their support teams to build a rising tide of productive activity to support common goals. This often requires collaboration and delegation.

One size does not fit all. Assuming from Step 1 above, you already know what your stakeholders want, i.e. what makes them tick. Based on this, you may pick from: 1. Give-Take: tried and tested formula of tradeoffs. Negotiate with the stakeholders to create a win-win for all 2. Power play: In rare conditions, you may need to pull rank or bring in the big-guns to persuade 3. Diplomacy and soft power: This is time taking but proves to be more credibility building over a period of time 4. Proof of concept i.e. lead by example - You emulate good behavior to have your stakeholders follow suit. You may need to take a hit initially to convince your way.

I’m definitely a believer in leading up and I do think there are times when it’s important at times to highlight alternative ways to accomplish something or even get a different result. But you have to choose your strategy, time, and tact wisely, knowing it’s just another recommendation. #programmanagement

As a Program Manager, I tailor my approach by choosing a strategy that resonates with each executive's priorities. Whether it's highlighting strategic vision, financial impact, or operational efficiency, my ability to flexibly select the most effective strategy ensures alignment with their expectations. This nuanced approach fosters stronger collaboration and drives consensus, crucial in navigating the varied landscape of senior executive interactions.

In the military, we embrace the idea of "mission command," which is complete ownership of your assigned task. If you are so empowered, consider the "unless otherwise directed" approach: "Unless otherwise directed, I intend to do [XYZ]." This shows you are ready to take action but gives them buy-in and a chance to adjust.

In my experience, there are 2 major differences here, the push and the pull. As an individual and based on the confidence in our ideas/thoughts and how much we think they can be successful, we need to decide wether to be assertive and push them to others or not. On the other hand, we might need to pull ideas from other and contributions so we can build an approach and draw the final picture of a plan.

Adapting persuasion styles for senior executives requires a tailored approach, recognizing their unique preferences and decision-making processes. Begin by thoroughly understanding their priorities, challenges, and communication styles. For data-driven executives, present concise, evidence-based arguments. For vision-oriented leaders, align your proposals with strategic organizational goals. Employ emotional intelligence to gauge the tone and adjust your approach—be assertive yet respectful with analytical leaders, and engaging and visionary with creative minds. This adaptive strategy ensures your message resonates, fostering effective and influential communication at the executive level.

I fine-tune my approach by recognizing individual preferences and expectations. Whether emphasizing strategic alignment, financial outcomes, or operational efficiencies, I adapt my communication style to resonate with each executive. This personalized touch not only fosters effective collaboration but also ensures that my messages align seamlessly with their unique perspectives.

To effectively engage with senior executives, consider adapting your persuasion style to align with their preferences. If you possess an assertive demeanor, temper your intensity to convey respect and diplomacy. Conversely, if you tend to be collaborative, inject confidence and decisiveness when dealing with competitive and demanding executives. Recognizing and adjusting your approach enhances communication and fosters positive interactions in the senior executive environment.

I would be very blunt in here. If the goal is having people grow, adapt your style to create a more constructive approach. If your goal is a one shot and gone, then use the emotional dictionary that is most impacting your counterpart.

Unlock executive buy-in: A 3-step playbook - Pre-pitch intel: Before engaging, connect directly with executives or their teams to glean their goals and roadblocks. (EAs hold insight too!) Deepen your understanding of the problem and tailor your solution. - Be adaptable: Time is gold. Prepare multiple pitch durations (1-min, 10-min, full session) and be ready to shift gears based on schedule and the evolving conversation. - Amplify your impact: Align with strategic allies – senior colleagues who can support your pitch, adding perspective and credibility. - Own the pitch. Lead with confident expertise, not just the solution. Show you've thought about their perspective, understand challenges, and offer the path forward.

In influencing senior executives with varied expectations, a nuanced approach is essential. The McKinsey 7S framework proves invaluable, aligning proposals with the organization's strategy, structure, systems, and shared values. For financially inclined executives, employ Return on Investment (ROI) analysis, emphasizing potential returns and aligning with fiscal objectives. To address risk concerns, leverage the Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RACI). Clarify roles and responsibilities, ensuring a clear understanding of the program's impact and mitigation strategies. Tailoring communication with these frameworks ensures relevance to diverse senior executive expectations, increasing the persuasiveness and gaining crucial support.

Actualmente nos encontramos más allá de una era digital, con la masificación del uso de la inteligencia artificial, pues definitivamente las herramientas digitales deben ser parte primordial de los elementos para lograr persuadir a cualquier ejecutivo o audiencia, igualmente estas herramientas se deben adaptar a las necesidades del ejecutivo, su forma de conectar, el tipo de audiencia que estará durante la presentación e incluso el lugar en dónde se llevará a cabo la reunión, por ejemplo si es un lugar al aire libre pues tener un video proyector podría ser un problemas, debemos ser muy asertivos con las herramientas a utilizar y sacarles el mayor provecho.

It is like the game of Chess. You anticipate your opponents' (in this case, your stakeholders') objections and wants. In that case, you can plan for the various scenarios and the several combinations of trade-offs you will need to make. Keep your approach nimble and change tactics if you see that your current approach is not working. Being firm in your style can go against you.

You must not only anticipate rejection, but you must also see the opportunity often masked by the sting of rejection. Often, reasons for rejections come with the rejections themselves. The effective and resilient presenter listens closely for rejection insights to improve the pitch. In fact, the higher form of anticipating rejection is preparing for rejection. When presenters prepare for rejection, they can immediately begin to turn rejection into a temporary condition versus a permanent decision. Asking why the pitch was rejected often gives you the path to future success. Plus, keeping your composure after rejection is a great show of strength and character, which will be remembered by the decision-makers when you make your next pitch.

If you can anticipate what possible objections the Executives may have not only can you better prepare how to show your ideas/solutions can overcome their objections, but you can also learn better what their needs are. The better you know their needs and limitations the better you can tailor your ideas.

Anticiparse a las posibles objeciones implica analizar las diferentes perspectivas desde donde puede ser visualizada la propuesta que estamos presentando y además nos permite “blindar” la propuesta, eso no significa que sea el producto y/o servicio perfecto, sino que con nuestra experiencia podemos responder cualquier objeción o barrera que pueda dificultar el éxito de la presentación, adicionalmente el poder resolver estas objeciones denota preparación y autoridad ante la audiencia y eso es muy importante cuando estamos trabajando con ejecutivos.

In the health industry, addressing senior executives' expectations involves understanding their strategic vision and the pressures they face. Effective persuasion means aligning your proposals with these objectives, demonstrating clear outcomes and ROI. Articulate how your initiatives can lead to improved patient outcomes, operational efficiencies, or financial performance, using data to support your case. Be concise, confident, and prepared to iterate your approach based on their feedback, showing flexibility and a collaborative spirit. Most importantly, build your trust with them and maintain your network . Relationships that are meaningful are more impactful than a creative slide deck.

This is another long-haul step that eventually pays dividends. Not only for the situation at hand but also for other ancillary matters. Winning trust will not happen overnight, you will have to earn it. Know your work in-depth and be honest where you don't know or cannot deliver. Your stakeholders will appreciate the honesty. This trust will help you convince your stakeholders - even different stakeholders on opposite ends of the spectrum can be centered by building long-term trusts and relationships.

Delve into their career paths, industry expertise, and organizational objectives to gain insights. Use concise and impactful language, avoiding jargon or technical terms they may not understand. Share your knowledge and experience in a relevant field to establish your authority. Meet deadlines, deliver on promises, and demonstrate a commitment to collaboration.

Demonstrate your willingness to adapt to their expectations based on their input; don't be rigid. This can build trust and show that you value their expertise and perspective.

Trust is everything, and that takes time, combined with repeated good work, to demonstrate your expertise and sound judgment. Once you have built a relationship founded on trust and authenticity, you are ready to "lead up!"

There are two considerations that I’ve found key to persuading stakeholders and senior executives. The first is understanding their “information style”. Do they require detailed data and narrative with regards to a decision, or do they just require the key points? Second, one must try to determine what an individual’s perspective might be on the decisions at hand. Especially if they are expected to challenge the recommendations. Understanding their POV will allow you to tailor specific messages to address their potential objections and any roadblocks that might be thrown out.

The cited 6 guidelines in this article are describing well what are the ingredients of proper persuasion of executives with different expectations. I just want to clarify what not to do: pushing ideas to executives even if the idea/strategy is supported with strong arguments and validated with figures and graphs. Executives need to be guided and seduced in away they advise themselves the right strategy which has the most chances to win so we then follow on the program.

Effective communication is about building relationships rather than simply conveying information. This means understanding your audience, tailoring your message to their needs, and creating a sense of trust. When trust is established, difficult conversations become less daunting and more productive. I believe in the adage, "When you're explaining, you're losing." This means that if you have to explain yourself, you've already lost the audience's understanding. Instead, focus on building rapport and fostering trust through open communication and genuine interest in the other person's perspective. Trust begets trust, so when difficult conversations need to be had, you're not starting from scratch.

I think you need to have thoroughly thought through what you are proposing and think about what they will be looking for. If it is a CEO or CFO what does the return on invested capital look like or the business growth of your suggestion. A sales leader may be more inclined to want to know about sales growth. And be succinct, clear and to the point.

One might not have the luxury of knowing the senior execs personally but can try to do that through others and via platforms such as LinkedIn. Irrespective, the senior exec role generally has paucity of time, is already inundated with information and has commercial goals/objectives, so keep that in mind. Be sure of your facts and figures and preferably say will get back, don't know, if that is what it is. Then there is the need of the hour, an upcoming meeting with the client where a program escalation might be discussed, an operations review where program issues have been called out, if possible pls be aware. Finally, try to be sure of what you want from them when you have their attention apart from sharing the update that you have to..