Senior executive meetings are crucial for success, but they can also be nerve-wracking.
To ensure you make the most of these meetings, it’s important to prepare thoroughly.
Here are 7 ways to prep for an exec meeting (my favorite is BLUF, see below).
1. Bring data, always bring data
“In God we trust, all others bring data”.
Running a business is a numbers game.
Numbers and metrics are super important to executives. The information you are sharing or presenting should include numbers which will make the conversation objective and fact-based.
2. Research and synthesize
It pays to research key topics that are likely to come up.
The trick here is to synthesize the information so that you get to the point in the very first statement you make.
No need to go through 10 bullet points to get to the punch line.
3. Arrive early to the executive meeting
Always arrive ahead of time.
Not only does this show good leadership, but it also demonstrates you’re ready for the meeting and you value their time.
It also allows some time for small talk, which is an essential aspect of networking.
4. Connect
Connect with executives as a colleague and a fellow human beings. Guess what?
They are also craving human connection because many times their role doesn’t allow to make great work friends.
Stronger executive relationships help you become comfortable working with them and makes them more comfortable working with you.
5. BLUF
Bottom Line Up Front.
Start with the conclusion first, like “Our customer sat numbers are slipping, we identified Customer Wait Time as the factor. We are asking X$s to implement an AI system that will improve Customer Sat within 3 months.”
This way, the exec knows what to expect and she can dive into the right details if she has any questions. Or she might approve it and end the meeting in 10 minutes!
6. Bring value
Executives are busy and value only a productive interaction.
What new perspectives can you bring to different aspects of the business?
Execs love getting nuggets of information which they can use to connect (macro) dots later.
7. Prepare for questions
You should be able to answer the question, “So what?”. Point to data, synthesize the issues around that topic and answer the question confidently.
If you don’t prepare for a senior executive meeting, then it the conversation could go south and you will lose a ton of credibility; like the video example below.
What are your thoughts on preparing for exec meetings? Anything that you would like to add to this list?
#leadership #executiveconversations #presence #research #leadershipcommunication
