How to be persuasive in communication with your boss: 7 tips that work

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Kostya Gorskiy, Design Lead at Intercom and former design director of Yandex, tells how to present your idea to a manager and be heard.

Once in the life of every specialist, there comes a time when he has to communicate at work with "high bosses": customers, top managers or business owners. Sometimes it’s hard. It may even seem that you are not understood or taken seriously.

Here are some tips to help you look convincing and get what you want.

1. Do not contrast specialists and non-specialists

We are all just people and, apparently, are working or are going to work on the same project. Talk about its essence.

2. Do not go to the manager with a problem

The problem must always be brought along with the solution. If you come with a solution, you speak the language of the listener. Then the decision can already be discussed, you can even re-invent it - this is, in any case, interesting. If you come up with a problem without a solution, you are just annoying.

3. Prepare for the meeting

In general, it would be good to prepare for all meetings, but if you are supposed to meet with high-ranking officials, then you cannot but do your "homework": be well-versed in the topic of conversation and be ready to answer any question. Even if the meeting is expected to take only 5 minutes. Most of the questions you may be asked are easy to predict in advance. And come up with good answers.

4. Immediately state the purpose of the meeting

Hopefully it's clear to everyone that the goal should be clearly stated. If you have a presentation, it should be clear from the first slide what you want. No lyrical eyeliner needed, save everyone time and get straight to the point.

5. Support your statements with facts

Opinions and value judgments are best left to yourself. Moreover, you shouldn't complain or speak badly about colleagues or competitors.

“The design of our site is complete shit. I made a new version and I want to show it”- even if this is true, sorry, but you cannot be taken seriously. “Conversion to orders on our website is 1%. We figured out how to improve it, and the first A / B tests of the new version showed 5%,”this is a conversation of a healthy person. If there are no facts, then it may be early for you to go to the meeting.

6. If you feel that your offer may be rejected, give more choice

For example, don't just offer one new version of the site, but show three options. And tell me which one you think is the best and why. The choice is always easier than agreeing to a single option.

7. Help make your proposed solution

For example, describe the implications of implementation and the implications of delaying implementation. It should be easy and comfortable for the person to say yes, help him with that.

Rule. With high-ranking officials, we speak according to the following scheme: the purpose of the meeting - the problem - the facts - the options for solving - why it will work.

If this approach is used not only in conversations with top managers, but in general always, you can at some point become a top manager yourself.