Twenty minutes into the presentation, the panel was visibly irritated. After another thirty minutes, the panel chair said, “Let’s pretend this meeting never happened. Redo your presentation and come back in four weeks.”
They met with the consultant, who helped them think about the presentation from the panel’s perspective. They reworked the presentation so that it communicated more effectively. They simplified their slides so that there was just one point per slide. Most importantly, they stopped to consider the review from the panel’s perspective. What did the panel want to know? These reviewers were not interested in the technical information; they needed answers about funding, reliability, and the political climate.
After this revision, the contractor presented again. They passed the review. They also got $30 million more than they had initially requested.
Communication Leads to Results
In the first presentation, the contractor did not communicate with the panel. Communication is a two-way street. If the receiver doesn’t get it, we don’t achieve our goal. Giving too much information can actually cloud communication, as the contractor learned.
In the second presentation, the contractor did communicate. The result? Approval of the project plus $30 million more in funding than they expected.
When we learn to communicate, we tap into enormous resources, create strong relationships, and generate major opportunities.
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