Prepare Better for High-Stakes Meetings
Here's a checklist from The Eloquent Woman that she uses to prepare herself for every presentation she gives. As I was reading it, I realized that her list isn't just for presenters. Instead, it is the perfect preparation for nearly every client meeting, negotiation and court appearance.
My favorite section are the questions about intent:
- Do I know what the audience wants from me?
- Is that what I'm going to give them? Do my goals match theirs? If not, why am I speaking to them? How will I reach them?
- What do I want to get out of this speaking experience?
- What do I need to learn from the audience? How will I find out?
- Do I intend to engage the audience? Do I just want them to listen? Do I intend to get them to act on something?
Before your next high-stakes meeting, answer each question, first replacing "Audience" with Client, Judge or even Opposing Counsel. I suspect you'll gain answers that make asking the questions worthwhile.
