Presentation Skills: Persuading a “Follower”

From Wilder’s Presentations

According to a survey of 1,700 executives by Robert B. Miller and Gary A. Williams, followers account for more than one-third of all executives. They stick to what's been done before and don't want to be the first to try something new.

They are very empathic, so when you talk to a follower, you may "feel" that she or he is agreeing with you, but that doesn't mean she or he is going to say yes to your idea.

Followers can seem to be skeptics or thinkers by the questions they ask. But when you hear phrases like, "This sounds similar to what XYZ company has been doing…" or "Where has this been proven successful?" you'll know you're dealing with a follower.

Presentation format: Followers want to know if, when, and where your idea has actually worked, and you need to give examples in your presentation. Executive summary: On this one-slide summary, include primary sources of information and a list of places your proposal has been successful.

Interaction: Followers ask many questions. You may think the person is interrogating you, but she or he is only attempting to discover how your strategy has played itself out before. The interrogation, or just the ongoing questions about facts, figures, and past experience, is the follower's way of finding out what happened when someone else implemented this strategy.

How to fail. You'll fail to persuade a follower if you don't:

• Present information without saying how it has been successful before.
• Put together a solid idea with all the facts and figures. Don't present a partially thought-out idea.

Slides designed for followers:

• Follow a logical, systematic thought process in your slides.
• Show where the successes have occurred and what results were obtained.
• Avoid busy, "avant garde" backgrounds. They will not give the impression of solidity to a follower who wants to keep on the path of what's been done.

Key Facts About Proposal
You may need several slides for this information. Be sure you don't present only concepts - you must have facts. List the costs and, if possible, show the costs for several options.

Past History
Unless you can list how your idea, process, or strategy was successful elsewhere, you might as well not present. This slide will be crucial in alleviating the fears of the follower.