1.5 - About University

9.7 S ELLING W HEEL: GETTING Y OURR ECOMMENDATIONS A CCEPTEDInspired by numerous sources.Leaders may have great ideas, but nothing happens unless and until there is buy-in and commitmentto change by those whose support is needed to turn those ideas into effective action(e.g., senior management, peers, workgroups, clients). To get people on board, leaders need topersuade others of the value and practicality of their recommendations. The tool for makingthis happen is the Selling Wheel.❶❷❸❹❺Establish credibility and rapport. People in business today are action-oriented and wantyou to get to the point quickly. While you’re doing this, however, also work to establishrapport, using person-to-person conversation and eye contact. Know that decisionmaking and commitment to follow-through are as much matters of the heart as of thehead. Thus, both facts and relationships are important.Establish the need. We live in a results-orientedsociety. People often judge the successof your presentation by how well itanswers their basic question, “Why?”Remind people of their needs and of thegeneral benefits of your recommendations.Present your data and analysis. Too often,presenters fall in love with their data andanalysis. Yet in our fast-paced, time-constrainedworld, most people want onlythe minimum of analysis. Presenting datais the most time-consuming part of mostpresentations. Give people only enoughto understand the logic and value of yourrecommendations; don’t frustrate themwith an avalanche of data and analysis.6.Change Plansand FollowThrough5.Dealing withReservationsand Risks1.ReestablishingCredibility & RapportCommitmentto Change4.Selling theBest Option(s)2.Reestablishingthe Need3.Presenting theData & AnalysisSell your best option(s). This is the heart of a persuasive presentation. Distinguish features(descriptors of solutions) from the benefits (why and how the features explicitlymeet the client’s needs). Too often, presenters overemphasize the features (the bellsand whistles) as opposed to the benefits (why people should have these bells and whistles).It’s the benefits that resonate with people. Benefits sell!Deal with reservations and risks. Having just described the benefits of your recommendation,it’s now time to turn to the limitations and risks. Don’t ignore or avoid discussingthe risks. Doing so makes them conspicuous by their absence. Fearing conflict,284 SECTION 9 TOOLS FOR LEADING AND INFLUENCING OTHERS