Our meetings can be full of long, rambling, sometimes incoherent monologues.
At what expense?
Maybe it’s just a frustrating waste of time. Maybe it’s sowing the seeds of a major derailment.
I’m going to introduce a conversation framework that will help make meetings shorter & more productive by being brief and concise.
There are 2 main ways of getting to a point. One – which I’ll call the storytelling way – you give all the background, evidence, reasons etc and then say ‘and so – I think that we should do this that and the other’.
The PRES model does it the other way – you make your point at the beginning and then give evidence to back it up.
What are the benefits to this?
- If you do get interrupted, at least you have made your point.
- You get your point across when you have people’s attention – at the beginning, not at the end.
- It’s easy to use & follow structure – clients say they love using this as a preparation tool – and the results in the meeting.
Let me give you an example:
Point
Begin with the key point – what you want buy-in for.
I believe we should use the excess $20,000 in the facilities budget to pave the gravel parking lot outside the new campus conference center.
Reason
Explain what’s driving your motivation on the matter.
If we pave the parking lot, we’ll be able to attract more local conferences to the building, generate additional revenue, and become more integrated with the community.
Example
Give an example to expand on why your comment is important.
For example, a company wanted to rent our conference facility for a two-day event. However, asking attendees to park in a muddy lot was unacceptable, so they chose another venue.
Summary
Close it out by reiterating your main point.
So, my recommendation is to use the extra funding to create a more appropriate space, so that we can attract clients and create a new revenue stream.
Tara’s Top Tips:
- When you know that you are going to talk – prepare in advance using this model
- Challenge yourself to keep each section to 1-3 sentences
- For impromptu moments – have a post-it note on your laptop so you can follow the structure in real-time
Please do try this out – I believe this will be one of the most useful tools in your virtual communication toolbox.
But this is the tip of the iceberg. I have a portfolio of fun, insightful & effective group training that will help you and your colleagues be your best virtual selves. Click on the link below for more details.
Until next time… Be clear, Be concise, Be Compelli
