Thread by @sriramk

How to persuade people in a large 'hero' meeting: a oversimplified 🧵

Lots of folks crash and burn in their first attempt in convincing a LargeCo group of something. Could be a promo you want to push for your report or a product proposal you want to pitch.

1/ This is an acquired skill. If this is your first gig or you're not used to it ( you've only been an IC engineer), you will struggle. This is also a complex topic (in some places, this *is* the job) so this is just a 101 set of tips. Don't @ me on this being oversimplified 😄

2/ The biggest mental switch for me was to learn to appreciate this process rather than think of it as "political". Companies have limited resources and time and are always on fire. Why should they listen to you? You have to earn it.

3/ This is 🔑: most work is done *before* the meeting. In fact, if you can get away without the meeting, even better. Before the meeting, map out who are the key stakeholders. Who needs to make a decision? Who might have issues with your proposal? Who might need to support you?

4/ Meet all of the above - even if it is as quick as a chat in the hallway. Socialize your proposal. A promo candidate? Say "Hey, I'm thinking of putting up X for GPM. Any thoughts?". Accomplishes two things: a) it isn't a surprise for them and b) you get a sense of concerns

This might be as simple as waiting outside of BigExec's office/desk and just having a quick conversation. Or even a Slack message with a heads up.

5/ Write! Never walk into a key meeting without a written proposal everyone has seen and weighed in on before (even if it's a rough draft). A draft written proposal is one of the best ways to anchor a hard discussion with strong personalities.

Learn from the best - James Madison used this tactic to great effect. The Virginia Plan was essentially the 1787 version of sending out a GDoc to shape an ambiguous proposal before meeting all the execs in a review.

6/ The meeting itself: by now you probably have a sense of who has concerns, who is a passionate supporter and who is neutral. There are many resources on how to "pitch" in a meeting that I won't repeat. Calibrate to your company + have fantastic storytelling and data.

7/ I'm a big fan of silent meetings where everyone reads a doc together up front. If your company supports them, I highly encourage this. Gets you a diverse set of viewpoints, doesn't let one person dominate a meeting and lets you calibrate concerns.

medium.com/swlh/the-silen…

8/ Make it easy to say yes: when possible, make it "easy" for people to say yes.

Handle the obvious objections (yes, we have planned for support, privacy, etc). Make it a small investment that will let you learn.

9/ Get ppl to help: Most ppl in leadership roles in successful companies are smart and want good things to happen. Harness them. Get help on shaping your proposal or have them contribute too. *Spread the credit*. Now only is your proposal better, you now have invested allies.

10/ When possible, avoid one large "hero" meeting. Rarely do good things happen from one big Go/NoGo meeting. Easier to have a series of meetings where you learn/iterate/address people's concerns.

Not always possible though (for example promo committees)

11/ And that's it! With the right mindset, most of these can be turned from a political chore to one where you can harness smart people to cheer for you.

This is a hard topic and this barely scratches the surface.

What tips do folks here have for large meetings?

And a plug as always - I love getting subs for my newsletter 😉
sriramk.com/newsletter