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Executive Speak Ken Merbler

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Introduction <ul><li>The idea of developing your “Executive Speak” skills is important to the firm’s success on any account. We will discuss how you sit down with either a one on one executive or several executives to explore their needs and determine how Deloitte could be of value to solve their complex issues. You can begin to improve your skills by answering 3 questions: </li></ul><ul><li>Do I make myself interesting and would I want to talk to me? </li></ul><ul><li>Can I ask good questions and do I know how to listen? </li></ul><ul><li>Do I understand the client’s culture and look like an </li></ul>executive in his or her company or do I look like an outsider?

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<ul><li>Quote: “You need to have a passionate interest in why things are happening. That cast of mind, kept over long periods, gradually improves your ability to focus on reality. If you don’t have the cast of mind, you’re destined for failure even if you have a high I.Q.” – Charlie Munger </li></ul><ul><li>In small groups let’s brainstorm on “how we can become more interesting” for 15 minutes and then have a spokesperson share your results & we can discuss </li></ul><ul><li>Some ideas on how to improve yourself and become more interesting to our clients and Deloitte professionals: </li></ul><ul><li>Improve your knowledge of the client or the firm Partner – Google them and search for </li></ul><ul><li>their personal information – show real interest in them. </li></ul><ul><li>Improve your knowledge of the clients industry. Develop success stories about their </li></ul><ul><li>their industry from reading Deloitte net, etc. </li></ul><ul><li>Read biographies of prominent executives – Bill Gates ( The Road Ahead ), Lou Gerstner </li></ul><ul><li>(Who Says Elephants Can’t Fly), and Jack Welch (Control Your Own Destiny or </li></ul><ul><li>Someone Else Will). </li></ul><ul><li>Get communication coaching (not just presentation skills, but one on one conversation) – </li></ul><ul><li>interesting people know how to communicate and use the clients name. </li></ul><ul><li>Develop the skill of creating mental images in the listeners mind. </li></ul><ul><li>Studies have shown that great speakers with variable intensities in their voice tend to be </li></ul><ul><li>more successful than those with a more predictable voice tone. </li></ul><ul><li>Wear a positive expression on your face – good 1 st impression is critical – shows I am glad </li></ul><ul><li>I am here to listen to you the client. </li></ul>Am I interesting and would I want to talk to me ?

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Can I Ask Good Questions And Do I Know How To Listen? <ul><li>Quote: “One of the best ways to persuade others is with your ears – by listening to them” – Dean Rusk </li></ul><ul><li>In small groups let’s brainstorm on “how we can ask interesting questions” for 15 minutes and then have a spokesperson share your results & we can discuss </li></ul><ul><li>Some ideas to improve your ability to ask good questions: </li></ul><ul><li>Avoid asking a question a client can answer with yes or no. </li></ul><ul><li>Ask questions like: What does that mean? Can you give me an example – </li></ul><ul><li>get them to explain. </li></ul><ul><li>Use your internal coach to understand executive’s hot buttons for discussion. </li></ul><ul><li>Resist the temptation to converse, sympathize and add value or meaning to questions. </li></ul><ul><li>Use short, neutral questions that repeat the source’s own words. </li></ul><ul><li>Ask yourself: Do I allow the executive to finish their sentences or am I competing to talk? </li></ul><ul><li>Do I listen for pain points (sales opportunities)? Do I try to understand the speaker’s </li></ul><ul><li>feelings (urgency, etc.)? </li></ul><ul><li>Am I in control, relaxed and calm while listening – my mobile device is not beeping & </li></ul><ul><li>and buzzing. Do I repeat his/her statement to clarify the meaning? </li></ul>

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When Questioning – Be Careful <ul><li>There is an old joke about the dangers of imposing your own </li></ul><ul><li>structuring in questioning. It goes as follows: </li></ul><ul><li>In a murder trial, the defense attorney was cross-examining a </li></ul><ul><li>pathologist and here’s what happened – </li></ul><ul><li>Attorney: Before you signed the death certificate, had you taken the </li></ul><ul><li>Pulse? Coroner: No. </li></ul><ul><li>Attorney: Did you listen to the heart? Coroner: No. </li></ul><ul><li>Attorney: Did you check for breathing? Coroner: No. </li></ul><ul><li>Attorney: So, when you signed the death certificate, you weren’t sure </li></ul><ul><li>the man was dead, were you? Coroner: Well, let me put it this way. </li></ul><ul><li>The man’s brain was sitting in a jar on my desk. But I guess it’s possible </li></ul><ul><li>he could be out there practicing law somewhere like you! </li></ul>

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Do I understand the client’s culture and look like an executive in his or her operation or do I look like an outsider? <ul><li>Quote: Don’t overdress, don’t overwhelm the client with flamboyant sartorial splendor. Your dress should signal confidence, success, expertise, sensitivity, professionalism, and attention to detail – Jeff Fox (How To Become A Rainmaker”) </li></ul><ul><li>In small groups let’s brainstorm on “how we better understand the clients culture” for 15 minutes and then have a spokesperson share your results & we can discuss </li></ul><ul><li>Some ideas to improve your ability to better understand the clients culture and look like you belong at the meeting: </li></ul><ul><li>Do I understand the culture of the client and dress like their executives or am I trying to </li></ul><ul><li>make a statement with my dress? </li></ul><ul><li>Can I use my inside sales coach to determine the best way to run the meeting and </li></ul><ul><li>achieve success? </li></ul><ul><li>Reconfirm the meeting time – all executives have time constraints and we need to </li></ul><ul><li>respect their time – if the meeting goes over due to client interest we are winning! </li></ul><ul><li>Do I understand the client’s culture regarding discussions – Does the executive want </li></ul><ul><li>you to just give him/her the facts when discussing a point or do they need the whole </li></ul><ul><li>story? </li></ul><ul><li>Always arrive early for your executive meeting – project that this is an important </li></ul><ul><li>meeting to me! </li></ul>

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In Summary The points we have discussed give us a better opportunity to position ourselves as “Value Add” to the client’s executives. We need to learn how to see the client through the executive’s eyes and learn their “Stay-Awake” issues. We are trying to move our relationship from “Seller – Buyer” to collaborator/trusted advisor. Now it’s tome to develop your own personal plan to further your “Executive Speak” skills – Good Luck.