Page 133 - The New Articulate Executive_ Look, Act and Sound Like a Leader

124 DELIVERY

mood, brings us closer to our hosts, and immediately improves our
chances of success.) Instead of opening amenities and all the usual
palaver, the lead is fast off the mark with a strong start (Chapter 8).
That’s why she insists the book remain closed.
If her gut tells her that this crowd is a little prickly, proud, inse-
cure, or defensive, or if the other party’s agenda is not entirely clear,
she may want to go with a different tack and put the ball in the other
court, as in: “Rather than jump into the decks, let me fi rst ask—how
do you think we can be of service?”
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If possible, do not hand out any materials until you are fi nished
talking. If you must hand them out, hold them until the fi rst graphic.
Otherwise, just follow the protocols in this chapter.
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If the book plays any role in this pitch, it will come only after the
lead has galvanized the minds in the room with a commanding
opening. And as mentioned in an earlier chapter, she will make it
her business to make sure the whole theme, the entire story, is already
on the table before the book is opened—even though her hosts may
not realize it.
After a strong opening that has everybody in the room wide
awake and wanting to hear more, the lead may choose to turn to the

deck (the proof and the cream filling in the Oreo). Now her role
shifts to that of lawyer. The case has been presented, and it is time
to prove it. So she will summon a roll-in, such as, “So what does that
look like? Take a look at page one.” Then she leads the room by
physically opening the book.
If for any reason there was no time to prepare a Wafer, she will
open the Whopper to the exact page she needs to support her point.
She might say, for example: “You can see how we expect the upturn
to rebalance the market with a return to normal pricing on page
thirty-eight.” After that, she will continue to roll in to perhaps half