Stop Explaining Features.Start Owning Outcomes. One InsightExecutives don’t buy features. They buy reduced risk, clearer forecasts, and faster results. If you don’t speak their language, you’ll lose their attention. One StoryA project manager in a major bank kept being interrupted by his department head during meetings. We observed one of those sessions and quickly saw why: his presentation was too technical full of system details, but missing the link to business value. He reworked every slide to focus on outcomes: ✅ More accurate timelines The next time, the interruptions stopped. Instead, he gained support and sponsorship. Same project. Same platform. Different language and totally different results. One Tool: The Outcome FlipFor every feature you present, finish the sentence: • “Automated reporting” → so you can close the quarter two days faster. • “New user interface” → so you can onboard new staff in half the time. • “Data lake” → so you can forecast with ±3% accuracy. Then, start your pitch or slide with a three-line opener Problem → Outcome → Proof (a short metric or story). Make it stickBuild an Outcome Bank: a list of ten “so you can” phrases your audience actually cares about. Start every memo, slide, or email with one of them. It’s a small change that creates a big shift in how decision-makers listen. Try it this weekPick one slide or email. Rewrite it using the Outcome Flip. Send it to a senior stakeholder. If their reply is faster and shorter , you’ve just turned technical talk into executive language. Et Voilà! |
