Persuade with Data - Sculpt your Excel Charts

It is not just the volume but the complexity of data being collected that makes it difficult for us to analyse and interpret in a clear and simple way. As we are bombarded with data, most people still reach for excel to create charts to explain this data. After all, it's easy. Select our table of data, find the command for insert chart, chose one of the types of chart and then choose one of the options for that specific chart. That's easily done.

But as Samuel Johnson may have written over 200 years ago: charts created without effort are read without insight. 

So, with a  little time and effort how can we create charts to be read with insight and pleasure? 

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Sort out your data

With a tsunami of data it is easy to create large tables of data. However, with such large amounts of data, it is difficult to see what the message is. When presenting these tables, some people leave them in the default order. So, if it was a list of sales by country or sales by product then these would be listed alphabetically. Unfortunately, insights rarely occur alphabetically. So, if you sort alphabetically then you are burying your insights and making it hard for your audience to find the insights.

Find out how to make your insights clearer.

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How can you become a successful negotiator? (Part 1 - Types of negotiation)

To be a successful negotiator you need to understand that a negotiation can only take place when everyone involved thinks they will get some benefit from the transaction. Both sides want to be in on the deal and all will influence the outcome.

To be successful you must:

  • Analyse the negotiation and choose the best approach
  • Be well prepared
  • Pay careful attention to detail
  • Be creative

In essence - be a TOP negotiator.

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What is in your negotiation tool kit?

Managers in today's complex business environment require negotiation skills for business success. They need to develop a tool kit of negotiation strategies and understand how these influence and are influenced by their surroundings. Being successful in leading groups and shaping group decision making is vital, both internally and with key customers and suppliers.

In your tool kit you need tools to manage:

  • Relationships
  • Substantive Issues
  • Value
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What can Trump and Brexit teach us about persuasion (Part 1)

As the world reels at the second big shock in 2016, Donald Trump elected as President of the USA, after the UK voted for Brexit. What can we learn about persuasion? So many polls, so many authorities got both events wrong.

We might be tempted to believe as Richard Thaler, Professor of Behavioural Science & Economics said after Trump won, ”This is …a defeat for science and expertise.” No, this is not a defeat for logic. Logic could never win; this is a win for emotion.

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In global negotiations do you understand culture?

We have already explored the theme from market trends: Are procurement undervaluing suppliers? In this blog, we will concentrate on the need to understand culture in global negotiations.

The secret of great global negotiations is not one thing, but many: communication, planning, risk taking and cultural differences. But, one key item or secret of success can be gleaned from Aristotle in his book Rhetoric . The secret is: balance your negotiation argument with logic and emotion.

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The Interactive Image (Part 2 - The Audience's Image)

In a previous blog, we discussed the presenter's image as an interactive image. Now we will move onto the second method.

In this second method, the Persuasive Presenter allows the audience to select their own images for their own reason. This suits a workshop format and produces plenty of interaction.

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How to discredit your competitors

A headline about the US presidential debate claimed Hillary Clinton unties the Gordian Knot (ABC news online 27 September 2016). In this case, the Gordian Knot is

"... the growing realisation that Mr Trump continues to rise no matter what serial atrocities or outrages he commits ..."

The article talks of Mrs Clinton unpicking the knot during the debate. In plain language, she discredited Mr Trump. The new 2016 book by influence guru Robert Cialdini helps us understand why Hillary was so successful.

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The Interactive Image (Part 1 – The Presenter’s image)

When using the image as an illustration, the presenter assigns meaning to the image, as discussed in our previous blog The Skilful Use of Images. In contrast, when using the ‘interactive image’ method the audience assigns a meaning to an image. There are three methods of the interactive approach:

1.       Presenter’s image – Audience’s meaning

2.       Audience’s image – Audience’s meaning

3.      Common image – Audience’s meaning

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Are Procurement undervaluing suppliers?

In a previous blog, we explored the market trends impacting B2B business negotiations and determined there were two main themes from these trends. The first of these being: Procurement - undervaluing suppliers.

The way organisations buy has become more sophisticated, so more companies have introduced professional procurement managers into their negotiations with suppliers. In today's business environment companies must pull every possible lever to improve profits, so getting a price reduction on a product or service is the easiest way to reduce costs. On face value getting cheaper prices seems an appropriate approach, however, we challenge that paradigm.

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Brexit Negotiations: How to make the impossible deal (part 3)

In the first blog of this series, we reviewed how to get a deal for Brexit and understood that the top eight countries by population are critical: Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Romania, Netherlands and Belgium. First to prevent a blocking coalition and second to create a winning coalition of countries. In the second blog, we explained how to prepare for these complex negotiations. In this third blog, we will examine roles when negotiating as a team. Then we will look at how to negotiate in multi-party negotiations.

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Market Trends Impacting B2B Business Negotiations

There are a few relentless market trends impacting how B2B companies do business. These market trends are long-term and impact the top and bottom lines of B2B companies around the world.

1.      Customer Consolidation

2.      Centralisation of Decision Making

3.      Different Decision Makers

4.      Increasing Competition

All of these market trends are making it harder to keep, win and grow customers profitably. What does this mean for your organisation?

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