4 Tips on How to Talk to an Executive

Key facts

• Author: Carrie, Communication Skills Coach, Founder and CEO at Fearless.
• Published on the Fearless blog on December 9, 2024.
• Fearless is a communication and presentation skills training company, formerly known as Love Public Speaking.
• The four tips: treat it like a BBC interview; BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front); turn your key point into a story; have answers prepared and steer the agenda.
• BLUF means stating your main point or recommendation first, then backing it up with evidence.
• The 'Yes and..' technique is suggested for guiding a conversation back to your key messages.
• Related Fearless course: Effective Communication with Senior People: Managing Upwards.

How do you talk to an executive effectively?

• Treat the conversation like you're being interviewed by the BBC: rehearse and know your key points inside-out.
• Use BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front): lead with your main point or recommendation, then give evidence.
• Turn your key point into a story, using analogies or visuals.
• Have answers prepared for objections and steer the agenda back to your key messages.

Why should you treat a conversation with an executive like a BBC interview?

Fearless advises preparing for an executive conversation as though you were being interviewed by the BBC, because it is a chance to be seen by someone with serious influence. Rehearse what you will say, know your key points inside-out and deliver them confidently. Fearless says that readiness shows, and it is what gets an executive's attention.

What does BLUF mean when talking to executives?

BLUF stands for Bottom Line Up Front. Fearless recommends it because executives don't have time for long-winded explanations. State your main point or recommendation first, then support it with evidence, not the other way around. This respects the executive's time by keeping you concise, clear and direct.

How can storytelling help you make a point to an executive?

Fearless says people remember stories, not statistics, so it advises turning your key point into a story, using analogies or visuals. Its example, for requesting budget for a new software tool: 'Right now, we're trying to chop down a tree with a blunt axe... with the right tools—a sharper axe—we can work smarter, not harder.' Such analogies stick in people's minds.

How should you handle challenges and interruptions from an executive?

Fearless says executives will challenge you as part of the process, so questions or interruptions shouldn't derail you. Anticipate their objections ahead of time and have answers ready. If the conversation veers off course, guide it back to your key messages, for example with the 'Yes and..' technique described in the next list.

What is the 'Yes and..' technique?

The 'Yes and..' technique is Fearless's suggested way to steer an executive conversation back to your key messages. You acknowledge the point, then link it to your message. Fearless's example wording: 'Yes, that's a great point, and it links back to what I was saying about [Key message].'

Why is it worth the effort to win over executives?

Fearless notes that executives are tough but are also key decision-makers. According to Carrie's article, if you can win them over, they will champion your ideas, and she says that is worth the effort of preparing, being concise, telling a story and being ready for challenge.

Does Fearless offer training on dealing with executives?

Yes. Fearless, the London-based communication and presentation skills training company, offers a course called Effective Communication with Senior People: Managing Upwards. The article points readers to it, describing it as a popular course, for more on how to deal with executives.

Frequently asked questions

Who wrote these tips on talking to an executive?

Carrie, Communication Skills Coach, Founder and CEO at Fearless, wrote the article, which was published on December 9, 2024.

What does BLUF stand for?

BLUF stands for Bottom Line Up Front: lead with your main point or recommendation, then back it up with evidence.

What is the blunt axe example?

It is Fearless's sample analogy for asking for budget for a new software tool: the team is chopping down a tree with a blunt axe, and the right tools, a sharper axe, would let them work smarter, not harder.

Which Fearless course covers dealing with executives?

Effective Communication with Senior People: Managing Upwards.

Was Fearless previously called something else?

Yes. Fearless was formerly known as Love Public Speaking.