Professionalism.guideA practical framework for working well with others

Making your case

How to present a recommendation and win support

You want people to approve a project, change a process, or try a different approach. This guide helps you understand their concerns, explain your recommendation, and work toward an agreement they can act on.

15 topics · 86 min · Press play to listen in order, or read any topic.

Groundwork

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Phase 1 · 6 topics · 34 min

Understand the people and build the case

Before you present, find out what would make your recommendation useful to the people deciding, then reduce your case to what they need.

  1. Identify who can make the decision, what they need, and which constraints matter. This gives your preparation a direction before you start building a pitch.

    4:53 Read

  2. Determine what these particular people need to understand. The people funding a proposal and the people implementing it may need very different explanations.

    6:04 Read

  3. Understand why someone might see the situation differently. Their experience can reveal concerns your preferred solution overlooks.

    5:20 Read

  4. Choose the few points people must understand and remember to make the decision. These become the backbone of your recommendation.

    5:56 Read

  5. Remove information that obscures those points while preserving essential qualifications. A concise case still needs to represent the situation accurately.

    6:09 Read

  6. Make numerical evidence easier to interpret. When your recommendation depends on costs, trends, or comparisons, show the relevant pattern clearly.

    5:59 Read

Your taskBefore continuing, be able to say what your audience needs, what could make them hesitate, and what you recommend, in three sentences.

Phase 2 · 6 topics · 34 min

Present clearly and stay responsive

Your preparation gives you a starting point. During the presentation, pay attention to whether people understand the case and where they need further discussion.

  1. Put the recommendation and its essential reasoning at the beginning of your written materials. People should grasp the proposal even if they read only the opening.

    5:33 Read

  2. State the recommendation and requested decision explicitly. Balance clarity with diplomacy so people understand your position without feeling attacked.

    5:44 Read

  3. Rehearse how you will explain the case using emphasis, pacing, and variation. Your delivery should help the audience stay engaged with the important information.

    5:39 Read

  4. Ask what lies behind a concern before you answer it. A question shows whether the objection is about cost, risk, or something you had not considered.

    5:24 Read

  5. Notice possible resistance as particular parts of the proposal appear. Use changes in audience behavior as a reason to ask and clarify, rather than assume you know what someone thinks.

    5:53 Read

  6. Regain calm when a challenge makes you defensive. Staying composed gives you room to understand the objection and choose a useful response.

    5:59 Read

Your taskBefore continuing, rehearse your opening and your response to the concern you find hardest to hear.

Phase 3 · 3 topics · 17 min

Reach a workable agreement and follow through

The discussion may change your proposal. Finish by establishing what people can agree to and how they will know progress is being made.

  1. Consider concessions that preserve the proposal’s purpose while addressing other people’s needs. Look for an agreement that remains worthwhile to everyone involved.

    5:33 Read

  2. Put what was agreed in writing and send it to everyone involved. A written record keeps the agreement from drifting.

    5:51 Read

  3. Keep people informed about completed work, work in progress, remaining work, and obstacles. Follow-through turns initial support into continuing trust.

    5:46 Read

Your taskFinish by recording the agreed next step, who owns it, and when the next update will happen.