Techniques For Clarifying Stakeholder Expectations

“They said our price is too high.” “Who is they?” “Fortune 500 Pharma.” “The entire stakeholder team? After our 6-month proof of concept?” “Well…not exactly. Just Jim.” “Jim? The department buyer with no decision making authority?” “Um…yes.” 🚩 The rep broke our process. 🚩 We never agree to a POC unless all key stakeholders commit to reviewing the results in a live meeting 🚩 Instead, the rep presented to one person who could never say yes. So we fixed it. - The rep made calls. Got the right people in the room. - Followed the process we should’ve followed from the start. - I flew in. Seven days later… I’m across from the full stakeholder team. Screen on. Deck up. Ready to go. Ten minutes into the presentation, the Director stops me. And I think, “Something’s wrong.” I was right—just not on our side. He turns to Jim, frustration in his voice: 👉 “Why are we here? Just do the deal.” And that was it. - Dollars shifted between budgets. - The company saved money, reduced risk, and gained time. - We closed the deal. Because real decision makers don’t care about price—they care about impact. Money (Financial impact) Risk (Reduction & mitigation) Time (Operational efficiency) Money ≠ Price. Impact matters more than price. How to make sure you never fall into the same trap: 1 - Lock in Stakeholders from Day One Never run a POC unless all key decision-makers agree to review the results. No commitment? No POC. 2 - Challenge “No”, Especially When It Comes from the Wrong Person Always ask: “Who else needs to be part of this conversation?” If the person can’t say yes, they shouldn’t be able to say no. 3 - Manage the Process A strong sales process means you influence how decisions get made. If your deal is derailed by someone with no authority, you lost control. 4 - Frame the Conversation Around Impact, Not Price Always connect your solution to money saved, risk reduced, or time gained. Those are the real decision drivers. 5 - Use Your POC & Report of Findings to Reduce Stakeholder Risk A strong report of findings turns your proof of concept into an irrefutable case for action—so stakeholders feel safe moving forward instead of stalling in indecision.

Want the powerful technique that journalists, detectives, and Harvard’s negotiation experts use to dig deeper in conversation? It’s called looping for understanding. And it’s a simple 4 step process: 1. Ask Questions Specifically, open ended questions to uncover their perspective. Something like: “What’s the biggest challenge you’re facing right now?” 2. Listen The most important part, let them finish their point. Listen all the way to the end. Listen beyond words, watch for their body language and any underlying themes. If they say, “I feel like I’m always the one fixing mistakes.” You might notice that the phrase “always the one.” is an indicator of frustration or unmet expectations. 3. Respond It's not enough just to listen, your time will come. Follow it up with a brief reflection, their point in your words. “It sounds like you’re frustrated because you feel the workload isn’t balanced, and you’re picking up the slack.” 4. Check An important add on to your listening process, check if you got it right, then ask them to clarify if not. “Is that how you see it, or would you explain it differently?” This last step builds trust and allows the other person to refine or expand on their perspective. ------- Anything you'd add? First time seeing a post from me? Follow Matt Mosich for much more. And, if you found this helpful, repost it to help someone in your network too.

THE stakeholder conversation that will make or break your project You're got a great looking project on paper. Then reality hits. Deadlines slip. Priorities shift. Stakeholders "forget" what they agreed to. And in an instant, you're in firefighting mode. Have this ONE conversation at the start to prevent this: → "What does success ACTUALLY look like?" Here's how to have it the right way: ✅ Ask key stakeholders "if this project is successful, what will be different?" This helps you uncover their REAL priorities beyond scope, time, and cost. ✅ Clarify trade-offs upfront Is speed top priority? If so, are they willing to cut scope? Is quality key? If yes, will they accept delays? Aligning expectations and key deliverables early prevents conflict later. ✅ Have measurable outcomes at the beginning "Improve efficiency" means nothing. "Reduce processing time by 30%" is a clear, attainable goal. Your job isn't just to deliver a project. Your job is to deliver results that matter. Define success upfront to ensure you can deliver it. 🤙

Struggling to get everyone on board? Some clients complain that they feel like they are hearding cats. I remember leading projects like this and was frustrated until I learned a better way. Here's a step-by-step guide to achieve stakeholder buy-in: 1. Gather Perspectives → Why it works: Provides a complete view of stakeholder positions. ↳ Action: Ask each stakeholder about their understanding of project goals, benefits, and concerns. 2. Identify Misalignments → Why it works: Pinpoints areas needing attention. ↳ Action: List key differences in a shared document, analyzing root causes and impacts. 3. Plan Actions → Why it works: Creates a roadmap for resolution. ↳ Action: Develop specific steps to improve alignment, assigning owners and deadlines. 4. Implement Strategies → Why it works: Addresses concerns systematically. ↳ Action: Adjust project elements as needed and enhance communication to meet stakeholder needs. By following these steps, you'll turn potential roadblocks into a path to project success. — P.S. Unlock 20 years' worth of leadership lessons sent straight to your inbox. Every Wednesday, I share exclusive insights and actionable tips on my newsletter. (Link in my bio to sign up). Remember, leaders succeed together.