Hi
I used to rehearse every stakeholder call like it was a TED Talk.
What if they ask about the SLA again? What if I forget the numbers? What if I sound like a fraud?
So I wrote scripts. Bullet points. Worst-case scenarios. I’d prep 40 minutes for a 15-minute check-in.
But the more I prepared, the worse I sounded.
I was stiff. Robotic. Not present. Just busy waiting for my turn to say “the right thing.”
Until one day I blanked.
They asked, “So how confident are we in this data?”
And I froze. Not because I didn’t know the answer. But because I couldn’t find the sentence I’d practiced.
After that call, I scrapped the prep.
Instead, I started using a simple 3-question checklist before every meeting:
- What’s the one thing I want them to remember?
- What’s the worst they might misunderstand?
- What decision or action do I need from them?
That’s it. No script. Just intention.
Suddenly I was clearer. More relaxed. And weirdly, more trusted.
Because I stopped trying to sound smart—and focused on being useful.
Takeaway: You don’t need to say more. You need to matter more. Start with the outcome, not the outline.
Try this next time: Answer those 3 questions out loud before your next stakeholder call. Watch how it shifts the vibe.
P.S: If calls like this still give you anxiety, or if you’re stuck trying to explain your work to people who just don’t “get it”, my course The Data Leader’s Influence System will change the game for you.
Until next time,
Yordan
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