Discussion Class Smith

1
Discussion Class Smiths Lawn Care
2
Bill Smiths Presentation at the School Board
Meeting

• What should his objectives be?
• What elements should be in his statement?
• What emotion should he display?
• What should he not do at the meeting?

3
Objectives

• Introduce yourself and your business
• Address the concerns regarding hazards posed by
  chemicals to the school children
• Set a professional and empathetic tone for the
  meeting
• Establish a favorable baseline against which
  other behaviors will be compared

4
Elements

• Me
• My business
• Safety

5
Emotion

• Avoid displays of anger or frustration
• Demonstrate empathy
• Demonstrate your personal concern for the safety
  of everyone

6
DONTs

• Assess blame
• Get angry
• Yell
• Talk down to participants
• Be a wise guy
• Get too technical

7
DONTs (contd)

• Downplay concerns
• Use long answers
• Raise new issues
• Fake an answer
• Be argumentative
• Be defensive

8
DOs

• Be patient
• Demonstrate a caring attitude
• Establish a common ground with the audience
• Listen
• Establish credibility and trust
• Communicate using appropriate metaphors

9
Dealing with Problem People
10
Environmentalist

• With respect to your specific concerns, Id be
  happy to meet with you and the members of your
  group to discuss them
• With respect to your position on pesticides,
  obviously I dont agree
• If you have convincing evidence to support your
  claims, Id appreciate your sharing it with me.

11
Petrochemical-Sensitive Person

• We are aware that a very small portion of the
  population is hypersensitive to chemicals.
• Usually, this hypersensitivity is due to odors
  associated with formulation constituents, such as
  H2S.
• We use the registry and inform people prior to
  making applications in their area.

12
Anti-Lawn Person

• You are entitled to your opinion, and I respect
  your right to that opinion.
• Others, including my customers, have different
  opinions.
• These different opinions are the basis of my
  business.

13
Industry Guy

• Some of the pesticides used in the past did pose
  a hazard to people and/or the environment (e.g.,
  DDT, Chlordane, Mercury Compounds, Arsenicals).
• We dont use them anymore, and thats good.

14
Rules of Engagement

• Encourage people to express concerns and ask
  questions.
• Dont allow speeches or long diatribes.
• Insist that participants behave in a respectful
  and courteous manner.
• Raise hands and wait to be recognized before
  speaking.

15
Rules of Engagement (contd)

• Only one person speaks at a time.
• Allow press to be present, but no videotaping (to
  prevent grandstanding).
• Instead, have a press briefing after the meeting
  (which may be videotaped).
• Stick to the issues and avoid personal attacks.