Ask Dan Heath: Bringing a Potted Plant to a Presentation

Dear Dan,

Maybe you can help my colleague and me settle a disagreement. We are making a presentation soon to our regional SVP, who could approve or disapprove our plan. In essence, what we are proposing is to streamline our division (which would include a few layoffs) in order to save money that we could reinvest in one of our highest-growth areas. So I had the idea to do a visual demo of this plan: We would bring a plant into the conference room and show how by pruning a few of the branches (we'd cut off an amount proportionate to our cuts), we could earn the right to acquire a bottle of Miracle-Gro, which would make the whole plant grow.

I think this would be a powerful and memorable symbol of our plan. My colleague doesn't agree. He thinks it is "juvenile" and doesn't want to do it. Can you help me convince him?

- Planthappy

Planthappy,

Put down the pruning shears and back away slowly. Your colleague is right. It's too much drama for too little payoff. Take a second and imagine the moment, in the presentation, when you'd take out your shears and cut away a branch. The SVP is sitting there, feeling a bit awkward, wondering why you're staging a little show for her. (I'll assume it's a her.) And then, in the next instant, she'd wonder," That's it? These two lugged a Home Depot plant into the office so they could trim off a branch to symbolize the trimming of their division?" And then, in the next instant, she'd wonder, "Do they think I'm an idiot?"

Because it might feel a little bit condescending (even though that's clearly not what you're intending) when you dramatize something that's pretty easy to understand anyway. (Imagine if a car salesman, explaining the greater fuel efficiency of Car A versus Car B, did a Hot Wheels demonstration on the countertop: Car A can go all the way across the counter on one tank of gas, but Car B only makes it to the paper clips! You would not be charmed.)

However, I do want to salute your instinct to bring something to "show" into the room--that is exactly the right idea. Could you pick something else? It sounds like the heart of your case is the promise of the High Growth Area. What could you *show* the SVP that would get her excited about the HGA's prospects? Maybe emails from euphoric customers? A video montage from your sales reps, who say they ain't seen so much dag-nab enthusiasm in the marketplace for years? Transfer requests from some of your best employees, who are all clamoring to work in the HGA? Bottom line: Show your best evidence to the SVP.

Then give her the plant as a gift. Never hurts to suck up.

[Photo by DM-Set]