Predict the Weather

“Stop REPORTING the weather and start PREDICTING it!”
While at ServiceNow, a leader I admire said those exact words to me.

Many of us miss this point when presenting to executives.
We share our team’s strong results, but don’t include the key indicators.

We say things like this:

“Last quarter, we created $100M in new pipeline.”
“We responded to 3 RFPs and hosted 28 demos.”
“In the last 6 weeks alone, we closed five 3-year deals!”

Which is like saying:

“Last quarter, the sun shone two-thirds of the time.”
“A big group of tourists visited and we spoke to most of them.”
“Since summer started, we’ve gotten larger dinner reservations.”

Great work, but yawn…

Instead, own the leading indicators, the inputs, and the story.

Tell leaders what’s coming down the pike, and how your team is already ahead of it, and what contingency plans are in place to mitigate risk.

Now, you’re saying this instead:

“Last quarter, we created $100M in new pipeline, and given the success of our recent ABM efforts, we expect to drive $150M in new pipeline next quarter.”

“We responded to 3 RFPs and hosted 28 demos, and since our RFP win rate is up 30%, we expect 2-4 major deals in Q4.”

“In the last 6 weeks alone, we closed five 3-year deals, and anticipate the longer contract terms to lift LTV as well as benefit CAC rates.”

“Considering how early and how often we’re seeing Brand X mentioned by prospects, we’ve executed a more proactive prospecting campaign to ensure we’re first on the scene.”

• Shape the narrative when presenting to leaders.
• Instill confidence (and calmness) by being ahead of the game.
• Call the shots for your "business within the business."

And for all that's good...

Stop REPORTING the weather and start PREDICTING it!