There is an interesting discussion going on right now in the LinkedIn Group Beyond Selling Value, a community within LinkedIn designed for IMPAX clients and users of the IMPAX Process. The question is around this topic: If the Decision Maker doesn't show up for your presentation, should you go ahead and present or reschedule your meeting?

There are some insightful comments on the thread which leads to the only possible conclusion -- that there is no one right conclusion. On one hand, you wrote the presentation with the Decision Maker in mind. If they're not in attendance, the presentation will not be on-target. Not only that, you will have little or no opportunity to close. On the other hand, if you walk away, you may alienate the other attendees and miss the opportunity to further develop some coaches or gain additional insight. An argument can be made that you can set the situation back no matter what you decide to do.

So what can we learn from this situation? Here are a couple of things:


The best time to think about situations like this are before they happen. Think through this scenario ahead of time (an ideal time is during your rehearsal session) so that your decision is well thought out.
Taking a few minutes to "pre-sell" the presentation is time well spent. Confirm the logistics of the meeting, send a confirmation email, do your research with attendees ahead of time... These actions can help make sure the decision maker shows up.
Your coaches can really help you. Ask them about this ahead of time. Get some insight on the other attendees, some of whom might be offended that you rescheduled and some of whom might be thrilled.


As with much of the IMPAX Process, the little things matter a great deal. Doing our research, rehearsing our presentation and leveraging our coaches are critical strategies for success.

Are you a member of the BSV group yet? Take a look here to participate in the discussion or join the group.