My Mgr junked up my meeting, argh!

You’re cruising along in a big pitch meeting when your manager hijacks the meeting and starts rambling down No Value Highway.

Yikes. What do you do?

The best you can do is to say, "You bring up some good points, but let’s check with Mr. Buyer: do we want to stay on that track, or get back to #2 on our agenda?" (Thank goodness you use agendas in pitch meetings!)

Managers add tremendous value, but sometimes they, too, get overexcited in meetings. That’s ok, they’re human.

There’s not much you can do about the past, but you can control the future.

Running and controlling pitch meetings requires meticulous preparation, which includes creating tight agendas.

Today, schedule a practice session for your next big pitch meeting…and invite your manager. In your practice session, assign roles to everyone for the meeting. Also, lead a discussion on how to neutralize derailers.

If your manager is unable to join the practice but will be there for the client pitch meeting, make sure you review the agenda and what’s expected of them.

You want to get to the point where everyone in your circle knows when you have a big pitch meeting coming up because they’ll see you in the conference room practicing with your mates.

Practicing for big pitches needs to be a ritual.

Master basketballer Steph Curry knows about rituals – he’s got a bunch – and he details them in this fun video.