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Today, I'm going to show you how you can be recognized as a leader in a 30-minute meeting.

You don't need to be a subject matter expert. You don't need to dominate the conversation. I'm going to walk through a much more organic approach where you solely focus on facilitating the right discussion.

These are the techniques that I've consistently used to:

• Form dozens of alliances with Fortune 500 companies as a partnerships leader at the NBA, CBS, and Lucid Software
• Get promoted to the Head of Business Development three months ago

But if you tend to stay silent in meetings, then you're missing out on a BIG OPPORTUNITY to elevate your visibility and career trajectory.

1. PARAPHRASE THEIR MAIN POINT (within the first 5 minutes of the meeting):

I like to paraphrase a key point that I've heard within the first five minutes of the meeting and then ask the speaker to confirm my understanding.

I don't copy word-for-word what they say because I'll sound like a robot.

For example, let's say my partner contact says the following:

My goal is to articulate the essence of their argument in one sentence. A rule of thumb I like to follow is: how would I summarize their point to my CEO? In this example, I'd say:

Now, one of two scenarios can happen. Either:

• They say, "Yes. You got it." They don't correct you or elaborate on their point. Then, move on to step 2 below. Or...
• They clarify your summarization, either with a "Yes, and..." or "Not exactly. I mean this..."

In the second scenario, I like to paraphrase until I've gotten them to verbally confirm that I've fully captured their message.

When I make my counterpart feel heard -- that I've solely focused on understanding their main point -- I've found that they're much more receptive to me when I speak. This is critical to building rapport, particularly for steps 2 and 3.

2. UNDERSTAND THEIR INTENT WITH OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS (within the first 15 minutes of the meeting):

Once they've confirmed my understanding of their main point, my next goal is to understand their primary motivation for saying that point. When I've understood their intent, it allows me to act in a way that's most helpful to both of us.

To uncover their intent without biasing their answers, I typically ask open-ended questions. Open-ended questions start with "what," "why," or "how." Avoid asking questions that start with "do" or "are." They typically lead to "yes" or "no" responses -- conversational dead ends.

Examples of good questions:

• "What motivated you to say ______?"
• "How did you come to the conclusion that _______?"
• "What do you believe is the most important thing to prioritize in order to achieve _________ goal?"
• "What is the biggest challenge you've faced when _______?"

Examples of not so great questions:

• "Do you want to _____?"
• "Are you ready to ______?"

General guidelines I like to follow when probing around their intent are:

• What are their ideal end goals? Why?
• What are they trying to avoid? Why?
• What metrics are they looking to influence? Why?
• What alternative approaches have they tried? How successful have they been? Why?
• What are their ideal next steps to push this forward? Why?

Taking the same example from part 1, I'd ask:

Remember, the intent of good questioning is 1) to seek deeper understanding, and 2) to inform your opinion, which leads us to part 3.

3. (THE MOST IMPORTANT PART): EXPRESS YOUR OPINION

The best way to articulate an opinion is by following a framework. My favorite is PREP(S). I've broken down the framework ​HERE​ as well, but in short:

• Point – A one-sentence summary that encapsulates your opinion
• Reason – A one- to two-line explanation that supports your opinion
• Example – A data point and/or story that supports your reason
• Point – A recap of your original opinion and/or broader takeaway
• (Optional) Segue – A transition (e.g., an open-ended question, remark, or next step)

Taking the same example, say that I'm gaining confidence in the opportunity they're proposing, but I'm concerned that transitioning to this new initiative will negatively impact the existing work we've put against a previous initiative with a different team from their company. Here's what I'd articulate:

Of the 3 steps, I believe that articulating my opinion concisely and confidently is by far the hardest thing to do.

To get good at this, I like to follow these guidelines:

• Articulate what is most important to me, given what they've shared
• Slow down and ensure that each sentence I say aligns to the framework
• Ask the other person how they'd react to my point

Nailing part 3 is often the difference between being remembered as a leader in your organization and forgotten as just one of many individual contributors. 

If you found this helpful, the Impromptu Speakers Academy is my 3-week bootcamp to help you become a clear and confident speaker at work. Reserve your spot today while they're still available.

I hope this helps.

Preston