Discussion Class Smith’s Lawn Care

Bill Smith’s Presentation at the School Board Meeting What should his objectives be? What elements should be in his statement? What emotion should he display? What should he not do at the meeting?

Objectives Introduce yourself and your business Address the concerns regarding hazards posed by chemicals to the school children Set a professional and empathetic tone for the meeting Establish a favorable “baseline” against which other behaviors will be compared

Elements Me My business Safety

Emotion Avoid displays of anger or frustration Demonstrate empathy Demonstrate your personal concern for the safety of everyone

DON’Ts Assess blame Get angry Yell Talk down to participants Be a wise guy Get too technical

DON’Ts (cont’d) Downplay concerns Use long answers Raise new issues Fake an answer Be argumentative Be defensive

DOs Be patient Demonstrate a caring attitude Establish a common ground with the audience Listen Establish credibility and trust Communicate using appropriate metaphors

Dealing with Problem People

“Environmentalist” With respect to your specific concerns, I’d be happy to meet with you and the members of your group to discuss them With respect to your position on pesticides, obviously I don’t agree If you have convincing evidence to support your claims, I’d appreciate your sharing it with me.

“Petrochemical-Sensitive Person” We are aware that a very small portion of the population is hypersensitive to chemicals. Usually, this hypersensitivity is due to odors associated with formulation constituents, such as H 2 S. We use the registry and inform people prior to making applications in their area.

“Anti-Lawn Person” You are entitled to your opinion, and I respect your right to that opinion. Others, including my customers, have different opinions. These different opinions are the basis of my business.

“Industry Guy” Some of the pesticides used in the past did pose a hazard to people and/or the environment (e.g., DDT, Chlordane, Mercury Compounds, Arsenicals). We don’t use them anymore, and that’s good.

Rules of Engagement Encourage people to express concerns and ask questions. Don’t allow speeches or long diatribes. Insist that participants behave in a respectful and courteous manner. Raise hands and wait to be recognized before speaking.

Rules of Engagement (cont’d) Only one person speaks at a time. Allow press to be present, but no videotaping (to prevent grandstanding). Instead, have a press briefing after the meeting (which may be videotaped). Stick to the issues and avoid personal attacks.