Find the Right Starting Point to Influence Any Decision

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Last month, I sat staring at a blank PowerPoint.

Cursor blinking. Stakes high.

I had to convince stakeholders to completely change our project direction.

The data was clear. I knew I was right.

But I also knew that if I started with "here's why your approach is wrong," I'd lose before I began.

Sound familiar?

We've all been there. The moment before you pitch an idea that challenges what others believe.

That single decision - where to begin - determines everything.

It's why brilliant ideas die.

And average ideas thrive.

The Starting Point Problem

Most of us start from the wrong place.

We start with our conclusion.
Our solution.
Our brilliant insight.

This is exactly backwards.

People don't process new ideas starting from your expertise.

They process them starting from their current beliefs.

When you begin from where you stand instead of where they stand, you create instant resistance.

I've made this mistake.

Many times.

But after what seems like hundreds of high-stakes presentations, I've discovered something important:

The right starting point isn't about information.

It's about influence.

One that worked consistently, even with resistant audiences.

So I built one.

The START Framework: Finding Your Influence Point

S - Survey Their Position
T - Test Their Priorities
A - Anchor in Shared Ground
R - Relate to Their Goals
T - Trace the Path to Change

Let’s get it.

S - Survey Their Position

Before presenting anything important, ask:

• What do they currently believe?

• What has their experience been?

• Where might they resist?

• What language do they use?

What fails: "Let me tell you about my solution..."
What works: "Where do you currently stand on this issue?"

T - Test Their Priorities

Always validate:

• What keeps them up at night?

• What metrics matter most to them?

• What are they being measured on?

• What timeline are they operating on?

What fails: "This matters because of technical excellence."
What works: "Which of these challenges costs you the most right now?"

A - Anchor in Shared Ground

Start by establishing:

• What goals do we already share?

• What values do we both hold?

• What problems do we both acknowledge?

• What past successes can we build on?

What fails: "My approach is completely different."
What works: "We both want to improve community outcomes."

R - Relate to Their Goals

Make sure to show:

• How your idea helps their specific situation

• What personal win it creates for them

• How it solves their immediate pain

• Why it advances their objectives

What fails: "This is technically superior."
What works: "This addresses your goal of increasing program participation."

T - Trace the Path to Change

Always outline:

• Clear steps from current state to future state

• How risks will be managed

• Early wins they'll see

• How the transition stays manageable

What fails: "We need to change everything right away."
What works: "Here's how we could pilot this in one community first."

How This Saved My Presentation

Back to that blank PowerPoint.

Instead of leading with solutions, I surveyed their position: "What aspects of our current outreach are working well?"

They immediately revealed concerns about community relationships.

Testing priorities: "Which stakeholder inputs concern you most?" 

They worried about participation in underserved areas.

I anchored in shared ground: "We all want better health outcomes while respecting community voices." 

They nodded. Common ground established.

Relating to goals: "This approach could increase underserved participation by 40% while strengthening those community relationships you value."

Finally, tracing the path: "We could pilot this in one neighborhood first."

Result?

Instead of getting shut down, I got questions.
Instead of rejection, I got a pilot project approved.

Same data.
Different starting point.
Completely different outcome.

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In Case You Missed It!

• Are You Feeling Stuck in Your Career Transition? Here are strategies to help you navigate your transition with clarity and confidence.

• Transform small talk into deeper connections with proven conversation strategies

• How to confidently push back on unrealistic demands.

• Minding your own business can increase your influence.

Bottomline:

Your brilliant ideas may not be failing because they're wrong.

They may be failing because you're starting the conversation in the wrong place.

In influence, the entry point matters just as much as the endpoint.

Change how you begin, and you transform what's possible in every conversation that matters.

Thanks for reading. Be easy!
Girvin

P.S. - I'm building "12 Shifts That Make You Instantly More Persuasive" to help you get there. Join the waitlist.