The Art of the Presentation Graceful Exit

All of us have found ourselves at one time or another in a conversation that is uncomfortable and confrontational, one that we wish we could escape.

And when that conversation or presentation is in the midst of a business setting, the urge to flee is even more compelling because the consequences may not just be socially embarrassing, but career-stopping.

How do you exit a potentially damaging sales conversation or presentation gracefully? Here are some tips:

• Agree to disagree. End the presentation with a simple acknowledgment that the issue won’t be solved in the moment or say that you understand the other’s point of view. Then leave the subject (and the argument) behind.
  
  
• Focus less on proving yourself right and winning the debate than preserving the peace. If you are generous in the argument, you will earn points with any onlookers. What they will remember most is not your words but your more laudable actions.

Then you can live to fight another day.