Place Your People: Stage Allies as Strategy
- Cécile Bastien Remy
- Oct 7
- 2 min read
One Insight
Confidence doesn’t just happen, it’s built before you speak.
How? By placing the right people in the right spots around you.
Allies aren’t decoration; they’re part of your strategy.
One Story
When I prepared for my TEDx talk in Torino, I created a small plan: I invited 12 friends and placed them strategically across the audience: left, center, right, and even up on the balcony.
Before the talk, I briefed them:
Nod if I was speaking too fast.
Smile when I made a key point.
Thumbs up if the audience was engaged.
During the talk, whenever nerves appeared, I looked for one of those familiar faces.
Their silent signals helped me slow down, breathe, and reconnect with the audience.
That calm didn’t come from luck, it came from preparation.
One Tool: The A–E–D Kit
A – Allies:
Place 2–3 trusted people where you can see them.
Give them simple signals (for example: nod = good pace, hand on heart = warmth, palm down = slow down).
E – Experts:
Find one insider to brief you on the audience — their culture, politics, key names, or etiquette.
It helps you avoid small mistakes that can cost big trust.
D – Debriefers:
Choose two honest people to review your performance.
Book a 20-minute call within 24 hours to capture what worked and what to improve.
Make it stick
Add “ally placement” and “expert briefing” to your usual preparation checklist.
Confidence shouldn’t depend on luck or mood it’s a process you can repeat every time.
Try it this week
In your next important meeting, ask one colleague to back up your key message.
Agree on a simple cue, for example:
“As Cécile just said, the risk drops 30% if we phase the rollout.”
Watch how repeating your point with attribution changes the room’s attention and influence.
Et Voilà!
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