Business people are always looking for 'the ask', like 'what's what's the end goal of this conversation, what are you asking me for?'. So showing them a gaseous idea is frustrating to them very quickly. Sometimes I'll reference moodboards to show 'this is the nebulous cloud we're working in, but here's what we came with'.

Talking to non-designers is far more difficult, but I think a lot of the same strategies apply— Being pointed in the feedback you're looking for is helpful, especially for a non-designer. Because they're most likely to go off the rails and give feedback you're not looking for, or to begin analysing things that you don't need. It's like when you go bowling, the bumper lanes go up and it keeps them focused on what they need to do.