Tell'em what you are going to tell'em, Tell it to them, and then Tell'em what you told them. Translation: start with an introduction, including an "agenda" or set of goals for the presentation, provide the content, information and summarize the presentation.
Prior Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance of the Person Putting on the Presentation. Nothing will relax you more than to know your are properly prepared. Below are 10 steps you can take to reduce your speech anxiety.
Know the room - become familiar with the place in which you will speak. Arrive early and walk around the room including the speaking area. Stand at the lectern, speak into the microphone. Walk around where the audience will be seated. Walk from where you will be seated to the place where you will be speaking.
Know the Audience - If possible, greet some of the audience as they arrive and chat with them. It is easier to speak to a group of friends than to a group of strangers.
Know Your Material - If you are not familiar with your material or are uncomfortable with it, your nervousness will increase. Practice your speech or presentation and revise it until you can present it with ease.
Learn How to Relax - You can ease tension by doing exercises. Sit comfortable with your back straight. Breathe in slowly, hold your breath for 4 to 5 seconds, then slowly exhale. To relax your facial muscles, open your mouth and eyes wide, then close them tightly.
Visualize Yourself Speaking - Imagine yourself walking confidently to the lectern as the audience applauds. Imagine yourself speaking, your voice loud, clear and assured. When you visualize yourself as successful, you will be successful.
Realize People Want You To Succeed - All audiences want speakers to be interesting, stimulating, informative and entertaining. They want you to succeed - not fail.
Don't apologize For Being Nervous - Most of the time your nervousness does not show at all. If you don't say anything about it, nobody will notice. If you mention your nervousness or apologize for any problems you think you have with your speech, you'll only be calling attention to it. Had you remained silent, your listeners may not have noticed at all.
Concentrate on Your Message - not the medium - Your nervous feelings will dissipate if you focus your attention away from your anxieties and concentrate on your message and your audience, not yourself.
Turn Nervousness into Positive Energy - the same nervous energy that causes stage fright can be an asset to you. Harness it, and transform it into vitality and enthusiasm.
Gain Experience - Experience builds confidence, which is the key to effective speaking. Most beginning speakers find their anxieties decrease after each speech they give.
If the fear of public speaking causes you to prepare more, then the fear of speaking serves as it's own best antidote.
Useful Phrases
· Good morning, everyone, I’d like to get started.
· On behalf of my department allow me to extend a warm welcome to you.
· Let me say at the outset how happy I am to ...
· The topic of today’s presentation is ...
· I’ve divided my presentation into three parts.
· First, I’ll talk about ... Second ... Third ...
· If you have any questions, please feel free to interrupt me.
· The purpose of today's presentation is to take a decision on ...
· So, to begin, I’d like to look at ...
· If there are no questions, I’ll move on.
· OK, let me come back to the main point.
· Now I would like to move on to look at ...
· Please allow me to make the following remarks about the ...
· The background to this issue is ...
· What are the implications of this proposal?
· To illustrate this point, let us take the case of ...
· It hardly needs to be emphasized that ...
· There is not a shadow of doubt in my mind that ...
· I am happy to submit for your consideration the study on ...
· A few typographical errors have crept into the report.
· Thank you very much for your attention.
· This is as far as I wish to go at the present stage of our discussion.
· May I ask for your thoughts on ...?
· Am I to understand from your remarks that ...?
· We have had a useful exchange of views ...
· Before I finish, I’d like to summarize the main points.
· Finally, let’s consider ...
· OK, that brings me to the end of my presentation.
· I would like to thank everyone for their contributions.
Telling tales. A great story well told can boost the impact of your next business presentation
by Jim Woodard
There's an age-old, success-proven secret for maximizing positive responses to business speeches and sales presentations, and it's just as effective today: storytelling. What a difference a bit of storytelling can do to enhance the effectiveness of a presentation. It can spark life into what might otherwise be a rather boring dialogue. It can transform the presentation into a memorable and motivating event and motivate listeners into action.
As resident storyteller at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, for the past six years, I've noticed a huge increase in the number of business people attending my seminars. By studying techniques used by seasoned storytellers, they learn how to enhance their own business and sales presentation styles. Here are some tips on how to tell a story well and what kinds of stories will work best for you.
What's in it for them? You must select stories for your business presentation that not only fascinate the audience but educate and motivate. A good source of such stories is biographies of great achievers.
Delivery is everything. After selecting a story to tell, read or review it several times. Make an outline of the key points and scenes you want to include in your presentation. Then it's practice time — deliver the story in your mind as though it were during a speech. After the first practice, go back to the written outline and underscore or add items that you missed in the first practice. Then practice again. As a final practice, read it aloud. I often do this in my car on short trips.
Don't be a ham. When delivering the stories to an audience, it's important to be expressive — but naturally expressive. Don't over-gesture or become overly dramatic. That can distract and annoy your audience. If you are involved in the story you're telling, expressiveness will take care of itself.
Speak in pictures. Creating and producing mental images in the minds of listeners, rather than having them look at a TV or movie screen, has a much greater impact and influence in the listener's life. Why? Because the images are personally created by the listener — not spoon-fed into the system with electronic images flashed on a screen. Include lots of detail in your story, and your presentation will be impossible to forget.
POWERFUL PRESENTATION TIPS
People who communicate strategically understand that all effective communications begin with the audience in mind. Too often we fail to spend enough time analyzing our audience before starting to develop a presentation. All audience members are asking themselves: So what? Who cares? What's in it for me? It's vitally important that you answer these questions first. Ask yourself: Is this presentation to inform? To persuade? To motivate? If your presentation is to inform, what do you want the audience to know? If you are there to persuade, what do you want the audience to feel? If your goal is to motivate, what do you want them to do?
Surveys show that people decide in the first seven seconds whether they are interested in what you are saying. The bottom line is that you have a small window to captivate your audience. Are they going to listen or make a grocery list? If you answer the questions of "so what?", "who cares?", and "what's in it for me?" and the odds of the audience tuning in increase.
Presentation Do's
· Do begin preparing as early as possible.
· Do define your measure of success.
· Do contact audience members beforehand.
· Do rehearse outloud.
· Do arrive early to check the room for logistics.
· Do make your bottom line absolutely clear.
· Do make eye contact.
· Do tell personal stories.
· Do control anxiety with slow, deep breaths.
· Do use your notes to stay on track.
· Do close with thanks.Presentation Don'ts
· Don't make lots of last minute changes.
· Don't be afraid to change the format.
· Don't overdo graphics or technology.
· Don't try to say too much.
· Don't wing it.
· Don't debate or argue with questioners.
· Don't exceed your time.
· Don't lock your hands together or hide them.
· Don't read your slides.
· Don't give long answers.
· Don't stay longer than necessary.
· Don't obsess on what went wrong.
· Don't expect to become a "pro" overnight.
TOP 10 Tips for HIGH-IMPACT Business Presentations
TELL US STORIES
"Have you ever been in the situation where you've had to negotiate with the Japanese? I remember when I was working in Nagoya and everybody had told me the Japanese don’t like saying no. So in meetings I just kept saying yeah to everything. And they hated it. Turned out yeah sounds like no in Japanese!"
WOW US WITH THINGS WE DIDN’T KNOW
"Did you know that the Japanese spend more on business lunches in a year then the entire GDP of Bulgaria?" I read somewhere the other day that the world’s highest paid executive gets $230 million a year. That means he’s making more money that Volkswagen!" "Statistics show that half a million people emigrate to the States every year. Over ten years that’s the population of Greece!".
EXAGGERATE
"We’re doing extremely well now, but how can we do even better?" "We really shouldn’t be neglecting such a highly lucrative market" "So, just how big is the market for this? Absolutely enormous."
CONSPIRE WITH US
"Haven’t we all had the same problem from time to time? We have, haven’t we?" "There’s a real need for more teamwork, isn’t there? Now, isn’t this something we should all be looking at? What do you think?"
MAKE A PRESENTATION SOUND LIKE A CONVERSATION
"You know, more than 500 companies have set up in the UAE already. Now, that’s amazing growth. I mean, just look at these figures. You see? Ok, I know what you’re thinking: what about telecommunications and travel? Well, they’re actually far better than we’ve got over here. So no problems there".
CONTINUALLY USE RHETORICAL QUESTIONS
"So how did we do it?" "So what are we waiting for?" "So where do we go from here?"
REPEAT THEMSELVES AGAIN AND AGAIN
"It really is very, very difficult to say just what effect this might have". "These days more and more people are fighting over fewer and fewer jobs" "It’s easy to spend money. It’s easy to spend money when it’s not your own!" "Nobody knows that better than we do - nobody" "So, what’s the problem? The problem is the product itself is out-of-date".
CONSCIOUSLY PACKAGE THE NUMBER OF POINTS THEY MAKE
"The new system is foolproof, efficient and fast". "What’s needed now is time, effort and money". How did we reach our goals? Simple. By building new plant. By taking on more workers. And by keeping production costs down". "It’s cheaper, newer, faster, bigger, cleaner, safer and better-designed than anything else on the market. What more can I say?"
USE DRAMATIC CONTRASTS
"If we don’t take care of the customer, someone else will". "It can take years to win new business, but it only takes minutes to lose it" "Ten years ago we had a reputation for excellence. Today we’re in danger of losing that reputation".
BUILD ‘EM UP...
"As far as this contract in Saudi is concerned, we’re petty tied up with a lot of other projects at the moment, so there’s no way we could meet their deadlines. We’ve very little experience of this kind of work, anyway. And to be honest, they’re not prepared to pay us what we’d want... Basically, it’s out of the question."
...AND KNOCK ‘EM DOWN!
"Of course, the experts said a palm-top computer could never succeed They did market research which showed that people would just see it as a gimmick. They said its memory capacity would be too limited for serious business users, And they did feasibility studies which showed the keyboard would be too small for even the fingers of a five year old!... So, how come it sold more than a million units in its first year?"
Make an effective presentation. From doing your homework to grabbing the audience's attention, here's how to prepare a presentation that will knock everyone's socks off — and three tips to make sure you sound great doing it (by Karen Kelly)
Dreaming of a standing ovation at the end of your presentation? It could happen — if you master the right techniques. If you think it comes naturally, think again. Even seasoned public speakers know that there's a lot of strategy behind an effective presentation.
Allan Bonner, owner of Toronto-based Allan Bonner Communications Management Inc., a firm that teaches communications skills to executives, says the first thing to do when you discover you must make a presentation is gather as much background information on the subject as possible. "Napoleon said that time spent in reconnaissance is seldom wasted," says Bonner, who regularly advises well-known business leaders and government officials. He advises would-be presenters to call industry élites and presidents of associations to find out what people want to know.
After you've uncovered the issues, identify the purpose of the presentation. Is it for information gathering or sharing? Cajoling or entertaining people? Each requires a different technique. "I once counseled a CFO who complained that nobody was paying attention to his annual reports," says Bonner. "I told him to do a game show." Bonner's tactic was to start the presentation by asking audience key questions and engage them directly. The end result? "The CFO said people applauded at the end of it," says Bonner. "They said it's the only financial report they'd ever understood."
Your opening 30 seconds should be great, but most speeches Bonner has heard start slowly. Make sure you've got a hook in the beginning. "Prime time is the opening thirty seconds of your speech," says Bonner. "But most speeches begin on page two or three of the text." Considering the fact people are inundated daily with flashy commercials, a presentation can't afford to start off flat.
Once you've laid the groundwork, work on the art of delivery. Here are three tips from Bonner on being a good messenger:
Practice, practice, practice. "There's no simple way around this — you've got to practice out loud," says Bonner. "If you don't practice out loud a couple of times, preferably in front of an audience, you're just a proofreader."
Don't forget to project. While it's an obvious point, many presenters leave people in the back of the room straining to hear information. "Speak at a volume that is appropriate for a room about ten feet bigger in both directions," says Bonner. Also remember, from the back of the room, you're just a head on a stick. Reach out from behind the podium.
Work the room. "I recommend dividing the room mentally into four quadrants," says Bonner. First look at the middle of the upper left quadrant, then the upper right, then the lower left and then the lower right. "Move [your eyes] very slowly around the room, stay on one spot for half a dozen sentences, then move onto the next spot," advises Bonner. He says that a quick scan ends up looking like shifty eyes or windshield wipers — the kiss of death for any presenter.
Keep control of a room. Gearing up for a big presentation that could ruffle a few feathers? Here's how to control the room and avoid a disastrous blowup (by Karen Kelly)
The key to controlling the room is diffusion, says Roger Snowdon, president of the Fredericton-based communications / media firm Media Magic. Identifying and cooling potential hotspots before they flare up is crucial. "It doesn't mean that you'll necessarily win the issue, but you will control the environment," says Snowdon. "That will increase your chances of persuading a larger piece of the audience to your point of view."
The best time to start getting control of the room is before the presentation starts. Here's how to do it:
► Anticipate and address issues in advance
Before the audience enters the room, send out material that outlines pertinent arguments and facts. "The intent is to answer the difficult questions before they are asked," says Snowdon. "It will be a charged environment if you don't answer them beforehand." Depending on the formality of the presentation, greeting people at the door and discussing the issues is another way to avoid confrontation in the presentation.
► Lose audience anonymity
People are more apt to ask nasty questions if they don't have to be identified. To get rid of anonymity, Snowdon suggests placing a microphone in the audience and requesting speakers identify themselves when asking questions.
► Set up the room properly
The key to avoiding a confrontation is to make it virtually a physical impossibility. Snowdon's worse case scenario? Sitting behind a table, facing the audience head-on. Instead, he suggests setting up displays around the room with experts on various issues. This forces participants to gather in small groups. "It enforces a reasonable discussion rather than a more dangerous question and answer session," says Snowdon.
► Choose a Sergeant-at-Arms
Select someone to call an end to questioning at the appropriate time and keep an eye out for troublemakers. This person will step in if venting gets out of control.
We've all been to presentations where the speaker started off with promise, but the ending fell flat. It's like watching a springboard diver leap gracefully into the air and then do a belly flop. No matter what you do, a strong finish is important.
"It's your final opportunity to make a lasting impression," says David J. Dempsey, an Atlanta-based professor, lawyer and the author of Legally Speaking: 40 Powerful Presentation Principles Lawyers Need to Know. "They [the audience] may have forgotten 90 per cent of what you said in the middle, but they'll remember what you said in the end if you do it correctly."
Your ideal closing depends on what you're trying to accomplish, according to Dempsey. Is your presentation meant to inspire the audience? Entertain them? Inform them? A laser-sharp focus and a clear sense of purpose are crucial, he says.
Once you decide on your objective, use Dempsey's seven techniques for closing a presentation and driving the point home:
► Close with a quotation or poem
A poem or quotation lends artistry to the presentation, according to Dempsey. Since these techniques are not often used in everyday conversation, they'll stand out in your audience's mind. Just be sure to use the right quote or poem. "It has to be short, memorable and has to tie into the presentation," Dempsey says.
► Close with a story
The words "let me tell you a story" are what Dempsey calls an "ear-perker". "People don't want to be lectured to," says Dempsey, "they want to be involved in a story." Again, make sure it's succinct and relates to your presentation.
► Close with a challenge
Is your presentation a call to action? Get the audience directly involved by presenting them with a challenge. Be careful that you've explained (logically and emotionally) why they should take the action. "If you haven't laid out the groundwork," says Dempsey, "the challenge will simply fall on deaf ears."
► Complete a story
Opening with a story and finishing with its conclusion is a surefire way to get the audience's attention. "A well-told story will be far more memorable than the most persuasive fact you have," says Dempsey.
► "Bookend" the closing with the opening
Repeat a quotation, statement or an observation you used in the beginning. Answer your opening question. "Bring it back and wrap it up in a nice little package," advises Dempsey.
► Close with a question
This is a great way to engage an audience, if it's done properly. Dempsey says you want to pause before you begin, step forward, ask the question, pause again and let the audience process the question. If you ask the question casually, then it signals that you don't care about their answer.
► Close with pathos
Don't run out of steam. The end should be the climax of your presentation. Dempsey points to Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech. Says Dempsey: "He started off in a very quiet, almost ponderous way and when he got to the end, he had worked the crowd up into a frenzy." End with a bang.
The sales presentation is your chance to show and tell, but it's not all show and tell. You also need to think strategically about the customer's buying process and their needs, your competitors' offerings and why your solution is best. Here are 10 secrets to planning and delivering a winning sales presentation.
1. Find out in advance how much time you'll have. Have you ever had a key decision-maker leave in the middle of your presentation because he or she was out of time? You aren't holding the attention of a prospect who is looking at the clock! At the beginning of the call, ask how much time the prospect has set aside. Then adjust your presentation to take more no more than 60 percent of the allotted time. Why only 60 percent? Because your prospect's decisions to act typically occur at the end of a meeting, so you want to allow enough time to resolve any remaining issues and reach an agreement.
2. Another question I ask at the beginning of every sales presentation is, "Since the last time we met, has anything changed?" If your competitor gave them a presentation yesterday you may have a few new hurdles to overcome. And the sooner you know what those hurdles are, the more time you have to plan a response.
3. The next question you want to ask is "Where are you in your decision process?" If they tell me they have scheduled presentations with three suppliers, and I'm the first presenter, I know the chances of them agreeing to a decision at the end of my presentation are virtually nil. Why? You play the customer. Suppose you schedule appointments with three suppliers - would you make a decision at the end of the first presentation? No, because it would take more time, energy and stress to cancel the appointments than it would to just go ahead with them.
Also, you wouldn't cancel them because comparison is necessary to recognize value. Recently one of my clients showed me his new sales brochure - he was obviously very pleased with it. My immediate reaction was that it looked okay but it did not strike me one way or the other.
Then I asked him to show me what he was using before - and then I KNEW how much better this brochure was then the last! It was the comparison that allowed me to recognize the improvement. Your customers need comparison too, to recognize your value. So if it happens that you're the first presenter, don't go for the close - because you would be asking for something you can't get - and your customer will think you are pushy. Instead, come up with a reason to come back and see them after their other presentations - when they will likely be in a position to make a decision.
For this reason I prefer to present last because it's closest to the customer's point of decision. And that's�
4. The 4th key to effective presentations - try to be the last presenter. If I'm the final supplier to present, and I've shown why I'm their best choice, it's only reasonable to ask for a commitment to buy. In one of the largest sales opportunities I've ever worked on - I was the third of three presenters to a committee of seven decision makers, the most senior of whom was the executive vice president, a Mr. Burns. About 10 minutes before the conclusion of my presentation the phone rang - Mr. Burns' cab had arrived - he had a plane to catch. As he stood up I said, "Mr. Burns, before you leave, may I ask you one final question? He said, "Sure." I asked him, "Now that you've evaluated all the options, is there any reason why my solution is not your best option?"
He said, "Yep!" And out it came - his final concern about my solution. It was a concern that I was ready for - I had anticipated that it would be a concern - but I never got the chance to respond to it because his comment triggered a firestorm of conversation around the conference table. Mr. Burns missed his cab - but several other decision- makers drove him to the airport so they could continue their discussion. A few weeks later I learned that, in the car, a lower-level decision-maker had resolved his concern - and I won the sale! This example also points out that today, as much as 90 percent of the sale takes place when you're not there. So you've got to make sure that the prospect(s) championing your cause have the tools to sell other decision-makers for you.
5. A good sales presentation starts with a quick review of the customers' goals and objectives. Then list on a flip chart each of the customer's buying criteria. This list of criteria is your outline for an effective sales presentation. Show how your solution meets and exceeds each decision factor.
6. Throughout your presentation, get reaction from your prospects. After demonstrating a capability you could ask, "How would this be an improvement?" or "How would this help?" Interactive presentations keep prospects more involved and interested.
7. Communicate all of your unique strengths. Today, it's not enough to show that you can meet your customer's needs. Your customer wants to know two things: can you do what we need done and how can you do it better than the other options we are considering? So, you must have some reasons why you are their best choice. And to ensure that my strengths are understood, I always prepare a flip chart titled "Why We're Your Best Choice." Here, I put at least three reasons why I am the customer's best choice. Many times I'll list seven or eight reasons. The more reasons you have, and the more compelling those reasons are - the better your chances of winning the sale.
8. Use visuals in your presentations because a picture is worth a thousand words. Support your important ideas with a picture, show images on an overhead, flip chart, or laptop computer. Keep your visuals simple. One idea per image. Make it interesting, relevant and readable.
9. Last, but not least, have fun and be yourself. If you want to persuade other people, you must connect with them on personal level first. Think of John Madden, the former football coach and commentator. Madden is successful because he makes emotional contact with by just being who he is. To put more impact in your sales presentations, connect with your prospects by just being YOU.
In sports, when two teams are evenly matched, the winner will be the team that executes its plays the best - the team that makes the fewest mistakes. To deliver a winning sales presentation, you must do the same. When you implement these nine tips in your sales presentations you'll win more sales!
Do your knees feel like Gumby's when you have to get up and speak in front of a group? Do you feel like the next words out of your mouth are going to be the dumbest words ever uttered by a human? If you said yes to either of the questions above, be advised, you have a full-blown case of stage fright, says Lenny Laskowski, a professional speaker and President of LJL Seminars.
According to the book of lists, the fear of speaking in public is the #1 fear of all fears. The fear of dying is #7! Over 41% of people have some fear or anxiety dealing with speaking in front of groups. People who have this fear can experience all kinds of symptoms: Sweaty palms, accelerated heart rate, memory loss and even difficulty in breathing. Some of the world's most famous presenters have freely admitted to nervousness and stage fright. Mark Twain said it best, "There are two types of speakers: those that are nervous and those that are liars".
Everyone, even experienced speakers, has some anxiety when speaking in front of a group of people. This is perfectly normal. The best way to deal with this anxiety is to first acknowledge that this fear is perfectly normal and you are not alone. To reduce your fear, you need to make sure you properly and thoroughly prepare yourself before you speak.
Proper preparation and rehearsal can help to reduce this fear by about 75%. Proper breathing techniques can further reduce this fear by another 15%. Your mental state accounts for the remaining 10%. Below are just a few suggestions you should use to overcome your speaking anxiety. The first and most important of all is preparation. I like to think of it as the 9 P's:
Five Phrases to Avoid during Your Next Sales Presentation
The success of your next sale may be riding on more than the product or service you’re offering. Learn the five
phrases to avoid during your next presentation by Charlotte Purvis
The success of your next sale may be riding on more than the product or service you’re offering. Your presentation will play a major role in the sale -- the words, your style, and the tone of your delivery. Here are five phrases to avoid during your next presentation . By avoiding these common phrases you will have a better chance at making a favorable impression. Hey “y’all,” “you guys” or “yous." “The competitor’s product is not as good as ours. I don’t know. We never make a mistake. We’ve just always done it that way. Open and Close Your Presentations with Power by Patricia Fripp Psychologists have proven that the first and last 30 seconds of any speech have the most impact, so give the opening and closing of your talk a little extra thought, time and effort. Do not open with "Ladies and Gentlemen, it is a pleasure to be here tonight." It's a weak, rather meaningless thought and it wastes too much of those precious 30 seconds. Joking your way in: Opening a speech with a joke or funny story is the conventional wisdom. Before you do, ask yourself these questions about your joke: Is it appropriate to the occasion and for the audience? Is it in good taste? Does it relate to me (my product or service) or the event or the group? Does it support your topic or its key points? Opening options: A humorous story or an inspirational vignette, which relate to your topic or audience are sure ways to get an audience's attention. However, it may take more presentation skill than you possess in the beginning. It's safer and more effective to give the audience what you know. A good way to open your speech is by giving the audience the information they most want to hear. By now, you know most of the questions you'll be asked at a cocktail reception or professional society meeting. Well, put the answers to those questions in your speech. If you're not sure what a particular audience might want to hear, talk to the program chair and get that information from him or her. I helped a neighbor with a speech he was putting together for my women's organization. He's a senior scientist with Genentech.I suggested that since most of them don't know what scientists are like or what they do, he should tell the audience what it was like to be a scientist. "Being a scientist is like doing a jigsaw puzzle in a snowstorm at night...you don't have all the pieces...and you don't have the picture to work from." Closing your talk: The close should be the highlight of your speech. Summarize the key elements to the investment process, etc. If you're going to take questions, say "Before my closing remarks, are there any questions." Finish with something inspirational that proves your theme. My scientist friend told our group of the frustrations of being a scientist and he closed by saying, "People often ask, 'why should anyone want to be a scientist?'" His closing story told of a particularly information-intensive medical conference he attended. The final speaker of the day opened with, "I am a 32-year-old wife and mother of two. I have AIDS. Please work fast." My friend got a standing ovation for the speech. However you open and close your talk, you can't go wrong if you keep your audience's needs in mind. Successful Q & A Getting the Session Started ► Walk toward the audience. The question and answer period of a presentation can often be the most informal. Show that you are open to truly answering questions by walking toward the audience. ► Raise your hand. When you ask "who has a question" — raise your own hand. This creates a mirror response in the audience. ►Expect a response. Show your audience that you expect them to ask questions. If possible, choose an individual or a group to question. For example, move to the appropriate side of the room and say "I know that someone in Engineering wants to discuss . . ." ► Steer clear of "yes" and "no" questions. Begin your appeal to the audience with "why" or "how". Try something like "How did the sales forecast look to you?" This type of question begs for an explanation while a simple "Did the sales forecast make sense to you?" begs for a simple yes or no. Wait for a reply. Give your audience enough time to respond. A good pause will not hurt anything.
As endearing as these words are, they are best left out of your presentation. These and other informal words can drain the professionalism out of your presentation and may send the message you want to win them over with your charm. Instead, work to draw attention to your product, the customer service after the sale, and the professionalism of your organization. Remember to use formal words delivered with a friendly tone
Instead of saying, “Theirs is very low-performing,” say “Ours meets all industry standards and recently won awards for best performance in all three major categories.” It is acceptable to make objective comparisons to help the audience in the decision-making process (“Ours has three xyz’s and theirs has one”). Remember that the decision-makers in the audience may have purchased the product you’re disparaging! What happens when that competitor you mentioned merges with your company and you have to come back and meet with this same group? Or if you take a job with that competitor? Instead of drawing attention to the competitor, keep them focused on your product or service.
OK then, who does? It’s a natural response to say, “I don’t know,” but that doesn’t help your audience. What they want to hear is that you are pleased they asked that question up and that you will be on the telephone to get an answer within minutes of the close of the meeting. They don’t want to hear you say, “I’ll get back with you,” they want to know when and how you will get their answer.
You might/ not say it that bluntly but you might imply it with your praises, your promises, and your passion. On the other hand, you don’t want to dwell on the mistakes you and your company have made. If they ask you about reliability of your product, tell the truth. Focus on what you do to make things right when things go wrong, your clients’ comments about your recovery strategies, and your commitment to excellence. Every organization has challenges. It is how you respond to those challenges and your customers’ concerns that can help you stand apart in your industry.
So they’re asking for something you’ve never tried before. Just because you haven’t tried it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. Isn’t it true that many of the best ideas come from customers and clients? Probe for more of their ideas. Tell them about something else you currently do that was first done to meet another client’s needs. Most of all, thank them for their creative ideas and suggestions. When your organization decides that this really is a good idea, send them something special. If their idea is something you can’t implement, then still help them find a reasonable solution. After all, you are there to listen, learn, and help them find solutions.
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