Sales Presentations Training

I was on a conference call last evening with some speakers. A woman on the call mentioned that she had given a presentation last week that lasted an hour and thirty minutes…And her presentation included 129 PowerPoint slides! At first, I thought she was joking.

When we called her on it, she became a little defensive. She saw no problem at all showing 129 PowerPoint slides in a 90 minute presentation. Let’s see-that’s only one slide every 1.4 minutes!! (Check that, 1.4 slides every minute) Which begs the question-Was the audience paying for a PowerPoint slide show or the speakers expertise?

I’m sure you all know by now that I believe slides should only be used to clarify or accentuate a point in your presentation. When PowerPoint becomes the show it makes it easier for the meeting planner to hire someone else who will give a cheaper slide show. Audiences want to learn from your experiences and your expertise!

Steve Mertz
Beyond PowerPoint!

Patricia Fripp has some excellent presentation tips in this months news letter. She discusses converting a Seminar to a Keynote. Regardless if you are looking to do this-you will find some excellent tips to increase your sales presentations. You can read How Can You Convert a Seminar to a Keynote here. Enjoy!

Steve Mertz

I Have Good Mentors!

Technorati Tags: Presentations, Coaching, Public Speaking, Patricia Fripp

Know Your Audience is always a critical factor in the success of your presentation. Thomas P. Mullen and Mala Narain of the Park Li Group strategy consulting group, stress you need to know how they listen!

People have distinctly different way of dealing with presentations about strategy, David Wagner writes in Sloan Management Review.

“Each audience member will emphasize one of four primary focuses-data, structure, vision and the human element-and the effective speakers are those who integrate all four aspects into their presentations.”

Listeners who are primarily data driven will be evaluating your presentation to see if “it is grounded in the appropriate facts and figures.” My translation: Engineer types, CFO’s!

Audience members who look first for structure want to see how all the different aspects of your talk fit together. My translation: College Professors

“Where are all these strategy discussions going to lead us,” is what the people who are listening for vision want to know. My translation: CEO’s, Consultants

And, finally people who focus on human dimension want to know where they-and everyone else-fit in. My translation: You and I!

“The key to success is to always assume all four types of listeners are present in every audience. Identify your default mode and leverage those skills as much as you can, but address the needs of the other types of listeners as well.”

While this information is not new it certainaly is valuable and gives us a timely reminder when giving presentations. It also gives credence to the fact that speaking off the cuff-puts you at a distinct disadvantage with audiences. Lastly, let’s not forget to chart out our use of humor in our presentations!

Steve Mertz

Know Your Audience

Technorati Tags: Sloan Management Review, Presentations, Humor, Career Training

With the ever increasing global economy-many of us have been exposed to international opportunities. The opportunities can be very rewarding but Dr. Gary Goodman gives us some timely advice on the hidden costs of delivering an international speech. Read his full article here.

Steve Mertz

International Opportunities

I had the opportunity to view three excellent presentations at the NSA/Colorado chapter meeting on Saturday, September 9^th. All three presenters did an excellent job of connecting with the audience and giving them information that they could use immediately. There are common traits of great presentations that I want to high lite here:

1. The speakers did not warm up on their opening-they got right into their material and immediately captured the audiences attention. The first 20 seconds of an opening can really set the tone for your presentation so it’s always worth the effort to make it fresh and compelling to your audience.

2. They used stories that were universal to any audience that anchored their key points. Your audiences love to hear personal stories of yours and how or what you learned from those experiences to help you overcome obstacles and achieve success from the experience. Even if you are a CEO of an organization-your audience will relate and appreciate stories that are yours and anchor a key point you are making.

3. All three presenters used generous amounts of humor to poke fun at themselves and anchor key points.

4. They kept on topic and stuck to the allotted time they were given. By sticking to your topic your audience will leave with the key points you sere making. Those who tend to wander off topic can leave an audience with a feeling of “we liked the presentation, but don’t really remember any specific points.”

5. All the speakers engaged the audience and were able to make a great connection because of the interactivity.

6. Handouts were effectively used and yes, the one PowerPoint presentation did support and enhance the presentation!

Steve Mertz

Great Presenters are Fun to Watch!

NSA/Colorado Chapter is having it’s first meeting of the 2006-2007 year this Saturday ,September 9^th, 2006. The meeting will be at the Renaissance Denver Hotel located at 3801 Quebec Street, Denver, CO. 80207

The featured speaker will be Ford Saeks and his topic is Information Marketing mastery for Professional Speakers. Ford is the real deal and this high-energy “how-to” session offers you a multitude of creative direct & internet marketing techniques for professional speakers. Ford’s presentation will be one hour.

Next on the agenda is Tim Gard, CSP, CPAE. Tim is Colorado’s newest member of the Speaker Hall of Fame and will show you how he confounded experts be being true to himself and riding irreverence all the way to the top
of the speaking profession. Tim will share the secrets of how he runs his business and how you can create your own model for speaking success!

Debra Fine will conclude our monthly meeting. She talks on some of your best marketing opportunities are right around you and cost little or nothing. Debra, a nationally recognized expert on conversational skills and author of the acclaimed book, The Fine Art of Small Talk, will show you how to turn every conversation, hospitality suite, conference, golf outing, and chamber, civic or association event into a powerful business opportunity!Our Chapter meeting will run from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm

The charge for guests is $65

This will be a fabulous meeting with a lot of great information for public speakers, trainers and authors. Hope to see you this Saturday at our meeting Here is the link to National Speakers Association/Colorado chapter for more information.

Steve Mertz 

Come To a Great Meeting!

Technorati Tags: NSA/Colorado Ford Saeks Tim Gard Debra Fine National Speakers Association Public Speaking Presentations Money 

Andy Beal is an expert on Search Engine Optimization and he has a post about one of his biggest beefs when it comes to experts speaking at conferences: “They Turn Speaking Engagements Into “Sales Pitches”.

“It’s a sad fact that most “expert speakers” don’t understand what their audience wants to hear from them. I’ve seen too many speakers stand-up and provide the audience with high-level theories and concepts. They then hit their audience with a double-whammy of atrocity. First, they never actually provide solutions to the problems they’re discussing – fearful that they’ll give away too much information. Second, they compound this by turning the presentation into a sales-pitch for the company they represent. Arrgh!Want to know which speakers end-up getting a fistful of business cards at the end of their talk? It’s the ones who’ve shared so much great advice and information with the audience that the attendees think to themselves…

“Wow, that’s really going to help our company, but it sounds so complex and time consuming. I know what, that guy seems to know his stuff. If he shared that amount of information in a 20 minute presentation, imagine the amount of info I’ll get if I hire his search marketing firm.”

I always encourage financial advisors, executives and small business owners to speak at conferences to gain exposure and establish themselves as experts. This is an excellent way to gain credibility quickly but as the above comment points out it can be disastrous if you abuse your invitation. Here are some tips on maximizing your speaking presentation at conferences.

1. Have a very clear understanding of your topic and stick to it.

2. Ask the meeting planner if you can give a handout or include a link to your website.

3. Don’t be afraid to share your “best” information-it will only enhance your expertise.

4. Be respectful of your allotted time-do not go over your time slot.

5. Have your presentation in modules so if you are given less or more time you can make it happen without stressing out!

6. Remember to incorporate some humor that is specific to the conference attendees.

7. Ask permission to interview 3-5 members who will be attending to gain inside insights to their specific problems or concerns.

8. Make your slides available to the audiences. Simply have the attendees write “slides” on their business cards and you can email them the slides.

9. Be available to the audience after your presentation.

10. Thank the organizers. It’s a small world and a small thing like a thank you will buy you a lot of good will!

11. Have fun

Steve Mertz

Break a Leg!

Technorati Tags: Public Speaking, Sales Presentations Training, Search Engine Optimization, Andy Beal, Sales Pitches

Conversational presentations happen every day at my favorite Starbucks. I’ll see a group of five to six individuals clustered around a table with a serious business agenda taking place. Our society is a lot more relaxed today and you may find yourself giving a very important sales presentation in a relaxed environment. Here are some presentation tips to bring to your table:

1. Have a specific agenda you are going to cover and share that with your group

2. The atmosphere is relaxed but make certain about the four or five main points you are going to cover. You may have these written down on a 3×5 card, DayTimer or on your computer.

3. Acknowledge the noise and energy around you in this public setting and draw from it.

4. By the very nature of this setting it is meant to be conversational so do ask a lot of open ended questions of the other members.

5. Take short notes when the other members give you feedback-it is nearly impossible for you to remember all the key points that will come out.

6. Gain a consensus on what the next step will be-a formal presentation, you provide more information etc…

7. At the end of the meeting if you don’t have a handout of the information you have covered offer to send all the participants an email with an overview of the key points discussed and what if any resolution was achieved.

Conversational presentations are a fact of live today and we all have to be able to adapt quickly. Use these tips as a starting point for your more relaxed sales presentations and please offer any suggestions that are absolutely golden for you!

Steve Mertz

Relaxed Presentations Can be Powerful!

Technorati Tags: Conversational Presentations, Sales Presentations, Public Speaking

Somewhere, Somehow dull business presentations got firmly entrenched in our culture. Garr Reynolds has a great post on a new book by Daniel Pink called a Whole New Mind. One of Garr’s observations really jumped out at me:

“Indian physician Madan Kataria points out in Pink’s book that many people think that serious people are the best suited for business, that serious people are more responsible. “[But] that’s not true,” says Kataria. “That’s yesterday’s news. Laughing people are more creative people. They are more productive people.” Somewhere along the line we were sold the idea that a real business presentation must necessarily be dull, devoid of humor and something to be endured not enjoyed.”

We have all been subjected to financial and other business presentations that are completely devoid of humor. Another great reason to start building that humor file and using it regularly in our presentations! Here is the link to A Whole New Mind review.

Steve Mertz

Bringing Humor to Business Presentations!

Technorati Tags: Garr Reynolds, Daniel Pink, A Whole New Mind, Humor, Business Presentations