The Missing Link in Presentations

Are you wondering why your audience isn’t excited? Or why they’re not sold on your ideas at meetings? Most presenters work hard to craft and deliver their sales presentations. So why don’t they get the results they desire?

They know the content backwards and forwards. They reveal what they think is great about their ideas or products. There’s no question they can’t answer. These presenters bring their A game with dynamic delivery. On the surface, it’s a good presentation. Yet, there’s no momentum. Too often public speakers think from their own point of view. 

These presenters forgot to connect the head and heart!

Consider these two acronyms. WIIFM and WSIC.

The first step is to answer the question, What’s In It For Me, meaning the audience. What’s important to them? It doesn’t matter if you have the most clever idea or the best product unless it meets their needs. And that’s where most presenters stop. The challenge is that you’re addressing needs but not tapping into why. WSIC means Why Should I Care? This is the dream or outcome of receiving those benefits. We’re talking about emotions. There is motion in the word emotion. The audience will take action when your message taps into their emotions.

It’s about connecting what they’ll gain with the impact of the benefits.

Benefit  (Head)                       Impact (Heart)

Save time                                More family events

Save money                           Buy the vacation property

Lose weight                            Look good and fit into your new clothes

Everybody wants to save time, money and be healthy. But their reasons may vary. Recall the last time you were excited about a purchase. Was your excitement about the product or how it made you feel? We’re more easily convinced by emotion than by logic but we need both.

A friend told a story about his trip to the car dealership. He was interested in a sports car. He loved the car but it came with a high price tag. The sales person told him to sit behind the wheel. He then said, “It makes you feel cool, doesn’t it?” My friend bought the car. He tapped into his emotions.

By translating what they’ll learn from you to why it’s important to them, you’ll connect the head and heart. And that is the missing link.

 Anybody can give a Knockout Presentation. Avoid these 6 mistakes and take your presentation from dull to dynamic!

My presentations, training , coaching and books are available virtually. It’s easy to find me to discuss your needs. Email diane@diresta.com. Subscribe to my youtube channel Or call: 917 803-8663

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5 Presentation Mistakes When Pitching for Business

Speaking is the new competitive advantage. What makes your product or service stand out in a sea of commodities is your presentation. Don't lose out because of these presentation mistakes:

1. Rambling Elevator Speech. If you can't say what you do, for whom, and how they benefit in one minute, your message is too long. The buyer doesn't want to listen to a story. Once your listeners tune out (and they will), you will lose the opportunity to close the sale. The key to a good elevator pitch is focus.
2. Thick PowerPoint Deck. Unless you're writing legislation, your PowerPoint deck should take 15 minutes to deliver. The reason it takes longer is that there are too many pages and you're probably reading the slides. Summarize what's on the slide and tell the story behind the numbers. You'll fail to win business if all you do is read a list of numbers on a page.
3. Failure to Listen. More than anything else, listening is the key to winning business. You learn the customer's needs by listening. You develop relationships and show you care by listening. Listening helps you to ask the right questions. Too many people try to pitch rather than question and listen. Use the 70/30 rule. 70% of the time the customer is speaking and 30% of the time you're speaking.
4. Speaker-Centered.Being speaker-centered is related to the failure to listen and this presentation approach happens before you meet the buyer. Too many pitches and presentations are organized from the speaker's point of view. Nobody cares about your product or service. They care about their own self interests. So create a listener-centered presentation that leads with what the buyer cares about and how your solutions will solve their problem. Talk benefits, not features.
5. Lack of Confidence. A great pitch deck with amazing visuals won't win the sale if you don't speak with conviction, enthusiasm and confidence. When you walk into the meeting do you own the room? Are you confident enough to go where the buyer wants to go or do you rigidly stick to the script? Research demonstrates that confidence trumps competence. Prepare and practice. Acknowledge your expertise, breathe, relax, and relate. Remember, the first sale is to yourself.

Presenting Your Message to the C-Suite

How often have you seen a talented expert with good presentation skills, derail when they spoke to the C-Suite? My clients have complained about this issue. Their direct reports lose credibility with senior management and don't sell their ideas. They then become dependent on the manager to give the high level presentations. It's no different with consultants and vendors. They get to the C-Suite and lose an opportunity because they don't know how to adjust their presentation.

So, I went directly to the C-Suite and asked them what presenters should know when selling to the C-Suite....

As an investor, what is the worst presentation that you have seen?

David Rose is my guest blogger. I thought as an angel investor, he has some valuable tips for entrepreneurs who want to successfully pitch to investors. By David S. Rose / January 19th, 2014

I’ve written on this topic previously, including David S. Rose’s answer to Startups: What is the worst startup pitch ever? While I’ve never laughed outright during a pitch, I’ve certainly had quite a few occasions where I had to work hard not to wince. The problems with bad pitches tend to fall into the following major categories:

1. The content is just bad, off-base or not thought-through
2. Slides or other visuals are poorly executed, amateurish, confusing and counter-productive
3. The presenter is not a naturally talented speaker, has never been taught how to present, and/or hasn’t practiced the presentation

Blowing only one of the three generally merits the presenter at least a respectful response and discussion (although if it’s a case of #1, then there obviously will not be an investment.) The problem comes when someone blows two, or even all three. That’s when it gets really wince-worthy and painful for the audience. As an example, take a look at this presentation, which is really pretty bad across the board:

As for embarrassing moments, the one that takes the cake was several years ago when an attractive woman CEO was pitching to a group I was in, and during the presentation she accidentally knocked off her own hairpiece. To her credit, she smoothly continued as if nothing had happened, and eventually got the investment! What was interesting was that (a) it was a small hairpiece, (b) it was at the back of her head, and (c) guys are notoriously unobservant, so because she handled it so professionally…the majority of men in the room were not aware of the mishap!

*original post can be found on Quora @ http://www.quora.com/David-S-Rose/answers *

David S. Rose, CEO, Gust January 19th, 2014

Click here to see more from David Rose.

How You Gonna Keep 'Em Thinking of You After They Go Back Home?

There's a line from a World War I song: "How you gonna keep 'em down on the farm After they've seen Paris?"

When you finish your presentation and your audience goes back to work, do they carry your message with them? Do they still hear your voice?

Recently I received a call from a woman who heard me speak 10 years ago and wanted to hire me to coach her. Neither of us could recall where we met.  She forgot the name of the association. It could have been anywhere. What she did remember was me. She said my message was "...memorable, powerful, and convincing for female leaders."

What made her contact me now and not then? She wasn’t ready. People buy on their own timeline, not ours. What kept my message in her mind was my monthly newsletter, The Science of Speaking. The goal is continual communication. Do you stay in touch with the people who hear you speak? I keep in touch with my audience through email messages, newsletters, phone calls, video messages and greeting cards (<< click the link and send a card for free). You can do the same for your network.

Be memorable, convincing, and powerful in your presentation. And then stay in continual communication. Like the lyric from the 1984 Rockwell song, “Somebody’s watching me,” you never know who’s watching, listening, and reading you.

 

How One Presentation Turned Into $7,500

How much is your presentation worth? If you're not speaking with power and confidence, you're losing money. There is an ROI to your presentation. A few months ago, I met with a coaching prospect and presented myself and my services. He recently confided that he had interviewed a number of coaches before selecting me. He said that I was the most professional, I had a game plan, and I told him the truth about his coaching needs. Some coaches were dressed too casually. Some said they would do whatever he wanted when he asked them about their approach. He didn't feel confident about their services. I closed the sale with one meeting - with one presentation.

People think of public speaking as having intangible benefits - you make people feel good, you get a message across, maybe someone feels inspired. But if you're not selling a product or service, you may think there is no tangible value.

In beauty pageants, the interview is weighted at 40% of the score. The contestant's ability to present herself well yields thousands of dollars in scholarship money. That's tangible.

When you're interviewing for a job, your resume gets you in the door. Your presentation is what gets you the job. The ROI on that presentation is equal to the salary you're offered.

Your ability to sell yourself and your value gives you an extra edge when you get a raise and get promoted. Figure out how much of an increase you'll get, and that is the ROI of your presentation.

Speaking is not a soft skill. It's a powerful leadership skill and can no longer be avoided. You don't have to be a professional speaker to gain financially from your presentation.

How much is your speaking worth?

Six R's of Public Speaking and Presentation Success

September is back to school month. Students first learn the three R's- "Reading, (w)Riting, and 'Rithmetic." But for public speakers and presenters there are actually six R's. Last weekend I attended a workshop on videomarketing - Share the Sizzle. One of the speakers, Mary Agnes Antonopoulos, talked about the six R's for succeeding in social media. I realized that those same six characteristics apply to successful public speaking and presentations. The six R's are Relevance, Recognition, Rapport, Relationships, ROI, and Responsibility.

Relevance - One reason presentations fail is lack of relevance. I see this all the time in my coaching practice. Too many presenters are speaker-centered and not listener-centered. They talk about what's important to them, instead of addressing the self-interest of the audience. Public speakers may have a relevant topic but if they don't present examples, case studies, or stories that are meaningful to the listeners, the ideas can die a quick death. For example: when pitching an idea to senior management, don't spend time on details. That's irrelevant to them even though details are very relevant to end users. Speak to the interests of the audience for maximum relevance.

Recognition - People do business with people they know, like, and trust. The first step is visibility. Do people know who you are? If not, it will take longer to gain their trust and to sell your ideas. I knew an executive whose department contributed significantly to the company's revenues; however, most people weren't aware of this executive's accomplishments. As a result, the executive did not advance as quickly as expected. The better the audience knows you, the more easily they'll accept your information and ideas. That's why companies hire celebrities to sell their product. Seize opportunities to speak and promote yourself to increase your recognition.

Rapport - Rapport has to do do with likability. How likable are you as a presenter? Do you exude warmth? Or are you a talking head? I've noticed some commonalities between speakers who fail to achieve audience rapport.

First, they don't smile. If you're too serious, you may come across as distant and even intimidating. The public speaking myth is that "serious" means "professional." Actually, the reverse is true. The top leaders and public speakers smile and use humor. When you're relaxed, you appear more confident.

The second mistake I've observed is rushing. When speakers get right down to business and talk AT the audience instead of with them, the audience retreats emotionally. That's why many speakers begin with opening remarks and humor. They share something personal about themselves or the audience. When I was in Tanzania, I memorized my opening remarks. I said, "Good morning. I'm happy to be here!" in Kiswahili. To my surprise, they audience broke out in applause. I was literally speaking their language!

The third reason for failed rapport is that presenters don't pace the audience. They hold on rigidly to their outline or PowerPoint. Successful public speakers are able to let go of the script and move where the audience wants to go. Don't let rigidity be one of your six R's.

Relationships - If rapport is about likability, then relationships are about trust. Once the audience likes you, it means they're engaged at the moment and willing to listen. You may be entertaining but until the audience trusts you, they won't take action.

Let's say you're giving a marketing talk. You have excellent platform skills. You're entertaining. But at the end of the presentation, nobody buys your product. Assuming you're in front of the right people, audience skepticism may mean they don't know you well enough.

The top speakers build a relationship with the audience and that happens before they ever meet. It starts with an email which may be followed up with a postcard or phone call. These public speakers provide third party testimonials and leverage mutual relationships.

In company meetings, you'll have better success in gaining support if you meet people for lunch, stop by their desks to say hello, and get to know them. Chase Manhattan Bank had a slogan that said it best: "The right relationship is everything."

ROI - We often think of ROI as Return on Investment. For presenters, it also means Return on Impact. If you're selling a product or pitching for funding, success can be measured in dollars. Most of the time, presenters are communicating information or selling an idea internally. These presenters won't see increased dollars in their pockets if their idea is accepted. But they will experience return on impact because they'll increase their influence within the organization.

How do you know if you've made impact with an informational presentation? The listeners will be engaged. They'll ask questions. You'll see nodding heads and direct eye contact. Positive feedback will filter through the company grapevine.

Responsibility - Public speakers and presenters have a responsibility and some take it lightly. You have a responsibility first and foremost to deliver what you promise. When a store advertises a sale and then pulls a Bait and Switch act, you automatically feel frustrated, angry and distrustful. Many consumers will walk out of the store.

I've seen speakers do the same thing. I once heard a celebrity speaker announce, "I don't think I'll talk about... [the subject that was published in the schedule]. We can cover that in the second session. What I want to talk about is..." The problem with that decision was that I didn't sign up for the second session and that celebrity speaker lost credibility. I'll read his books, but I won't attend a live presentation again.

Presenters have an obligation to their listeners. There's a contract between a public speaker and an audience. Even if you're giving a meeting update, be sure to honor the time commitment and give them the information in a way they can understand. When you speak to a large audience, be sure to deliver the presentation they signed up to hear.

Presentation Lessons from the Mad Men Board Room

This is a guest post from Cable.tv's Roger Kethcart. The most difficult part of an advertiser's job isn't coming up with game-changing, original ideas. That's what they do day in and day out. The most difficult part is selling those ideas to clients—or, the pitch.

Advertisers have to be on their A-game when pitching to a client. In a short period of time they must not only captivate the client, but also make their idea better than the competition's. Hit a home run and they win the client. Miss, and they are sent home with their tails between their legs.

Though the stakes may not always be as high, anyone who is presenting an idea to an audience is essentially doing what the ad men are: selling an idea to an audience. So whether you're presenting on financial upticks over the last fiscal quarter or pitching a new product line to potential investors, here are some lessons from the board room of AMC's Mad Men that you can apply to your own presentations.

Prepare for Your Presentation

Don Draper, the principal pitcher on Mad Men, likes to shoot off the cuff, spending little time preparing and practicing for his client presentations. In fact, he often forgets when he is even meeting with clients. But he, in his Hollywood enhanced glory, is the exception.

Most of us wouldn't see the same success if we followed in Don's footsteps when it comes to prep time. Most people in the real world agree that a presentation should be rehearsed several times, just not so many that it seems rehearsed. Having run through the presentation at least a few times helps to bring your ideas to the forefront of your consciousness, allowing you to remain focused and continue if there are any surprises or distractions.

It is also recommended that when dealing with nerves you don't resort to alcohol or drugs to combat them. It goes without saying these influencers can have a dramatically negative impact on your presentation. It might have flown in the 60s, but certainly wouldn’t be seen as professional today.

Speak Eloquently

Eloquence in speech is one of those things that is hard to define, but you know it when you hear it. The right words and the right timing working in harmony contribute to powerful, eloquent speech that is capable of moving an audience to tears or firing them up for action.

A great example of eloquent speech is observed when Don presents Kodak with a name pitch for their new slide projector. His presentation literally leaves the clients speechless, but in a good way. Even after he is done speaking, his profound words linger in their consciousness.

One will observe the specific timing and words chosen during the presentation. Don's words reach deep into the soul, drawing out memories of comforting nostalgia. And his rhythmic cadence with deliberate pauses allows his audience to "feel" what he's saying, giving them time to process and marinate the words.

In addition to Don's presentations, there are many other resources out there to help you speak more eloquently. A quick internet search will yield hundreds of helpful tips.

Have Confidence in Yourself

Confidence plays a big part in establishing credibility and gaining your audience's trust. Look confident and you'll quickly look like someone who knows what they're talking about. Speak with conviction and your audience will also have confidence in what you're saying.

This is also where body language comes into play. Stand up straight and look the audience in the eye and you'll radiate confidence. Your audience will find it more difficult to listen to you if you slouch and look down at your notes the whole time.

How well prepared you are and how well you "know" your idea can also impact how confident you are. Preparing for and facing objections and sticking by your words shows passion and helps to persuade those who would normally stand unwavering. Don does just this despite second thoughts from an unsure client in this clip.

While you may not frequent any ad industry board rooms any time soon, chances are you will have to give a presentation of your own at some point in time. Take it from Don and remember to prepare for your presentation and exude eloquence and confidence while giving it, and you'll be able to sell your ideas to any audience.

Get Your Morning Mojo and Communicate with Impact

I spoke at the Morning Mojo networking group held at Citibank about Communicating with Impact. Business is not about the numbers. Business is about communication and the numbers simply reflect how well you communicate. Watch this short video segment to learn how to communicate with impact. http://youtu.be/S8HnrGcF6oY

5 Tips for Women Entrepreneurs Learned From the School of Life

I recently read an article by Dylan Kendall entitled, "5 Tips for Women Entrepreneurs I Learned From the School of Life". Dylan's tips are simple and pragmatic. They can also serve as guidelines for anyone who speaks in public. Here are her 5 tips and how they apply to public speaking:

1. Get comfortable asking for money and ask with confidence. Public speaking involves first and foremost both inner and outer confidence. If you're a professional speaker, you need to be comfortable asking for your fee.

2. Learn how to ask for advice. You need to research and seek counsel from others who know your audience. It's also about polling and interacting with the audience.

3. Don't share everything but do share strategically and embellish wisely. It's especially critical to give the listener what they need to know - not everything you know. You can lose an audience or a prospect by giving too much detail.

4. "Help a sista out" -- network with and support other women. People don't realize that networking is a presentation and your ability to present yourself and your message clearly and compellingly is an important factor in attracting clients and advocates.

5. Understand what sacrifices you can make and when you should walk away. Part of your presentation is what you are willing to do for your audience. There are some situations where you should walk away and not accept a speaking engagement. When it's the wrong topic or the wrong audience, you need to know when to say no.

Adrian Miller Speaks About Growing Your Business

Adrian Miller rocked the audience this morning when she gave a knockout presentation entitled 4 1/2 Ways To Grow Your Business. As a public speaker Adrian was dynamic, pragmatic, and drove home her message with humor. Her tips for increasing sales were appropriate for public speaking and giving presentations. Her 4 1/2 tips included:

1. Be Different 2. Stay on the Grid 3.Qualify 4.Probe 4 1/2. Quantify everything

So how does this relate to presentations? Speakers who are different are memorable. But being memorable isn't enough. You must stay on the grid. Speakers can stay front of mind by sharing ideas and information that add value to their customers and audience. It's important to qualify the audience by conducting a listener profile. The more you know about the audience the more effective the presentation will be. This involves the use of probing skills prior to the presentation. But masterful presenters probe the audience during the presentation by taking a quick poll to create engagement. Finally, be sure to survey the audience so you can quantify results. You may have a good feeling about your speech but don't rely on gut feelings. To measure your speaking performance it's better to compile audience comments and a numerical rating scale.That kind of process will give any public speaker real time data that can be quantified.

So why did Adrian give 4 /12 tips? To be different! Weren't you curious about the 1/2 tip? What have you done as a presenter to differentiate yourself from other public speakers?

New York Author Says "Speaking is the New Competitive Advantage

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

Contact: Diane DiResta

Phone: 212.481-8484 x 312 Web: www.diresta.com Blog: www.diresta.com/blog

September 12, 2012

New York, NY -Diane DiResta  will present " Speak Powerfully Sell More: Speak to Grow Your Business" at the New York Chapter of the American Business Women's Association tonight at 6:00 p.m.

Recognized for her public speaking and media training expertise, Diane DiResta, author of Knockout Presentations and President of DiResta Communications, Inc, was invited to speak at the ABWA.  The event, held on Wednesday, September 12th  at Phillips Nizer  666 5th Avenue, targets business owners and professional business women seeking new strategies to enhance their visibility and image from proven industry experts like DiResta.

The audience will learn how to leverage the power of the spoken word:

• Why speaking is the new competitive advantage for entrepreneurs and business professionals
• How to develop message points and target the audience
• Mistakes speakers make and how to avoid them
• How to project confidence on the platform

"Businesses can no longer avoid public speaking," warns DiResta. "Clients and prospects want to hear from you. You are the brand."

Professionals are not exempt from speaking skills. It's easy for women to become invisible in organizations. Public speaking levels the playing field. One executive woman was being overlooked when DiResta first began coaching her. Today that executive  has increased her profile by speaking internally and externally, and was recently on the cover of a prestigious industry trade publication. "Speaking is a leadership skill,"  explains DiResta.

DiResta, who is both a professional keynote speaker and executive speech coach, believes anybody can be effective in delivering a message.  An advocate of speakmarketing, she will share with the audience her experience and success leveraging public speaking as a marketing tool. Her own speaking strategies have resulted in paid speaking and consulting assignments in places such as Tanzania and Egypt.

About DiResta Communications, Inc.

Diane DiResta is president of DiResta Communications, Inc., a New York City consultancy serving business leaders who want to communicate with greater impact — whether face-to-face, in front of a crowd or from an electronic platform.  DiResta is the author of Knockout Presentations: How to Deliver Your Message with Power, Punch, and Pizzazz, an Amazon.com category best-seller and widely-used text in college business communication courses. www.DiResta.com

S.H.E. Summit Week-Speak Powerfully Sell More

It's the S.H.E. Summit Week in New York City. SHE stands for She Helps Empower. This week long event was organized by Claudia Chan. From June 18-to June 24 there are women's events to inspire and empower. In addition to  yoga, networking, a press breakfast and evening cocktail party there were several workshops. My presentation, Speak Powerfully, Sell More was part of the entrepreneurial track. Carolyn Herfurth presented Art of the Ask, Bryn Johnson talked about building online communities, and Jennifer Wilkov presented Your Book is Your Hook. It's been fun and inspiring and I've met some amazing women. For the complete schedule visit  S.H.E. Summit Week

 

The Five Letter Word that Kills Telemarketing Presentations Every Time

This morning the phone rang. It was a recorded message. It's rare that I listen to one of these recordings.  My knee jerk response is to hangup. But there was a reason I kept listening. The offer was something I wanted. And the sales presentation was surprisingly excellent. The recording had a strong, clear, energetic voiceover and the brief message got to the point quickly. The ending had a strong call to action and a sense of urgency. You could press 1 and speak to a representative or you could press 2 to disconnect and give your competitor the opportunity for a one person per industry opportunity. Wow! I wanted to know more. I called and spoke to an outgoing and knowledgeable telemarketer. He answered my questions. He showed me the site online with an example of a customer's site. The price wasn't out of reach.  All I had to do was give my credit card over the phone and I would be assigned a representative who would get me started. The offer sounded exciting and something that would help me grow my business. He asked for my credit card and I said no.

And there was one major reason I didn't do it. One little five letter word stopped me cold. That word is TRUST. I didn't know the person on the other end and couldn't be sure if this was a legitimate company or a telephone scam. If there had been a television or radio infomercial with an 800 number there would've been a little more legitimacy. But an unsolicited call will always raise doubts no matter how well the caller speaks or how polished the presentation.

In today's market, trust is at an all time low. Audiences have a prove-it-to-me attitude. Not only are they slow to part with their money; the lack of trust is a symptom of fear. Speaking continues to be the new competitive weapon. But use it wisely. Build a relationship with your audience. Develop a know-like-trust process through social media, articles, blogging,  youtube, and third party endorsements.  So that when you call or even speak before a live audience there will be a spark of recognition and the beginning of trust.

Speak Your Way to More Business

What if there were a way to market up close and personal and it was free? The answer is right under your nose - It's your mouth. Public speaking is a powerful and cost effective way to market your business. Small businesses can’t compete with glitzy advertising campaigns but public speaking as a marketing strategy levels the playing field.

When you engage in “speakmarketing

Even Dry Cleaners Give Business Presentations

This morning I dropped by the dry cleaners to pick up my clothing. As I handed her the ticket, she gave me my dry cleaning and then asked me a question. "Do you send out your husbands shirts?" "No," I told her. "He's retired. He doesn't wear shirts." She smiled as she explained in her accented English, "Oh I was just trying to..." I supplied the word she was searching for. "Upsell?" "Yes," she said. "Well my husband only wears golf shirts. But very good marketing. If we ever have a wedding to go to I'll bring in his shirt." We both had a good laugh.

But the laugh is really on business owners who don't see an opportunity and follow up. This woman realized that a presentation doesn't end when there is an exchange of money. The presentation lives on as you continue the dialog.

Even the post office now asks if you want stamps, mailers, or other supplies. The way you approach a customer is a presentation-from the greeting and smile, to the conversational interaction, to the thank you, to the upsell. Just like any presentation there is a beginning, middle and an end.

Unfortunately, not everybody gets beyond the first presentation.

DiResta Communications, Inc. Communicating With Impact!

A Product Launch is a Presentation

I was in line for a sample sale on Fifth Avenue in New York. While I was waiting to get into the showroom, a woman came up to me and asked if she could talk to me about a new product. She began by holding a small purple bottle in her hand. She told me the company was launched a year ago and the founder was a modern day Carrie Bradshaw (Sex in the City). She pontificated about the founder's fashion background, her love of New York City and a desire to combine beauty products and fashion. As I listened I noticed the young woman was wearing shades and I couldn't see her eyes. This created a disconnect for me. Although it was sunny we were standing in the shade. I couldn't connect with her.

She talked about the product creams that were made from pearls and silk and were an all-in-one cosmetic. As the blathering continued, a mild ennui enveloped me. I wondered when she would get to the point. I didn't know what she wanted from me. Finally the verbal vomiting came to a halt. She asked "Would you like to be on our mailing list?" My knee jerk response? "No. Not without a sample."

She had to be kidding. What possible benefit could I derive from that offer? It wasn't even an offer. It was a taking.

So what was wrong with this presentation?

There was no connection. She should have removed her shades to make contact. We connect through the eyes. The presentation was speaker-centered- not listener-centered. Asking me a couple of questions about my skin care needs would have been a lot more effective. And she should have given out samples and then talked about results. At the very least, she could have opened the bottle she was holding and poured a few drops on my hand. This woman went on too long about the founder. Who cares? Do you buy Revlon because you like Charles Revson? If your goal is to build a database you need to entice people with an offer that they care about. There wasn't even a card with a website address.

I always say, "Life is a presentation and everyone is a public speaker." I guess the presenter forgot about that.

DiResta Communications, Inc. Communicating With Impact!

Talk Your Way to Small Business Success!

Sunday, April 25 2010 By Susan Wilson Solovic

Successful entrepreneurs are great visionaries, but they also share the gift of gab. They know how to communicate their ideas in an engaging way so others can see and embrace the vision too. More simply stated, they are excellent story-tellers and evangelists for their companies.

In today’s competitive marketplace, communication skills are an important competitive advantage. In fact, Diane DiResta, a professional speech coach and author of “Knockout Presentations: How to Deliver Your Message with Power, Punch and Pizzazz,

The Biggest Mistake in Sales Presentations

So what do you think is the biggest mistake in sales presentations?

• Selling features instead of benefits?
• Talking too much and not listening?
• Not knowing the product?

In a recent presentation, Ron Karr, of Karr Associates, Inc. and author of Lead, Sell or Get Out of the Way, asked the audience, "What are you selling?" People responded by calling out their products and services. Ron went on to say that one of the biggest mistakes in sales is selling the "how" instead of the "what". "You're selling outcomes", declared Ron. He challenged the audience to get clear about the outcomes their audience or clients receive from them. The outcome he presents to his audience is to "sell more in less time." He went on to explain, "Most people spend 70% of their time talking about what they do when they should be spending 60% of their time in first impressions and qualifying.

As with all presentations, it first begins with mindset. How do you think of yourself in relation to your audience? Are you an expert? A peer? A trusted adviser? Ron recommended that people begin to position themselves as a resource. Selling is self-focused but a resource is customer-focused.

Whether you're selling a product, or giving a status update, good presenters live by WIIFM-What's in it for me? They know that the audience cares only about one thing-their own self interests. In other words, it's all about outcomes.

http://www.amazon.com/Lead-Sell-Get-Out-Way/dp/0470402180/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s;=books&qid;=1263764153&sr;=8-1

DiResta Communications, Inc. Communicating With Impact!