Content and Finesse

I’ve seen presentations given by less charismatic people, but with very strong content, and then from others with less content but very strong presentation skills. Content is king! But a poor presenter can destroy great content; on the other hand, a great presenter with a hollow message comes over as shallow, and full of hype. Both are a waste of time.

If you lack content, get some. Educational content delivers value while product knowledge is free online. Personal viewpoints and stories give listeners new perspective and move them to action, where sound bites by themselves, while establishing credibility, rarely lead to change. Leave selling to commercials and become an educator. Spend time understanding the needs out there, discover lasting answers, and then find ways to communicate truth around the mental roadblocks of your listeners. Become a catalyst; an agent of change. Develop a concern for those you call on and then spend your time finding ways to improve your clients’ position.

Then as you reach out to different prospects, focus on becoming an excellent communicator. With an urgent message in hand, you may find people are still loath to take action – it’s your job to find out how to move people to action when the need is real.