Changing Up the Presentation

We completed our second day of the Making Money w/ Security Workshop today…one major failure among sales teams (and one we spent our time on today) is that of the corporate presentation. Have you ever considered how many sales presentations the average CIO sees over the course of a year? However many there are – it’s big. They’ve probably seen just about everything you can imagine – but the sad truth is, most of them look the same.

After class today, one attendee emailed me asking for some help on a presentation he is scheduled to give at his company’s sales meeting next week. It just so happens that I am also speaking at his company’s national sales meeting next week…

His goal, as I understand it, is to present something he might present to a customer. His company wants to see his version of the company sales message. No doubt, his marketing department has a standard set of slides they’ve equipped the sales team with – but chances are they look just like the competition’s. Perhaps they have a different template. Here’s what I told him:

Start out with some sound bites – some hard hitting facts that get people thinking about the trends out there.
From there, move into an emotionally charged story using my Noble Man story format (which I briefly describe in my Vendor to Adviser book). It should be an actual client story – one that looks at an individual trying to accomplish something, but up against some major challenges. Show how your company came alongside this person and helped them achieve something that might have been a complete failure had you not stepped in. I know their company has one of these…
This creates a bridge into a series of things most are approaching incorrectly – but something your company has studied, is passionate about, and has mastered (Reference Jim Collins advice in Good to Great).
End with the need to review something related within their organization…the assessment opportunity leads to justification, which leads to fee-based engagements. You’ll also be building a case for an annuity service along the way (assuming you are focusing on one of the 4 things buyers buy – another topic addressed in From Vendor to Adviser).

I should also mention – Make your slides colorful, using just a few words. Your message must be enthusiastic, emotional, and simple…your goal is to paint a picture of the value your team brings to a pressing situation…

How many sales presentations have you seen that you would want to see again? It has to be that good…is it possible? It is…