Putting the Person back into a Technical Presentation

Putting the Person back into a Technical Presentation

by Cathleen Fillmore

Sometimes a lot of money hangs on these sales presentations.
Yet the sales professional is not really trained in the art
of delivery. So he or she takes the time to learn to do a
very sophisticated technical presentation with lots of flashy
graphics and a great sound system and still loses the deal.

What happened? Simple. No matter how sophisticated
technology has become over the past few decades, buying is
still an emotional reaction backed up by logic. This tells
you that your buyer needs to relate to you as a person
and then needs to justify his buying decision based on the
information you present.

Keep in mind, then, that YOU are the presentation and your
laptop is your assistant. And keep these tips in mind:

Pause before you begin your presentation. Take a moment
to really connect with as many of the audience members as
you can.

2. After you've been introduced or introduced yourself,
tell an ice-breaking story. The story should be yours
rather than one that you've borrowed that they may have
heard before. The story should be something that your
audience members can easily identify with.

If it's funny, that's great but it doesn't have to be.
Humor is tricky unless you're totally comfortable with it.

3. State clearly (and briefly) why you're there, what you
will be showing them and how that will benefit them. If a
set time limit hasn't been established, set one and then
stick to it. People get anxious when they don't know how
long you'll go on.

4. Don't allow your Power Point Presentation to dominate.
You're still in charge. Intersperse your slides with
personal comments. Make sure your audience is aware of
your presence.

5. Finish on a high note. If you're allowing time for
questions and answers, slot that in before you end your
presentation with a rousing call to action and reiteration
of the benefits your products or services can bring to your
clients. Wish them every success in their endeavors and
thank them sincerely for taking the time to listen to you.

And that's your exit cue!

Cathleen Fillmore is author of Going for Gold! A Complete
Marketing Strategy for Speakers and has published over 200
articles. She is Director of Speakers Gold, a proactive
speakers bureau http://www.speakersgold.com. For more
detailed information on making a dynamic presentation,
contact Cathleen by sending cfillmore@idirect.com
or call 416-532-9886.