Archive for May, 2009

As published in Selling Power Magazine.  April 23, 2008

“The number one challenge salespeople face when presenting online is being able to engage their audience,” says Tom Drews, Founder and President of What Works! Communications, a training, speaking and consulting company.  “If you’re like the vast majority of presenters, there’s a good chance you’re putting your prospects to sleep.  And, if you aren’t getting the attention of your audience, then you are most certainly not selling your product or service.  You might as well send them a brochure.”

To captivate your audience, so they’re not adding a date to their BlackBerry or text messaging, try adding some Hollywood.  Here Drews, who spent some time in Hollywood himself, offers us the secrets to weave in a little glitz and glamour:

Shift your perspective.  Instead of thinking of yourself as a presenter, see yourself as a creative genius where you are the writer, producer, director, actor, prop master, extra, and everything else, advises Drews

Tell a story.  “Every Hollywood movie, sitcom, or reality show will tell you a story,” says Drews.  “A great story is what keeps us interested and wanting more.  Whether it’s a personal story tied to your value, or it’s a business story tied into your prospect’s needs, you will keep them interested and wanting to learn more.  Grab your audience’s attention from the very start,” he explains.  “Rather than starting with an amazingly boring agenda, present a provocative question, the prospect’s most painful challenge, a quote, a testimonial, or a customer success story.”

Meet their needs.  “The most successful Hollywood movies will meet the audience’s most important needs,” Drews says.  “Whether it’s to escape from the world, to laugh, or to cry, we go to the movies for a reason.  Before you even think of delivering a presentation online, you absolutely must know what is most important to your prospect.  If you can find that out, and really drill down on their situation, the problems they face, the impact that has on their business, and their ultimate needs, then you are guaranteed to get their attention and have a much better chance of winning their business.”

Use visuals to add support and interest.  “Instead of presenting a PowerPoint presentation loaded with hundreds of bullet  points, tell a story with photos and graphics,” says Drews.  “If you can find some images that will help to tell your story and drive home your points, then you will be well on your way to adding Hollywood to your  presentations.”

If you had a chance to check out Slideshare.net, then you may have come across Garr Reynolds’ Presentation Zen.  If not, you can find it by searching for “Presentation Zen” at www.slideshare.net. I’ve included an example of one of his presentations below.  You’ll notice that his slides have very little text, and plenty of engaging photos.  He’s a master at telling stories with visuals, which is exactly what we want to do when designing webinars and in-person presentations.  Of course, how simple your presentation is depends on what it is you’re communicating.