Weekly Bulletin July 2012
I recently sat through a presentation and 15 minutes later the presenter was still on the Company introduction slide! They told me the Company was 'a world leader' (where does this claim come from? Over 95% of such declarations are not just inaccurate and unsubstantiated but downright wrong). I heard about their history, revenues and head count which was dull, dull, dull. It was routine and presented in an uninteresting and bland manner. If the presenter couldn't muster an ounce of excitement guess what? Yes, you're right, the audience was completely switched off!
What was even worse was that this was a combined seminar and webinar. Nice idea, but I bet there were on-line attendees switching off in droves. I certainly would have done. The fact that I was attending in person and being typically British and reserved, I sat through this self-indulgent rubbish.
You see no one but no one is interested in your Company. They're not interested in how you arrived here today nor the unsubstantiated claims about world-leading status.
What they are interested in is what your Company can do to help them. Which of their business problems can you solve? How can you help reduce their costs and increase their revenues? Can you take a Business Executive's problem which is keeping them awake at night, and turn it into a solution to give them peace of mind?
If you can, that's what they want to hear about. If you can't or don't know how to then you need to change your presentation and get some help quickly.
Businesses buy solutions to problems not a Company's history. In tough economic times your presentations must focus on your value proposition and how this can help prospective customers.
If you do that then you can save 15 minutes of your time and that of every prospective customer. Now you've already delivered a benefit!
