Powerful Pointy Presentations

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I was inspired to put this worksheet together from a discussion thread on linekdin. to quote the thread owner Tony Robinson Sales trainer, coach and consultant ;

What is it that you really sell?

Some years ago a Harley Davidson marketing executive, when asked this question, famously said..”what we sell is the ability for a 43 year old accountant to dress in black leather and ride into small towns and have people be afraid of him.”

Harley Davidson don’t sell motorcycles….they sell dreams and lifestyle…and they have been very successful at that!

Similary shovel salespersons sell holes, not shovels, so what is it you are really selling the customer?

You can clarify your offer using the worksheet. Start from the left column, your product, service or solution, plus the features and benefits you think th ecustomer may be interested in- no surprises there, it’s what most sales people have been trained to do.

Then go to the customer’s side. What is their situation? How can they gain pleasure or avoid pain or both- the two drivers for purchasing.

For example, why would anyone buy an Armani suit? They’re very expensive and made of ultrafine marino woolen fabric that wears faster than a more sturdy suit. One reason may be to gain pleasure – to have a feeling of lightness, revelling in the craftsmaship of a finely woven garment that others can’t afford. Another reason may be to avoid pain, the pain of humiliation as your merchant banker friends snigger behind your back at your lack of big city savvy.

It’s the alignment of your product benefits to the cusotmer’s pain or pleasure that helps the sales process, so it deserves some thinking time. Column 3. Then you need to decide how you are going to present it.

I hope the worksheet helps. I’m going to use it in my next Sales 101 course – thanks for the inspiration, Tony

So you’re thinking, what the hell – do you want me to sing my powerpoint presentation? Maybe yes, if you want it to be memorable, but then again it could be memorable for all the wrong reasons.

Singer and bands drag themselves above the plethora of also-rans by rehearsal: constant practice of every intro, outro, lick, riff, harmony, pause, feel against a backdrop of light and shade. It’s a long way to the top if you wanna rock’n’roll.

Tourist in NY: How do you get to Carnegie Hall?

Taxi Driver: Practice, practice, practice

^Emulate singers and bands – practice every nuance of your presentation.

Songs can transfix us in time – first love, being with friends, travelling overseas. They are a strong and powerful influence. One technique songwriters use is to incorporate musical and lyrical hooks.

Musical hooks are generally called “riffs”, a repeated musical phrase that form the essence of a song. Think of the major riffs from:

• Queen – We Will rock you : just drums
• AC/DC – Long Way to the Top: ronka ronka guitar chords
• Guns’n’Roses –Sweet Child of Mine: Rolling Stones Magazine’s best guitar riff of all times
• The Knack – My Sharona:  drums and bass

Because they’re repeated so often they become embedded in our minds. Repetition is important to the success of a song.

Similarly with lyrical hooks – repeated words you can’t get out of your mind from the beautiful to the banal:

• And I will always love you
• Simply the best, better than all the rest
• I get knocked down, I get up again
• I shot the sheriff (note the alliteration)

^Use hooks like repeated phrases or questions in your presentation to keep your audience engaged.

Most popular songs are relatively simple: simple in their message, simple in their communication and simple in their structure. Also each word is precious. The words in a song are required to convey complex emotions (or not) in a very short space. Don’t use superfluous words and keep your presentation structure simple. Don’t confuse your audience.

^Keep it Simple

A successful song not only has a subject, but also an angle or a theme. For instance the brilliant Dolly Parton Song “I Will Always Love You”, made famous by Whitney Houston has as its subject breaking up, the theme being the title of the song. Imagine the song without the theme lines. It would tell the story, but not be anywhere near as powerful.

^Consider a theme for your presentation to bring it to life.

Summary:

• Rehearse
• Find hooks to engage your audience
• Use repetition
• Keep it Simple
• Develop a theme