I was in Malaysia and Singapore this month to give some mini-workshops on sales presentations. During one of the sessions I asked my audience, who was very engaged, to “Give me one good reason” to buy their product. Most of the attendees struggled to come up with an answer. I thought it may be an ESL (English as a second language) issue since things get lost in translation, but even the English speaking members were not having an easy time.
I used this “one good reason” exercise when I was discussing the need for a concise, clear message in sales presentations. I thought it would be a good place to start, something everyone could relate to. But I was wrong, it was not that way at all. Coming up with 10 or 12 reasons why customers should buy their products was not a problem, however coming up with one reason was difficult. Was this because they knew their products and services so well, in so much depth, that they could not get beyond the specifications, features/benefits mode … a case of “You can’t see the forest for the trees”? Maybe it was another version of the Curse of Knowledge? (Curse of Knowledge)
This can also happen to presenters. You know your content, your idea, so well that you can’t seem to condense it down to its basic core. The core message of a presentation should answer a simple question: what is your point? It should give the audience one good reason to act on what you are presenting. It’s been proven that people can only remember a couple of points, not the dozens presenters typically throw at them.
So, if you want one good reason to follow this blog, here it is: An impactful presentation is key to moving your idea forward (or selling your product). In this blog I explore how you can create that impact.
Any ideas on how to better help people develop a core message for their presentations?
Joe Pops
Refuse to be boring