Get Your Money’s Worth from Consultants: 3 Questions to Ask

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Fern

Two years ago, my favorite client asked for a proposal for a major initiative. It’s right up my alley and I was delighted to be invited to help them achieve their goals for the project.

Now, I think these people are the best thing since Sputnik and they think I walk on water, so it’s a mutual admiration society. Excellent relationship. I asked good questions and got good answers. I worked hard on their proposal taking care to stay within budget, deliver the pieces that would meet their goals, and offer added value. I was sure I’d nailed it. They agreed and accepted it.

And then all hell broke loose. The economy tanked,  the sky fell in, and my proposal was put on hold indefinitely. I understood and over the two years, we’ve exchanged a few staying-in-touch notes.

Last month they called with a request to begin immediately. Or even sooner. Of course, their objectives have changed since we’d last met and my recommendations changed in kind. Nonetheless, I got it done–with projected timelines as tight as I felt I could make them.

Again, my proposal was accepted. But before they sent the signed contract, they called with a request to push up the dates. 

Please understand that I really like these people and I was eager to give them what they want. What’s more, I pride myself on my flexibility. Hey, it’s part of my brand.  So I figured I’d work weekends, pull in some extra help, push it to the limit–and acquiesce to their request. 

Then last night–somewhere between counting baby lambs and deep REM sleep, I awoke in a panic. What was I thinking? These people deserve my best efforts and I am committed to delivering exactly that. They may not realize it, but I’m as deeply invested in their outcomes as they are–or nearly so. In good conscience, I couldn’t allow them to compromise results by pushing the project through in a compressed and unrealistic timeframe.

Okay, I may lose this bid. If so, I’ll be hugely disappointed, but I called this morning and laid it all out. I’m still waiting to hear.

The reality is that there are only 3 questions every buyer should ask themselves before they engage a consultant.

1. Do you trust this consultant?

2. Do you believe they will be fair in all dealings–from pricing to performance, and everything in between?

3. Do you think they can deliver the results you want?

If you say “no” to any of those questions, find another consultant. If you can answer “yes” then allow the consultant to guide you. They know what they’re doing; that’s why you’ve called them in. Let them do what they do best–and get your money’s worth.

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5 Writing Errors that Cost You Money

Posted on April 28, 2012 by Fern

Okay, I get it. Nobody knows what a comma splice is and nobody cares.

It seems to me that statement must be true because I see comma splices everywhere I look these days. So I tell myself, “Get over it, Fern. Nobody ever lost a client over a comma splice.” And even if comma splices give me heartburn, nobody else seems to know or care about them so I’d better learn to live with them.

But I teach Strategic Business Writing to sales people who want to improve their closing percentages. I give them a magic formula and whether they write an e-mail or a major proposal, that formula makes a serious difference in the responses they receive.  Still, I want to give them more.  I want them to convey credibility, to avoid the kind of errors that make them look dumb–because what people put on paper or screen has a lot to do with sales results.

Now, I’m not going to suggest you avoid all grammatical errors because I don’t believe you can. Indeed, the grammar check on your computer can’t do it either. It often makes terrible suggestions where grammar is concerned. What’s more, perfect grammar rarely makes great reading because it’s too stilted and unnatural. Yes, bad grammar makes a bad impression, but pretty good grammar is really good enough for the majority of readers.

Still, I am going to suggest you correct the mistakes that jump off the page and make you look dumb–because looking dumb costs you money.

Here are the top 5 errors to avoid.

1. Spelling mistakes

While your grammar check is unreliable, your spell-check is good. Use it every time. A spelling mistake is unforgivable and tells your reader you care little about detail and less about following through. That’s not good.

2. Comma Bloopers

When I ask workshop participants if they know where to use commas, the most common response I hear is: wherever you’d take a breath. Nonsense! I can’t imagine who came up with that urban fantasy, but it simply isn’t true. Following that rule makes it look like you haven’t got a clue.

If you don’t know “the rules” about how to use commas correctly, don’t use them at all. These days, it’s preferable to omit a comma rather than put one in the wrong place–and yes, there are real rules for comma use. Check them out online at Garbl’s Style Manual or simply stop using commas.

3. Confusing i.e. and e.g.

Both of those short forms come from Latin and they are not interchangeable. They do not mean the same thing.

The first one is the short form of id est–which means:that is.  When you write i.e. you are saying: this thing only.  So, for example, if I said, “I teach a variety of workshops, i.e. writing.” I’ve made an obvious mistake. I should have used e.g. –the short form of exempli gratia–which means: for example.

4. Incorrect use of apostrophes

An apostrophe is used to indicate ownership or to show where a letter is missing. That said, “it’s” and “its” may be confusing, but using them correctly separates the smart from the not so smart. The same might be said of “you’re” and “your”. So, let’s be sure you know when to use which.

“It’s” is a contraction of “it is”.  The apostrophe indicates an “i” is missing. Use “it’s” when you mean: it is. Use “its” when you mean something belongs to it.  An example of both might be: it’s a good day for a dog and its owner.

“You’re” is a contraction of “you are”. The apostrophe indicates an “a” is missing. Use “you’re” when you mean: you are. “Your” means belonging to you. An example of both might be: you’re smart if you take your umbrella today.

5. Between You and I

“Between you and I” is a major grammatical error and people who care about grammar know that it is. Yes, you hear it often–even from TV anchors who should know better–but that doesn’t mean it’s right. To be correct, a person would say, “between you and me”.

As children, “me” is commonly misused and provokes frequent corrections from adults. When a child says, “Johnny and me are playing,” someone usually says something like: that’s Johhny and I.  As a result, some people get fixated on the “Johnny and I” construction thinking it’s correct every time. It is not.

“I” is the subject. Use “I” when it’s at the beginning of the sentence and a verb follows as in, “Johnny and I are playing.”  On the other hand, “me” is the object. Use “me” when a verb comes before the pronoun–i.e. when the pronoun is at the end of the sentence as in, “Give the toys to Johnny and me”.

You’ll know if you’re right by simply removing the other person from the sentence. You’d never say: give the toys to I. You would always say: give the toys to me. Adding “Johnny and” does not change the form of the pronoun.

And please, don’t choose “myself” instead of “me” just because you think it sounds fancier. In other words, don’t say, “send it to myself” when “send it to me” is preferable.

By the way, a comma splice is the use of a comma to join two independent clauses. Without getting into the finer points of grammar, I’ll simplify. A comma splice is the use of a comma instead of a period at the end of a complete sentence. Here’s an example: Margaret had a great time at the party, she danced all night. 

To be correct, I should have written: Margaret had a great time at the party.  She danced all night. 

Or I might have written: Margaret had a great time at the party; she danced all night. 

But inserting a comma where I did is a mistake.  That mistake is called a comma splice. So now you know about comma splices lucky reader, and you can get heartburn too.

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In Presentations, Convey your Brand with a Clear Message

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Fern

Last week I met with a client to help them redesign their sales presentation. When I arrived, I found the board room table strewn with materials–graphs and pictures and data–and everyone was eager to assemble all of it into a winning presentation. But it quickly became clear that nobody at the table really understood the difference between brand and message. 

It was important they understood the difference so we could talk the same language and because a solid communications strategy pivots around the two. I’ll explain.

Your brand is your corporate personality. That is, everything from how the telephone is answered to what kind of Christmas party your company has.

Your brand is more than the logo. It is the company–how employees perceive it, how company leadership understands it, how the world understands it and the way you want it to be understood.

Think of your brand as a person. How would you describe that person? What is its story? What are its attributes, image, values and voice? If you can describe all that, you understand your brand. If you can’t, you have work to do.

But I’m not finished yet.

A well conceived brand is based on positioning in the market. Positioning is always in relation to other brands and traditionally stated as “the x for y who want z” as in “the dish soap for women who want softer hands” or “the hotel for businesspeople on the go”.

Any good consultant will tell you to find a position that is:

  • available–nobody else is using it
  • sustainable–you can maintain your positioning over time
  • defensible–you can prevent others from matching you
  • expandable–you can use it to expand into new markets and products in the future.  

There’s a lot more to know about positioning, but for this brief blog entry, suffice it to say that once you have your positioning, you need to develop it by determining the brand communication points.

 

Communication points should be limited and consistent. In other words, exactly what do you want and need to convey? Choose descriptive words carefully. Think in terms of your positioning and your target market.

 

I like to refer to McDonalds as a good example of a company with a strong brand and clear message. If I asked you to tell me about McDonalds, you could probably tell me a lot–whether or not you are a fan. You know their position in the marketplace. For example, they are inexpensive and don’t compete with gourmet restaurants. You’d also know they are good corporate citizens, that they like the color yellow and that speed and cleanliness are important to them. In fact, you could probably tell me lots more, but I’ve made my point: you have a vivid perception of the McDonalds brand.

 

And even if you’ve never stepped across a McDonalds threshold, you know their message too. It’s something like: at McDonalds you can feed your family decent food at a reasonable price.

 

When you plan your sales presentations, keep your brand’s communication points in mind. Discard any information that is not on-position and that does not differentiate you from your competitors. Eliminate all the excess detail and market bumph–unless it is on point and conveys the brand personality you want your audience to understand.

 

Once you’ve accomplished that, be sure your message is clear.

 

Your message is your brand promise to the world. A strong message is based on the brand attributes, positioning, image and voice and it is said as a statement of fact.

 

What is your message? When you present, don’t make your audience guess. Say it! State your message early and often–to differentiate yourself from the compeition and win.

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10 Key Steps to a Winning Sales Presentation

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Fern

If you’re in sales, you know your presentation is your most powerful closing tool.  Even if you’re speaking at a conference or in a public arena just for the fun of it, you want your presentation to be engaging and memorable.   Either way, you wish you knew the secrets that makes a presentation great.

If you’re like so many people I meet in my workshops, you’re probably convinced it’s all about content. It’s possible you’ve suffered for days over content, hoping to dazzle your audience with details.  Perhaps your whole team has been busy assembling content–sticking in everything they might possibly need.  They may have struggled to get it into a logical order. Maybe they’ve even written a script. It’s possible they have given serious thought to the “message” and if so, it’s likely they decided to put it at the end–to be sure packs a really big punch.

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong!

Whether you are in sales, education or service, whether you’re a professional or a once-in-a-while presenter, it isn’t smart to put your audience to sleep.

Yes, I’ve written about this before, but the question comes up again and again–so the answer is worth repeating. Whether you’re presenting for two hours or twenty minutes, for predictably positive results, here’s a better way. Ten easy prep steps.

1. Craft your message. To you, your message is the one key concept you want your audience to remember. To your audience, it’s what sets you apart and above your competitors.  Without a strong message, a presentation is just an information dump–often confusing and easily forgotten

Be sure your message resonates intellectually and emotionally. It should sound like a strong statement of fact–something special about your product or service or gizmo that your audience can count on.

Polish and simplify your message–to make it clear and memorable

For example, a good message might sound something like: we build the safest strollers in the industry. Or count on us to grow your money. Whatever it is, your slides and your talk should reinforce your message and your message should be clear from your slides and your talk.

2. Assemble your content. Content is not important for its own sake.  It is simply proof that your message is true. To decide on the content you need, write down every point you could possibly want to make. Eliminate everything that is not absolutely essential. 

3. Organize your content.  People pay attention when content is organized simply and logically–ideally into 3 clear topics they can easily remember. In deciding on your topics, choose titles that support your message. And do stick to the magic number 3. Then organize all your points under the 3 titles you’ve chosen.  If you’ve got too much, toss it. The reality is, too much information makes it all instantly forgettable.

4. Create a Title Slide for each topic.   A good Title Slide reinforces a benefit. Create one for each topic and insert the appropriate content on a couple of slides that follow each title slide.

5. Eliminate excess verbiage. Remove all sentences from your slides and use essential keywords only. A good rule of thumb is: 3 to 6 words on a slide. Period.

Keywords will keep you on track and keep your audience focused on you. An audience stops listening when you start to read from the screen because they are reading too. So don’t do it. It’s annoying. Besides, if you simply wanted them to read, why did you ask them to come?

Moreover, a presenter reads more slowly aloud than individuals can read to themselves–which creates a cognitive dissonance. So in addition to being bored, the audience becomes unhappy with you.  That’s not good for sales.

6. Eliminate all fancy transitions. Yes, PowerPoint offers an array of swirling, twirling and eye-popping “transitions” the kids love. But use none of them. That means zilch, nil, nada, zero. Just because you can do it doesn’t mean you should. In fact, those transitions physically nauseate most adults–literally.

7. Come up with a metaphor that captures your message. Use that metaphor as a continuing theme in your graphics and in the way you deliver your content.

8. Create an engaging opening. I’ve left the opening until now because it’s only when you’ve got your whole act together that you can come up with a powerful opening. Remember, you’ve only got about 30-60 seconds to convince your audience you are worth listening to. That means you have no time to waste introducing yourself and expounding about how happy you are to be there. You’ll introduce yourself after the audience is hooked–not before.

Hooking your audience with a strong opening is the key to engaging them. And here’s how you do it.

Tie your opening (and your close) to your message in an original way. You might use an anecdote, a story or a magic trick. Whatever it is, be creative and original. It works even in the stuffiest arenas.

I’m not suggesting you go all show-biz if it’s not in your nature. But I am suggesting you come up with an engaging way to open into your message while differentiating yourself from your competitors.

Yes, you will say your message several times—most importantly, at the beginning and at the end. Still, an engaging opening makes your message stick.

Find the essence of your message and look for a story or anecdote that illustrates what you mean. For example, your message may be something like, “When you buy an XXX computer, we make sure it comes with all the pieces you need. You know it will work as soon as you plug it in.” 

Since your main point is, “we put all the pieces together” you could open with a story about your kitchen reno or about assembling a scooter that didn’t work because the wheels were missing. Just be sure your opening leads to the point of your message.  Then you’d say something like,  “Don’t worry. With an XXX computer, you’re ready to roll as soon as you plug it in. We put all the pieces together for you.”

For the close, repeat a variation of your message–maybe even showing a perfect scooter so you can say,  “This scooter has all the pieces. So do our computers. And you can be sure they work the first time and every time–the instant you plug them in.”

9. Practice delivery.  Whether it’s just you or a team event, you must practice from beginning to end. Use a coach if you can–or a video camera if you don’t have a coach.

Open with a story that leads to your message.  State your message. Then rehearse delivering your slides—until you are totally fluent and at ease. And practice your close. Do it again—and again—until your energy and enthusiasm are all the audience sees.

10. Deliver to win.  That’s it! You’re ready to roll.

If you want to engage your audience from the very first word, follow the 10 steps here and you’re bound to succeed. Your message will be clear, your organization will be logical, and your presentation will be energetic.  Indeed, 10 steps of prep is all you need for a winning presentation.

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Improve Your Sales with a Memorable Message

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Fern

I continue to be stumped by my clients’ misconceptions about message. Indeed, it sometimes boggles the mind.

Last week I met with a client for a Presentation Renovation—that’s when I work with presenters to blow up their presentation and reassemble it in a way that captivates their intended audience, simplifies delivery, and moves the decision-makers to buy. (Sometimes they don’t yet have a sales presentation and we start from scratch, but the process is much the same.)

Clients usually want to start with content—because they think it’s content that sells. They’re quite certain that if they present enough data and facts and graphs–oh my–the buyer will be persuaded to buy. The reality is, content is merely proof that your message is true. What’s more, if I don’t like your message or if I don’t understand it, I won’t care a whit about your content.

So, as the consultant at the helm, I insisted we begin with message.

“What’s the message?” I asked. It turns out these folks had worked hard on their message. They’d suffered over it, polished it and couldn’t wait to hit me with it.

I can’t tell you what it was because I can’t remember it. Nobody could! What I can say is that it was unintelligible. It sounded like a jargon joke. What on earth were they trying to say?

“What does that mean?” I asked. “Aha!” they replied. “That’s what we want you to ask—so we get a chance to explain.”

Now here’s the bad news: nobody wants an explanation. A good message is never opaque, confusing or unclear. If listeners don’t get it when they hear it, you lose.

A good message intrigues people so they want to know more. A great message resonates intellectually and emotionally. And the best messages are impossible to forget.

Let me put it another way. A message is not a tag line or a catch phrase. It’s bigger than that. Your message is your brand promise.

For example, if you think about Volvo, you might say their message is something like: Drive a Volvo and keep your family safe. With BMW, you might say it’s: A BMW is the most exciting car you’ll ever drive. HP’s message is something like: HP delivers up to the minute technology you can count on.

You’ll notice I don’t have the words exactly as a marketer wrote them—but I do have the real meaning of the message. And that’s what message is about: communicating the essence of your brand promise.

So, here’s what you need to know about message.

Your message is the one big take-away you want your audience to remember if they forget everything else. It sets you apart. It’s what you would say to complete the sentence: so in conclusion, what I really want you to know is…

Without a clear and memorable message, your presentation is indistinguishable from your competitors’. It’s merely a recitation of stuff your audience can’t possibly remember. What’s more, if they don’t get your message, they have little reason to listen and less reason to buy.

The good news is that crafting a message just means making yourself clear. Use what I call shirtsleeve English and talk like a real person–not a spin-meister. What do you want me to remember? How do you want me to think of your product or service or brand?

Put it into real words anyone can understand—and that’s your message. Get it right, and you’re golden. People listen. They like you. They are motivated to buy from you.

Get your message right and you win! It’s the secret to sales success.

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ThanksEnomics: the art and science of writing to network for profit

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Fern

It’s been said that collaborative relationships are the key differentiator for successful selling in the 21st century. We all know that people buy from people they like, so it follows that building business relationships is a serious matter. It’s the reason so many are tweeting, blogging, face-booking and, well, connecting in any way they can.  Well connected people are simply more likely to flourish financially than those who are not.

But in today’s competitive marketplace, those connections are often superficial with little pay-off. And while you may be wracking your brain to come up with a 140 character pitch, it’s hard to make a real connection with a tweet and becoming progressively harder to get in front of the customer. Even worse, creating customer loyalty may feel like a naïve dream.

It needn’t be that way. There are a number of creative and successful techniques for getting in front of your customer when you can’t be face to face. I call it ThanksEnomics: the art and science of networking for profit.

Psychologists describe something called reciprocal psychology. Applied to business, it’s the art of giving to get. Since you know that people buy from people they like, it’s a way to increase your likeability quotient—to build relationships, stay top of mind, and increase your profile. Learn to write strategically. Give your reader something for nothing–your attention, your thoughtfulness, your thanks–and in the end, you’re more likely to get something back.

It begins with warming up everything you write. Forget the quick and dirty e-mail. Write friendly e-mails that convey your interest in the reader. Drop a signed, hand-written note into the mail box.  Just as your mother said, send “thank-you” notes after a lunch, a meeting, even after a coffee–and do it within 48 hours. Drop a tear sheet–that’s an article or ad you’ve found and torn out of a publication–attach a note card to it, and write: this made me think of you.

When it comes time to make your ‘real” pitch, the connection is already solid, putting you in a much better position to make the sale. 

Almost everyone in sales is busier than they’d like to be and less productive than they wish to be. They search for ways to connect with new customers and old—and come up empty. This innovative approach is based on the latest scientific research, newest strategies, and best practices. It sets you apart from your competitors and puts you way out front.

Think about writing to:

  • creatively target new customers
  • connect regularly with current customers
  • access old customers
  • encourage customer retention
  • initiate, build and cement relationships where the competitor is strong.

 Good relationships increase your likeability quotient—and your opportunities to close the sale. Try ThanksEnomics and profit from it.

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Powerful Presentations: The Genius of Plain Language

Posted on January 2, 2012 by Fern
A presentation is a performance. It’s your opportunity to get out front and dazzle an audience while you play the leading role. And the secret to an outstanding presentation performance is to keep it real.
 
Perhaps that sounds like a contradiction, but it is not–not when you realize that as lead performer, you are playing the role of trusted advisor and good friend.
 
As soon as you understand you are delivering your presentation in the role of trusted advisor and good friend, you’ll recognize the importance of using everyday, conversational language–the kind of conversational language friends use when they meet for lunch. There are lots of “you” and “I” and “we” in friendly conversation because real people use real language-and that includes personal pronouns. Lots of them.
 
There is very little passive voice in friendly conversation because real people generally speak in clear, uncomplicated, assertive sentences. There are few ten dollar words spilled over lunch because they interfere with the good conversation and friendly vibes.
 
Eliminate the business-isms. Friends don’t search for the longest word they can spout when a short, crisp alternative works better. Friends don’t talk to impress; they talk to express.
 
Real people engaged in friendly conversation use real, everyday language to communicate without pretension or an air of self importance. I call it shirtsleeve English. Use it.
 
Now that may be exactly what you think you are doing. But are you? Last month I worked with a group of bankers eager to tell prospective customers they provide, “Mission Critical Solutions.” A few days ago I received an e-mail from someone in computers whose department title is: “Mission Critical Solutions.” Last week, I met with an insurance company whose new branding requires everyone describe their latest product enhancements as — you guessed it — Mission Critical Solutions.
 
So, what should a listener understand by “Mission Critical Solutions”? Apparently, it means anything and everything — which translates into: it means nothing at all.
 
 Until now, your company may have prospered by having everyone spout the old favorites; “fundamental integrated research” is a goodie. “Unique value added solutions” is an old standby. “Committed to partnering with our clients” is probably in every sales presentation I’ve seen in the last decade.
 
But real people don’t talk that way. Nobody facilitates with the dishes or utilizes the car. When people want to be understood by people they care about, they talk real language. And so should you.
 
Eliminate the jargon, the platitudes, and the precious marketing-speak. Use the human touch to make human connections–because that’s where you’ll get the big payoff from this performance. Be easy to understand. Grab your audience with your sincerity. Inspire them with your real-ness.
 
Be real. Think of Bill Clinton and his down-home style that commands six figures for a one-hour talk. Consider Ronald Reagan who relied on simple conversational language to dismantle the mighty USSR. Remember Steve Jobs whose ordinary, everyday words were spellbinding. Not one of those great speakers used slang or was sloppy in his speech. Each used good, conversational English to make real human connections. The truth is, plain language can be pure genius.
A presentation is a performance. Be smart enough to keep your language plain and simple. Play the part of trusted advisor and friend-and that is what you will become. It pays.

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Turbocharge your Sales Presentation: 21 Ways to Open with a Grabber and Close with a Win

Posted on December 1, 2011 by Fern

According to scientific research, an audience gives a presenter between 15 seconds to 2 minutes before deciding whether or not it is worth paying attention to the presentation. If that’s true–and we have no reason to believe it is not–we must wonder why so many presenters waste their most important opening minutes looking and sounding like everyone else.

We’ve all heard the standard and lacklustre opening that goes something like, “Good morning and thank you for inviting me. My name is fill-in-the-blank and I am very excited to be talking to you today about fill-in-the-blank. I represent fill-in-the-blank and my presentation is about fill-in-the-blank. But before I begin, let me tell you a little bit about…” Then follows a lot of boring and inconsequential background trivia.

By this time, the speaker has lost at least half their audience who–if their eyes are still open–are mentally writing their weekly shopping list or planning their summer holiday.

Indeed, it is a shocking reality that most presenters willingly and foolishly fritter away their golden moments. Perhaps attracting attention raises an internal alarm. Maybe being different is somewhat frightening. Then too, it could simply be a lack of imagination or smarts.

Whatever the reason, if you want to differentiate yourself from the competition–and rise above them–don’t you dare do it. First grab your audience with an engaging opening. Then, when they are paying rapt attention, you can tell them who you are.

Here’s what I mean. Imagine you sell privacy software. You could open with a story about a deep sea photographer who survived his last dive because he was saved by a shark cage. Then you might say something like: and that’s what we do for you. Our software is like a safety cage that protects you from predators.

Of course, you don’t have to open with a story. You could open by teaching your audience a simple musical round–and conducting them. Then you could say, “That’s what we do when we consult with you. We make things work in harmony.”  Or you could begin with a startling statistic or a quote from a famous person.  You might project a fascinating optical illusion on the screen and use it to lead into your message.

Clearly, the number of ways to begin is limited only by your imagination.

The key to a high-impact opening is to conclude it with a big point that leads smoothly to your Big Message.

Your Big Message, of course, is the most important thing you want your audience to remember about you. It is that strong statement that conveys your brand promise to the world.

No matter how you choose to open, do not give your opener any preamble. Do not start by saying, “Before I begin I want to tell you a story,” or anything remotely similar. Be bold. Be confident. Simply stand up and plunge in.

Once you have completed your opening and stated your message, then you may do the “Hello. My name is…” routine. And not before.

A great opening should take no more than three or four minutes. And please be fearless. Any and every audience is delighted by a well conceived, charming or entertaining opening–no matter how stuffy or conservative you may think they are.

So, here are 21 ways to grab your audience right at the opening. Keep in mind they are merely off-the-top-of-my-head suggestions to get you thinking about how to turbocharge your presentation.

1. tell a story

2. show an interesting quote from a famous person

3. show a video clip

4. post a startling statistic

5. play a game

6. read a news report

7. do a magic trick

8. conduct a group musical introduction

9. do a card trick

10. display a stunning visual

11. use a toy

12. announce a little known fact

13. demonstrate a mind-reading trick

14. sing a song

15. use a puzzle

16. take photos and display them

17. build something or take something apart

18. recite a poem

19. assemble a pie

20. play an instrument

21. talk about the weather

You’ll notice I do not suggest opening with a joke. Very few people tell jokes well and the ones who do are usually called comedians. Besides, most jokes are sure to offend someone–so it’s best not to tell jokes. Humor, yes. Jokes, no.

When you open with a grabber, your audience pays attention. Keep them interested with good organization, engaging slides and appropriate stories. Then close by circling back to your opening point and restating your Big Message.

A strong opening makes the difference between a snooze and a memorable presentation.  Chances are good you’ll get a standing ovation. Chances are even better you’ll win the sale.

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The Problem with Proposal Writing Centers: 4 Mistakes that Lower your Win Rate

Posted on November 22, 2011 by Fern

You’ve got a reasonably good relationship with the prospect and in anticipation of an upcoming RFP, you met with the stake holders. You think you’ve influenced the design of the RFP in your favor. Or may be not. Maybe you just feel lucky to have been short-listed and you’ve received an RFP that’s right up your alley. Either way, you have an opportunity to nail this bid with a proposal that knocks their socks off. And then the proposal writing center steps in.

The proposal writers answer the questions, say yes to everything as they should, and deliver your proposal to you, confident they’ve done everything they can to help you win the bid. After all, they are good writers and this is their job. Right?

So what’s wrong? Just about everything that sets you apart and makes your proposal a winner from the very first page is wrong. In general, proposal centers just don’t give you what you need to win.

Sure they’re well written, but that’s rarely what it takes to win the bid. Even if there are no horrific grammar mistakes or mystifying paragraphs, it doesn’t really matter. Nobody reads a proposal from cover to cover unless it’s so badly written they are forced to slog through it just to figure it out. Nobody wants to read every word, nor should they need to.

But–and this is the big but–everybody reads the Cover Letter and the Executive Summary plus the specific section that’s of interest to them. Everybody. And when a proposal is well written, those two sales pieces–the Cover Letter and the Executive Summary–zero in on the buyers and make the sale on the very first page.

The Cover Letter and the Executive Summary are your sales peices. They are your billboards. They must be tight, engaging and persuasive.

To give them their due, proposal centers are great at assembling marketing material. If a reader wants to know everything, it’s all there somewhere. Of course, readers have their homework cut out for them in finding it, but the stuff is there. In contrast, sales documents address only what the reader is interested in.

Put simply, marketing material is for the buyer you don’t know–in case they are interested. Sales material is for the buyer you do know–because they are interested.  That means you understand the buyer’s need, challenges, and goals–and it must be clear that you understand in the proposal you write.

Mistake #1 is using a standard cover letter for every proposal. It reads like a template. It sounds like it could have been written for anyone but in truth, it was written for no one in particular; the reader is immediately irked. It is too broad, too vague, and too non-specific.

If I am your reader, I want to believe you’ve customized this entire proposal just for me. I want to believe you get me. I want to be romanced.

All things being equal–and they often are–the details and data and minutia in the later pages are simply proof that my initial emotional response is sound.  A great proposal first gets me emotionally. Then it gets me intellectually.

Mistake #2 is the Executive Summary that is not. They may call it an Executive Summary but it’s usually a company background, corporate history or brag sheet. It may be an overview of products, services and suggestions. It may be an introduction to a bunch of good stuff you promise you’ll explain later. But it is rarely an Executive Summary.

Here’s a shocker.  The Executive Summary summarizes. Yup. That’s what it does. And if I, as a busy executive, I didn’t want to read another word, I would know exactly what you propose and how and when you propose to do it–in two pages or less. And when the Executive Summary is dynamite, it’s a winner.

Mistake #3 is the tone. All too often, the entire proposal is written in third person. It sounds stuffy. It feels distant. It fails to engage.

Your proposal is the beginning of a relationship. It should feel warm and friendly and enthusiastic. The tone needs to reflect the relationship you hope to build.

Mistake #4 is ignoring the Four Buyers. In every buying situation there are Four Buyer types: executive, financial, technical and implementor. Rarely does the proposal center consider more than two of these. And while all four types may not be in a buying position, they are all in a veto position. Remember that and ignore them at your peril.

If you are keen to win the bid, your Cover Letter and Executive Summary will hit all Four Buyers and make their hearts sing. There’s an art to it–and it’s worth learning.

Proposal writing centers may have the greatest writers in the company–which is why I love to work with them. They are usually smart, skilled and seriously productive. Many proposal writers studied marketing where they learned to write killer copy and dynamite marketing materials–but they rarely come from sales.

Indeed, those great writers in your proposal center may be so busy writing well that they’ve failed to master the art of selling. That’s the problem.

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The Quality of Your Presentation Slides Speaks Volumes: 5 Mistakes that Shout “No Sale”

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Fern

For the past several weeks, I’ve been working with a new client we’ll call CountOnUs Investments. They asked me to help them build a strong PowerPoint sales presentation to launch a new product. They also wanted follow-up coaching to be sure their presentation delivery was solid. It’s my kind of work: concept to delivery.  So far so good.

Discussion with the stake holders revealed that their target audience was sophisicated, high-end investors. 

Next we did a SWOT analysis–strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats–to choose the right positioning for the product and the words that would resonate with the target audience. Then we identified the differentiators, nailed the message, chose essential content pieces and found a metaphor that created a theme reinforcing the main message.

The final step in the development phase was to have the slides professionally designed with a visually attractive layout and a background metaphor that reinforced the message. My designer knows where I’m coming from and where I’m going, and he created a beautiful set of templates that fit our needs exactly.

We populated the slides carefully. Light on text. Heavy on message. Strong and persuasive flow. Titles that implied benefits. Excellent.

Then the stakeholders I’d been working with sent the slides to “the rest of the sales team” for input–folks who had been absent throughout the entire development stage. What came back was a lesson on how to wreck a dynamite presentation.

Maybe these people were well meaning, but they didn’t know squat about presentations. Clearly, they knew nothing about design, structure or persuasive elements. They knew even less about what turns an audience on and what turns them off.

The improved presentation screamed “amateurs”. It telegraphed “cheap”.  It hollered “tacky”. 

Mistake #1: Too much content

Everything they could think of was added to the slides. There was even a slide at the beginning that said: Hello. My name is Joe Blow and I’m here to introduce you to a new and exciting product. What? The presenter couldn’t remember his own name or why he was there?

Full paragraphs had been excerpted from their brochure and a variety of text-heavy white slabs had been inserted onto our excellent dark templates.

Mistake #2: Lack of a coherent theme

The original templates used a sports theme as a background graphic. The metaphor subtly reinforced the company’s big message about winning strategies.

The new version ignored all that. One screen had a sillouette of a man in a phone booth; I can’t imagine why. Another had three ladders completely unrelated to content or message. What were they thinking?

Mistake #3: Lack of visual appeal

Cheesy clip art was stuck in everywhere and the screens were so heavy with text, it made my head spin. White boxes with tiny graphs photocopied from somewhere showed up too. Sentences, footnotes, little graphs and explanations on dozens of slides with no apparent flow or logic. Asterisks. Bold. Underlines. Italics. A full shopping cart of fonts to go.

Mistake #4: Juvenile screen transitions

But that’s not all. The designers of these new slides were not content with simple bullets or keywords on screen. Every line of the text arrived from a different angle, whirling and twirling across the screen. Kids love those transitions; professionals don’t.

Mistake #5: Meaningless titles

And the titles–those carefully crafted titles–had all been changed to questions. What a waste of prime real estate! One title read: Why CountOnUs? Why indeed, I thought.

“Can we use this?” my client asked. “Not on my watch,” I said. “Nobody could deliver this convincingly.”  Happily, they ditched the improved version.

The Lesson

Good slides, I mean really good slides, say volumes about your company without you uttering a single word. They tell your audience you are thoughtful, professional and solvent. They convey an attention to detail.  They announce that you know what you are doing and take what you do seriously. They say you have invested time, effort and money in your product because you believe in it. They make you look good.

Equally important, good slides keep your audience’s eyes on you while you present, because there is nothing on screen to get in the way of your conversation.

Bad slides say the opposite. They invite questions you never want raised–about your authority, your credibility and your funding. They introduce skepticism. They argue against everything you are saying.

In essence, the quality of your slides speaks volumes. Be sure your slides speak highly of you.

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