Stunning ways to generate sales
A THREE-PART MINI-SERIES TO HELP YOU GENERATE SALES THROUGH SMART TECHNOLOGY AND STUNNING PRESENTATIONS – INTRODUCED BY GREG ELLIS FROM CREATIVE SALES AGENCY STUN – SPECIALISTS IN WINNING PRESENTATIONS.
PART 2: WHY DYNAMIC PRESENTATIONS ARE GOOD FOR YOUR PERSONAL BRAND.
It’s true that people judge others based on first impressions, and that, says STUN’s Greg Ellis, is why it’s so important to get presentation performances right. “Presentations are often a first impression, or they’re people seeing us in a new way. An impression that you form from meeting someone one-on-one can be enhanced, or undone, by seeing how they present to a group,” he says.
“Remember; your slides are up behind you while you’re talking. Even if you are great, a dated or poorly designed presentation really undercuts your message.”
His advice is to get help to create your presentations, which is STUN’s area of expertise.
“That doesn’t mean leave it all to us,” he explains, “You need to be involved in the initial briefing and the work on the story if you’re giving the presentation.
“Then once you have the words prepared – practice it with one or two people you trust to give you objective feedback. Don’t wing it. It always shows.”
FAST-FOOD OR FINE DINING?
Ellis has seen some bad presentations in his time – even from leaders of large organisations.
One of the reasons is lack of involvement in the presentation’s preparation.
“The number of times I’ve heard someone admit they don’t know what’s on the presentation because someone else prepared it. It’s shocking. It makes you look amateur and tells the audience they aren’t important enough for you to prepare for.
“On the other hand, a well-designed presentation that looks good and has a great story, tells people that the message is important; it’s been carefully prepared specifically for them, and they are exactly the people that need to hear it because it’s important to them.”
Ellis likens it to the difference between eating at a fast-food joint or fine dining restaurant. “In one the food’s usually prepared without any care and you’re a number – that’s a sloppy presentation.
“But when you know people have taken care, you’ll feel great about yourself and the restaurant!”
THE EMOTIONAL CONNECTION
Emotionally connecting with the audience is crucial because humans respond to emotion.
“We pick up on the emotions of others because that gives us a guide to the situation we find ourselves in. If they are scared or nervous, we feel scared or nervous; if they’re disengaged, so are we. But if they are passionate and confident, we also feel that way,” explains Ellis.
“You create an emotional connection through your attitude and by having a story. The story needs to hook people in. They need to feel for the characters and the situations they find themselves in because you care about them.
“You don’t identify with numbers, you connect with what those numbers mean for people. Think about the movies and TV shows you love. They have strong stories that you react to. The same structures and techniques they use are universal and can be applied to any presentation.”
Engaging professionals to help with your presentation is important, but be involved with the process and practice beforehand.
Check out the venue prior to presenting, Ellis advises. Sitting in on prior presentations also helps, as does knowing the mood of the audience. “Even if it’s hostile!”
And ensure the most knowledgeable and passionate person in your organization gets the opportunity to present. Often presenters are chosen because of seniority but it can be better to let someone else do it for you.
“That reflects on you really well as a leader; when you have a fantastic team that steps up and knocks it out of the park!”