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Proceed with Caution: Presentation Roadblocks
January 02, 2007
Even the most seasoned salespeople know it:
Presentations cause anxiety.
By Tali Arbel
TThe list of potential calamities is endless, and the opportunity for disaster always looms. But presenting is a crucial and unavoidable part of sales, whether you're addressing an executive decision maker or an auditorium full of sales reps.
Experts say the key to combating presentation nervousness is, of course, preparation. But let's say you've researched your audience. You've rehearsed in front of a mock client several times. You've planned your sentences to the minute and know exactly what message you want to deliver. You've even made a list of every possible question your group could ask and have answers to them all. All that won't stop circumstances from going awry, even for the seasoned salesperson. Stay in control of the situation by expecting the unexpected. Below are present five common meeting mishaps and advice from experts on how you and your team can survive them like veterans.
Tech Trouble
It's nice to think that state-of-the-art media tools can carry your presentation: Impress the audience with your hi-tech wizardry and presto—you've won over your client and sealed the deal. But technology is never 100 percent reliable, and when a slide show is your sole organizational and visual tool, electronic letdowns can be fatal. "I have never been unable to give a presentation because my PowerPoint wasn't working," says Joseph Sommerville, president of Houston-based consulting firm Peak Communication Performance. But at a recent conference, the provided projector was incompatible with his computer, so he described what the slides would have shown. Because the foundation of his presentation was his delivery and engagement with the audience rather than visual aids, he was still able to command the audience's attention.
"Preparation is critical in staving off the unexpected," says Tim Koegel, founder of the Koegel Group, a presentation and media consulting firm based in Washington, D.C. "Practice with visual aids and practice in the event of a technology meltdown." Foremost, arrive early, especially when it's your first time at a location, to run through your presentation on site. That way, if technological difficulties should arise, you can fix them ahead of time.
Always have a backup plan in the event of failure. Dilip Abayasekara, communications professor at Central Pennsylvania College in Summerdale, Pa., always carries duplicate overhead transparencies of every PowerPoint slide in his presentation and requests an overhead projector with a spare bulb, just in case. Koegel brings alternative visuals: flip charts, a dry-erase board, key presentation slides blown up on poster-size foam boards. Another smart contingency plan is to embed snapshots of Web sites into your slides in case you can't access the Internet.
In the worst-case scenario, if your equipment breaks down in the middle of your presentation, keep calm. "You need to determine if the time it takes to reboot or revive the computer or projector is worth the distraction," Koegel says. If you decide you can sacrifice time and momentum, distract your audience from the technical fidgeting. If there's no AV help on hand, forge on with your Plan B visuals. If there is, move to another side of the room so the audience cannot watch you and the tech at the same time. Engage them in a question-and-answer session or grab their attention by using a whiteboard. "Even thirty seconds of downtime can kill a presentation," Koegel says.
Most importantly, be flexible and maintain control. Make a joke. "[Do] not get flustered, upset, or blame other people," Abayasekara says. "Then people lose their confidence in the presenter." And confidence, not mind-blowing visuals, is what your client will remember.
Rookie Fumbles
Even the most talented salesperson is bound to make some mistakes as she learns to present. But if you hijack her presentation, you'll only slow her development. Don't step in front of a flustered green rep and start answering all the questions, or she'll never learn the subtleties of presenting or build her confidence, says Neil Rock, Raleigh, N.C.–based district sales manager for pharmaceuticals giant GlaxoSmithKline.
"I had a representative talking to a group of ten neurologists, and [she] began to answer a question [she] didn't know," Rock says. Her response was a hesitant, "I think the answer is…" so when she finished, Rock stood up and told the doctor they were not 100 percent sure, but would check back with expert staff and fax him the answer within the next two days. Rock didn't cut in; instead, he supplemented her answer, adding, "Any other thoughts or questions for [the rep]?" Then he sat back down. "That lets her know that was not an OK way to answer a question, starting with 'Umm, I think…' You have to be confident in your answer," Rock says. By telling the audience he didn't know the answer either, redirecting the audience to her and sitting back down, he ensured the doctors still had confidence in the main presenter—his sales rep.
"Add what you have to say as an addendum," says Judy Jones Tisdale, business communications professor at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School. Use transitional phrases such as "to further elaborate," or ask the audience if they understand what your presenter just said. Make sure to verbally hand the presentation back by saying, "I'm glad to let her finish explaining this concept." Look intently at your trainee as she speaks. After you speak, if you feel the audience's eyes are on you rather than your new hire, square your back to the audience to deflect attention back to your rep.
But to best avoid rough patches in a new presenter's delivery, practice, coach, give feedback and practice some more. "A newbie presenter could be floored and terrified by challenging questions or seeing that [the audience's] attention is wandering," Tisdale says. "Let's talk about how to handle that when it comes up, so when it actually arises the newbie will experience déjà vu."
The Boss Sends a Stand-In
You finally landed that coveted meeting: an appointment with a vice president with purchasing power. After preparing the perfect pitch, you find out he has to cancel at the last minute. He hands off the meeting to two mid-level managers in his department, who would use your product but don't have the authority to buy. How do you tailor your pitch on the fly to ensure you'll be invited back to the corner office?
Look at your new audience as an opportunity to find out more about the company, the called-away executive and how your product can benefit the client. Rather than a missed opportunity, this can be a fact-finding mission and an opportunity to develop stronger relationships with people who can be your in-house cheerleaders, says Tom Suddes, founder of The Suddes Group, a fund-raising consulting firm in Ostrander, Ohio.
Suddes had prepared a presentation for "Bruce," a senior vice president, on why Bruce's company should make a sizable contribution to a local organization. When Suddes arrived at the meeting, he learned Bruce was unavailable. Instead, he would be meeting with two mid-level executives. Suddes co-opted the unexpected audience to his cause. He sold them on making the donation and asked for their help in convincing Bruce. "They look good, I look better and I didn't back off from trying to get Bruce ultimately," he says. "I'm much better prepared to talk to Bruce now."
Instead of negotiating price, timing or the specifics of the deal (as you would with a decision-making executive), focus on the client's needs and how your product could address them. Ask lots of questions and incorporate the answers into your eventual presentation to the senior manager, says Michael Netzley, practice assistant professor of corporate communication at Singapore Management University. "Focus on developing a relationship," he says. "You want that person to become a positive spokesperson for you."
But don't ignore or harp on the changes in your presentation. Acknowledge the unexpected audience with a joke and a smile, redirect questions about price and never make your new audience members feel like inferior stand-ins. "Treat them like they're first-class," Netzley says. "A good impression will find its way back to that senior decision maker."
Clock-Watchers
Your second-round meeting with a key prospect is set for 4 p.m. on a Friday. You know your audience will be restless, exhausted and ready for the weekend. How do you prepare for bored faces and wandering eyes?
Twenty years ago, Debbie Scarfino was a product manager for Hallmark. While on a weeklong business trip promoting a new line of greeting cards, she faced a late afternoon meeting with potential sellers.
Scarfino was prepared. She had a stack of unused dollar bills fresh from the bank bound together like a memo pad. "I started my presentation with a quiz, and every time someone answered a question I peeled off a bill and handed it to him," she says. "Once a few people realized the money was real, they sat up in their seats." Two decades later, Scarfino, now a professor of marketing at William Jewell College in Liberty, Mo., remembers salespeople waving their hands in the air with competitive frenzy, actively engaged in her presentation. Audience interest is highest at the start and directly after you say the words "in conclusion," says UNC-Chapel Hill professor Tisdale. Engage them at minute one, like Scarfino did, to keep focus on your presentation, instead of their after-work plans.
You can command an adult's undivided attention for a short amount of time, says media consultant Koegel. To engage your tired audience, present information relevant to them and to the topic. "Find out as much as you can about their concerns, needs and objectives," he says. And use your clients' names often in your presentation to keep people alert. Move around the room frequently and keep your pitch concise.
Empathize with your audience, Netzley says. Assure them you understand their pain and don't plan to waste their time. Watch for signs of fading interest, such as yawns, PDA use or fidgeting. If you sense disengagement, eliminate the less crucial information and launch a question-and-answer session about how they might use your product and what features interest them.
The Jaded Executive
Sometimes you'll land a hard-to-get meeting with someone in the C suite who has sat through one sales pitch too many. He peppers you with questions, interrupts your carefully considered replies, and doesn't believe that you want to offer his company any solutions.
In cases like these, stay focused and deflect his hostility. Build relationships with others in the company and mine them for insight into their leader's jaded personality, says Central Pennsylvania College's Abayasekara. Tailor your pitch to address his unique needs. "[Senior executives] don't have time for puffery, chit-chat and information that is not relevant," Koegel says. "You are there to provide a solution to a problem."
Don't waste any energy feeling insulted, either. "Presenters will often take a challenge as an attack," Tisdale says, but you shouldn't be offended. His behavior might be related to past negative encounters with others at your company, you may remind the executive of someone he dislikes or distrusts, or, if you are presenting to a group, there could be office politics at play. In the latter case, tell the hostile executive the two of you can have a private session later.
If the hardened decision maker continues to interrupt you, however, stop talking. Never get into an argument, insult your client or have a prolonged debate with one individual when you are presenting to a group. "Turn the spotlight on him," Koegel says. "At least you're finding out what the person's issues are. You can find out why he's so irritated." If you discover what is most important to the interrupter, you can break through the hostility.
Sales & Marketing Management Magazine
This article is brought to you by Sales & Marketing Management, the leading authority for executives in the sales and marketing field.
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