Influential Presentations - Think outcome versus content
You have an important sales presentation in 3 days time. You are at the beginning stages of preparation. What is your process? Where are you going to spend your time and energy to maximize your chance for success?
When coaching presenters, I have found that one of the key challenges is having an "agenda orientation" instead of an "outcome orientation." What is the difference? With an agenda orientation, the focus is on the content, visuals, and the mindset is "what am I going to say?" The result, too often, is too much content and a presentation that does not engage the audience. A far more influential approach to take is an "outcome orientation." This mindset asks - "what events (before, during and after the presentation) need to happen in order to fulfill my objective?" This mindset filters out the unnecessary content and focuses on actions instead of words.
An outcome orientation requires more thought, preparation and analysis, but will heighten the impact. Here are three events that should occur when preparing for presentations:
#1 Determine the Players
Who will attend the presentation?
How will the different buyers influence the buying decision?
How will your presentation cater to different needs?
Who else needs to be present?
High performing presenters first determine the players, then analyze their individual and collective needs. Having answers to the questions above, will dictate the flow and format for the presentation. If the often elusive Final Decision Maker is not going to attend the presentation, ensure you devise a strategy (preferably with your Clients) of how to best engage them in the decision-making process.
#2 Establish Purpose
Successful presenters have a razor sharp vision of the desired outcome. Their desired outcome is about influencing their audience, versus a data dump. Their mission is to cause their audience to THINK, FEEL, or DO something - to move them to some form of commitment.
In order to have a "razor sharp vision," you should be able to complete this sentence: The purpose of my presentation is to cause the audience to...
Crafting a purpose that is one sentence long will help you focus on the audience, streamline the content and increase your chances of success.
#3 Practice!
Presentations are a performance. Would an actor step onto the stage without practicing first? Ok, there are some highly skilled improvisation actors who can "wing it," but most of us benefit greatly from practicing. It helps crystallize the key messages and gets you more connected to the presentation. So make time for it in your planning.
So... where are you going to spend your time and energy in order to maximize your chance for success?
