![]() Mark Cuban, entrepreneur, investor, and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, led the charge with his sales team by getting on the phone with former season ticket holders to help boost low ticket sales.Īt the beginning of these conversations, Cuban heard sales objections such as how bad the team was. For example, if your company says it “eliminates the need for insurance agents to use a lot of paper,” you could instead say: “Our e-signature platform cuts down on the overwhelming amount of paper that insurance agents have to use.” What are your product or service goals?.What distinguishes your product or service from others?.Aim to create a 20- to 30-second elevator pitch that answers the following questions: A concise sales pitch forces you to explain your product or service in layperson’s terms-and in a way that quickly generates interest. Here’s the company’s elevator pitch:Īlthough less than 20 seconds long, the pitch clearly conveys the platform’s purpose while explaining the problem it solves for software users. G2Crowd is a platform that allows software users to share their opinions on a product. The more valued audience members feel, the more receptive and engaged they will be.An elevator pitch is a classic business pitch example. And, in turn, being willing to learn from them. Ultimately this is about being interested in people - curious about who they are, responsive to what they need and eager to help them understand, grow and get better. Try periodic pulse checks: “How’s this tracking so far? Are you still with me? Anyone disagree?”Īnd don’t hesitate to call out the elephant in the room: “I see a few confused faces - what can I clarify for you?” Or, “I sense some skepticism out there - what are your doubts? Let’s get them on the table.”īe prepared to toss out the game plan and go where the audience’s interests lie. Is the audience unresponsive? Or only grudgingly so? Do their expressions or body language set off alarm bells? That’s a sign to change things up. Skilled speakers tune in to what’s happening in front of them. ![]() ![]() ![]() Ask leading questions - “How does this apply to your work?” or “Tell us about a relevant experience you’ve had…”.Pose simple questions - Try true or false, fill-in-the-blank, and yes or no.Take a poll or ask for a show of hands.Here’s how to get the audience involved early and often: And by making it a conversation, the speaker can better gauge the temperature of the room. The resulting “crickets” response was often the first clue that things had not gone well.Īudiences today won’t stand for that. In the old days, it was common to present straight through for 50 minutes and take 10 minutes of questions at the end. But we should know the material well enough that we’re not struggling to recall it. That doesn’t mean that we should memorize the presentation word-for-word. That way they can focus on being truly present and in the moment - not just to act, but to react to the other players, the audience and the environment. Performers don’t just memorize dialogue - they internalize it to the point where they don’t even have to think about it. This is an important lesson I learned from my former career as an actor. It’s impossible to sense what’s happening around us when the wheels inside our head are turning furiously, trying to conjure the right words, think of the next point or transition from one topic to the next. That allows us to craft relevant, resonant messages, strike the right tone and connect more effectively. Know the audience.īefore ever stepping up to the podium, we have to do our homework: Understand who the audience is, figure out what they want, and anticipate their objections and even their mood. (And if you’ve ever delivered a clunker yourself, then these tips will help you, too.) 1. So if you’ve ever sat helplessly while someone you work with delivers an off-key presentation, here’s how you can better prepare them to recognize it and even stop it from happening in the first place. We have to tune in to people’s body language and expressions, gauge subtle shifts in the atmosphere and figure out what all those signals mean.īut doing all that while we’re busy presenting is especially hard. “Reading the room” can be difficult under the best of circumstances. How do they not recognize what’s obvious to all of us? ![]() Yet they go on and on, oblivious to the palpable restlessness, confusion or annoyance in the room. How often has this happened to you? You’re watching one of your leaders or clients speak at an event and they’re absolutely bombing. ![]()
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