7 Easy Tips for a More Powerful Sales PowerPoint

Does yours add to or distract from your message?

Is Your PowerPoint Terrifying?

When I ask my clients, “How long is your sales presentation,” it scares me when they answer, “12 slides.”

Or if I ask, “How do you design your sales presentation,” it’s downright terrifying to hear them say, “We get the slide deck.”

If you start creating your sales presentation by organizing your slides, you may be sabotaging what could fundamentally be a great presentation.

PowerPoint is a valuable visual aid but a poor scripting aid.

Designing a sales presentation is a creative process, best accomplished on a flip chart, whiteboard, or legal pad. Once you have the outline of your new, improved sales presentation structure, you can ask yourself, “Where do I need help telling the story?”

How can you visually demonstrate what you are saying? Charts and graphs and diagrams are perfect in this medium. If your slides are complex, take the elements apart and put them together in a way that simplifies them.

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How to Close More Sales with Great Questions

The Quality of Information You Receive

Depends on the Quality of Your Questions

As a seasoned sales professional, you are familiar with the importance of asking good questions in order to discover how a prospect can benefit from your product or service. The right questions give you good information that will move the conversation and process forward.

The Not-So-Basic Openers

The first priority is to learn as much as you can about pain points and about your prospect’s current environment.

  • What is your biggest challenge, and what do you think is the cause?
  • How long has it been going on?
  • Are you doing anything about it currently, or have you in the past?
  • If you could solve it, what would that be worth?

Staying on Track

While you don’t want to control the conversation too overtly, you need to focus on gaining an understanding of how they can benefit from a relationship with you. Use follow-up questions such as these for clarity:

  • Can you give me a little more detail about that?
  • Could you give me a specific example?
  • How often does this happen?
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How to Make More Sales than Your Competition

Learn These 8 Steps to Outstanding Sales Structure

The structure of your sales presentation is the skeleton under the flesh of your words. These eight simple, powerful steps to your sales presentation increase your chance to make the sale.

Delivering a Sales Presentation seminar for the Prosperity Series.

Even if you have made a compelling presentation, it often takes weeks or months before you get a response. Consequently, the goal is to burn vivid examples and key ideas into your prospect’s mind. You don’t want them to forget what makes you different from your competition. This is especially important if you are one of several individuals or teams competing for the same business.

The challenge is to design and deliver your presentation to be remembered and repeated.

Unfortunately, the average presentation structure reminds me of old-world selling.

“Hi, I am Fred Smith. Let me introduce you to my team: Tom, Dick, and Harriette. Thank you for your time.

We are from the ABC company.  This is what we do: This is how long we have been in business:

This is what we are known for: These are the clients we do business with: We would like to work with you.”

That is a dreary, who cares presentation at its worst.

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How Would a Presentation Expert Help You Talk About Your Success?

If you are asked to deliver a speech about you and your success, most likely you are nervous about sounding “too big for your britches.”

The Secret: Give Credit to Those Who Guided You to Success

If you are a successful business professional, you will be asked at some point, within your company or your community, to speak about your success. Most people feel anxious about that. We’re programmed by our mothers not to “show off.”

Patricia Fripp delivering a keynote speech.

Structure your presentation based on one simple strategy, and make it easy on yourself.

Every speech is organized around a key issue. For the “about me” speech, it is this: No one becomes successful alone. Give credit to the influencers, the models, the mentors who have guided you through your career.

The story of your personal success gives credit to them and their guidance.

Look at your life story as if it were a play: Act I: When you were young;

Act II: When you were more mature and starting your career; and

Act III: When you actually achieved success.

Alex a successful executive, a multimillionaire, asked me to help him write the most important speech of his career. He was the president of a real estate franchise and was speaking at their annual conference. 700 realtors there knew he was a multimillionaire. They did not, however, know of his humble beginnings as an illegitimate child.

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Secrets to Make Your Speech Great

Save time and learn from my decades of experience

Advice from THE executive speech coach.

You do not have to be perfect, rather be personable.

Your audience needs to see the person behind your position.

Find ways to make an emotional connection.

Your audience is always thinking, “What is in your message for me?”

The shorter your report, presentation, update, or demo, the more power each word has.

Be specific. If you say “thing” what do you mean?

Movement often distracts from your message.

You will not improve what you are not aware of.

The written word is for the eye, the spoken word is for the rhythm.

Rehearsal is the work. Performance is the relaxation.

The best advice is to save time by learning from an expert who has already learned what you want to know.

Learn more secrets to make your speech great with FrippVT  Powerful, Persuasive Presentations online learning platform.

“As a seasoned speaker being coached by Patricia Fripp has helped me deliver my game-changing message with more power and eloquence.  My client testimonials and feedback prove it.” Ron Karr, CSP, Past President, National Speakers Association

“To watch how our veteran group of salespeople became involved in your Storytelling to Increase Sales was impressive. We are excited to continue your training with FrippVT Sales.” Jeff Walters, Vice President, North American Sales, Peak-Ryzex

“The information in FrippVT is as valuable as any college course I’ve taken. This is a resource that everyone needs. The investment is worth ten times more than I paid and has been life-changing. My fees, recommendations, and referrals have increased dramatically. I am delighted. For the first time in my speaking career, I know exactly want I am doing when I walk on stage. One technique in course 11 helped me win an international speech.” Mitzi Perdue, author of How to Make Your Family Business Last

“We consider the investment in Patricia’s coaching a ‘must-have’ part of our events. Since Patricia has been working with our expert technical presenters our customers rate their performances superb.” Greg Smith, Vice President, Product Marketing at Nutanix

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Are You Looking for #1 Best Way to Write a Presentation?

Are You Looking for #1 Best Way to Write a Presentation?

The answer is to learn from an expert.

In the last forty years, I have delivered 3,500 live presentations and hundreds more virtually, thousands of business and professional speakers have benefited from my techniques.

Now you can. In 2021… Don’t wait… create!  A great signature talk is your best marketing tool. You can deliver virtual presentations for promotion or for fee. You can add to your website, YouTube, LinkedIn and blog.

To simplify what you may feel is a complex process, I am making it easy for you.

These brilliant people can’t be wrong.

“We consider the investment in Patricia’s coaching a ‘must-have’ part of our events.” Greg Smith, Vice President, Product Marketing at Nutanix

“For my most important speeches, I call Patricia Fripp.” 
Wanda Hope, Chief Diversity Officer, Johnson & Johnson Worldwide

“As a seasoned speaker being coached by Patricia Fripp has helped me deliver my game-changing message with more power and eloquence.  My client testimonials and feedback prove it.”
Ron Karr, CSP, Past President, National Speakers Association, Bestselling author.

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How to Write a Great Commencement Speech

Wanda’s speech was featured in the March 2021 issue of Vital Speeches of the Day.

The TV Show West Wing Made Speechwriting Sexy

At least when Rob Lowe is the speechwriter and he is writing for the President played by Martin Sheen. However, the members of the Professional Speechwriters Association, some of who have written for US Presidents, felt a certain pride, at least when the show was running. Speechwriters are usually behind the scenes while our words make an impact and sometimes history.

As an executive speech coach, I have the honor of helping my clients create a variety of speeches. This was the first Commencement Speech I have helped a client wordsmith and polish. However, once you hear this seven-and-a-half-minute speech, you will have to admit Wanda had a great story to tell. As I am often asked for great speech examples, this is worth sharing.

Have you ever heard a really great commencement speech?

As with any great speech, when you deliver a commencement speech you must be inspiring, make a connection with your audience, paint scenes in their minds, and tell a really great story.

With short presentations, every word counts.

Wanda Hope, Chief Diversity Officer, Johnson & Johnson delivered her Penn State Commencement Speech on December 19, 2020.

Wanda is very active in the Penn State Alumni Association. You will be glad to know Tillie is alive and well and lives with Wanda and her family.

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How to Make Your Leadership Presentations Memorable

Robert Fripp’s Influence on Leadership Presentations

Leaders always need to communicate, and in challenging times, even more frequently.

My brother Robert Fripp is 1 year, 1 month, 2 days, 12 ½ hours younger than I am. He often says, “I am not surprised my sister gets paid to tell people what to do. She was a very bossy little girl.”

I grew up to be a hairstylist and then a speaker and a speech coach.

He grew up to be an internationally acclaimed rock guitarist. According to Rolling Stone magazine, Robert is the 42nd best guitarist in the history of the world, living or dead. Excuse a proud sister. You also need to drop all preconceived ideas of what a rock star is. My brother is a quiet, modest, and very articulate thought leader.

Robert played on David Bowie’s Heroes.

One of the presentations we deliver together is “How to Be a Hero for More than One Day.”  Robert says, “There are 3 types of heroes.”

First, there is the occasional hero, the person who may rush into the street to save a child.

Then there is the everyday hero. The ones who consistently perform what is expected of them, plus 10%, without complaint, whether they feel like it or not. Our world and your company would not run without those often unnoticed and unappreciated everyday heroes.

Finally, consider the superhero. The superhero is the person who holds an overview of the entire organization. They know what happens in every department, on every floor, in every building. Not every company has a superhero.

I asked my brother how one can become a hero.

He said, “By performing an act of quality. Acts of quality are ungoverned by size. A small act of quality is as important as a large act of quality.”

May I suggest that an important act of quality for a leader, especially in challenging times, is to give honor to the everyday heroes who do what is expected of them, plus 10%.

Remember, Leaders always need to communicate, and in challenging times, even more frequently.

Would you like Patricia Fripp to help you become a great presenter? Good luck with your communications.

Why not take a trial at FrippVT.com

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Are You Guilty of This Goof That Hurts Your Credibility?

Patricia Fripp Presentation Expert Helps You Build Your Credibility
Presentation Expert Patricia Fripp explains how to avoid this common mistake that hurts your credibility.

When I am working with speech coaching clients or delivering presentation skills training, I ask the question, “Are you guilty of this goof that can hurt your credibility?”

If you’re asking yourself what difference it could make, I’ll tell you. A huge one! In any professional setting, you are hired because what you say sounds worth listening to. In the case of a speaker, consultant, or coach, you are hired because what you say sounds worth paying for.

All fuzzy, clumsy, and unclear language will destroy your credibility and your claim to professionalism. You might as well be delivering your message in Valley Girl speak, grinding your toe in the rug and murmuring, “Whatever.”

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