I’m a believer in learning through repetition and reinforcement. However, as we practice and rehearse our presentations we need to ask ourselves, “Am I practicing to improve or to reinforce bad habits?” The reality is that we are doing both.
You’re familiar with the expression, “Practice makes perfect.” No, not necessarily, but practice does make permanent.
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Before we look at what we say to convince any prospect to do business with us, we need to remind ourselves of the amount of preparation that goes into getting the appointment. What is lost if we do not take the opportunity as seriously as we should?
Listen to a short segment from my online learning program FrippVT Powerful, Persuasive Presentations.
Powerful and persuasive sales conversations always include success stories that show how products or services have specifically worked for past customers or clients. Your prospective client might be trained to resist a sales pitch, but no one can resist a good story.
When it comes to using success stories in your sales conversations:
We all know reselling your satisfied customers is easier than finding new ones. However, you are failing your customers if they don’t see how you can serve them differently than they first engaged with you.
Never assume that customers, clients, and prospects know what you do and why they need you. A brilliant woman who receives my weekly video and emails asked, “Can you help me with a five-minute presentation?” This is a perfect example of something I always tell my clients, “Never assume that everyone on your mailing list, or everyone you’ve done business with you in the past, knows how you can be of service to them.” You also may be wondering, “How can Patricia help me?” Let us count the ways.
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Is fear of death really second only to fear of public speaking? Maybe you can relate? A presentation is the most cost-effective way to generate interest in your services, products, expertise, or organization.
Consider, how many contacts, clients, buyers you might capture with a 20-minute talk? If the thought of a great outcome isn’t enough to calm butterflies in your stomach, I share these pre-presentation exercises to help you relax and channel any remaining nervousness into energy.
Read More...There is no one secret to a powerful presentation, but if there were, it would be this – your subject must be interesting to your audience. If your audience doesn’t know whether they’re interested in your subject, how do you get them to connect with it?
How do you write a good acceptance speech?Start early, be yourself, honor those who’ve helped you, state your connection to the organization giving you the award, and rehearse…again…again and again.
Every year the American Payroll Association honors their Man and Woman of the Year. The next year at the annual conference call Congress they deliver a five-minute speech to almost 2,500 of their peers. I’ve had the honor of speaking at twenty-one APA’s Congress events and working with APA’s leaders and speakers. Dan Maddux, the APA’s very creative Executive Director, and his convention team always have amazing themes and sets. As you can tell the 2018 theme was James Bond and Pay for Another Day.
Great communicators are remembered and repeated. To make your message more memorable, pay close attention to how you order your words and phrases, even within a single sentence. Thoughtful choices in word order, give you the opportunity to highlight your most significant information and deliver this as “impact phrases.”
Audiences engage when we present information in a natural progression. It helps them “see” what we’re trying to convey. Like a miniature story, a single well-crafted sentence draws your audience in; they connect both intellectually and emotionally and follow your narrative to its conclusion.
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Imagine, you’ve done all the work to prepare and rehearse a major presentation and at the last minute you’re told, “I’m so sorry, but we’re short on time. Can you give us the five-minute version?”
Is it possible to shorten a presentation without losing all of your impact? Yes. Don’t panic. After all, a sound bite is often more powerful than a lengthy dissertation. Here’s how to condense your speech without losing impact:
1. Don’t apologize or mention that you usually have much more time. Find confidence in the fact you’ve prepared. You can still get your central message across in five minutes.
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How often have you heard a great presentation where you left energized and enthusiastic, only to get sidewalk amnesia?
You forget why you were inspired. By the time you hit the car, the speaker’s message – and your excitement – is lost. Have you delivered a presentation like that?
An unforgettable presentation is “sticky.” It sticks with audience members and continues to influence long after the presentation is over. Vivid and authentic stories are central to presentations that “stick.”
Audiences tune out when you repeat others’ stories or use examples they’ve already read or heard many times before.
Often, stories are based on fairly ordinary life experiences. We do not have to cure cancer or climb Mount Everest to tell a good story.
I’m a successful entrepreneur who learned from my parents, learned from my clients, learned from my friends, and relate the stories of these experiences to my audiences.
Early on in my speaking career, a major turning point came when I gained confidence in my own authentic stories to match the confidence I had in my speaking skills. Once we find the message in our own life experiences our audiences will se them through their own eyes.
Become a great presenter quickly, easily, and cost-effectively on your own schedule. I’m here for you 24/7 through Fripp Virtual Training.
“I wanted a Super Bowl-quality coach, and I was lucky to be introduced to Patricia Fripp. Her help in coaching and scripting was world-class. With Patricia Fripp on your team, you can go places.”
– Don Yaeger, Long-Time Associate Editor for Sports Illustrated magazine, Award-Winning Keynote Speaker, New York Times Best-Selling Author
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Here are just a few more of the many complimentary resources on Fripp.com to help you connect with your audience with authentic stories:
If you want to become a great speaker easily, conveniently, and quickly, FrippVT can help. Enjoy three free chapters on Stories, Openings, and Sales: http://frippvt.com
Executive Speech Coach and Hall of Fame Keynote Speaker Patricia Fripp works with individuals and companies who realize that powerful, persuasive presentation skills give them a competitive edge.
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Receive free, on-going Fripp webinar invitations, sales and presentation skills information, and special discounts from Executive Speech Coach, Sales Presentation Trainer, and Professional Keynote Speaker, Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE. As an added bonus, sign up now and receive a free copy of Patricia Fripp’s How to Present and Teach in the Virtual World.
