Executive Speech Coach, Patricia Fripp explains how to open your speech through Fripp Virtual Training.
I was sitting across the desk from the brilliant president of a $2 billion software company…and I was about to tell him, “Sir, at this point, your speech is getting boring.” This was a problem, because as I often say, “An audience will forgive you for anything except being boring.”
Now step back, and let’s put this conversation into context. I was working with the person in charge of a national sales conference for that software company, which had just acquired one of its major competitors. They’d also nearly doubled their sales staff, to about 1,500 total. The future was bright and the strategy was strong. The president was described to me as an engineer, very intelligent, and a little shy.
Most sales professionals begin their sales presentations by thanking their audience for the time and talking about themselves and their firm. If that’s your approach, stop.
If you want to capture the attention of your prospect
“I recommend every sales present
start by saying something nice about the audience, says sales presentation expert Patricia Fripp. That doesn’t mean complimenting someone on their tie or the painting hanging on the wall. Say something good about their business.ation start with ‘Congratulations.’ And then mention some aspect of their business that they are very proud of,” says Fripp who is presenting a webinar Dec. 16 titled “How to Give Your Sales Presentations a Competitive Edge.”
Some examples:
“Congratulations. Your last advertising campaign—spectacular.”
“Congratulations. Your stock price has just gone up two points when your major competitors’ has gone down. Your strategy is obviously working.”
Or it can be as simple as this: “Congratulations. Everybody I met on my way to the meeting smiled, engaged, and welcomed me. Obviously your core values are working.”
Even if you have to introduce yourself, say something of interest to your audience first, Fripp says. After you say something nice, then say something like this: “In case we haven’t had the pleasure of meeting, I’m Patricia Fripp. And in my role as your account rep for…”
As you introduce yourself, use words that indicate you already belong to them—that the job is yours, she says. So, you might say, “In my role as your representative…” or “As your consultant…”
“You’re already talking about how you belong to them when you’re still trying to get the business,” Fripp says. “It’s psychological. There’s a feeling, and it’s my belief people are going to treat you a little better—even if they don’t know it.”
Listen as Fripp discusses:
3 mistakes people often make when giving sales presentations
What to do differently in a sales presentation vs. a presentation to your company’s executives
Why you need to be flexible when giving presentations
The one thing all great presenters do
FrippVT gives you 24/7 access to one of the most in-demand executive speech coaches and sales presentation experts, is immediately engaging, and makes it fun to learn. If you are a novice presenter or a seasoned professional, you will find the content both practical and relevant.
Sign up for your complimentary seven-day trial and discover how Fripp VT can transform you and your team. Fripp VT delivers comprehensive presentation and sales presentations skills training at your convenience with built in accountability: http://frippvt.com
Executive Speech Coach and Hall of Fame Keynote SpeakerPatricia Fripp is hired by individuals and companies who realize that powerful, persuasive presentation skills give them a competitive edge.
Scott Pace, Author of “Cold Calling Mastery: Lessons from Selling on Wall Street”
If you are a financial advisor with the goal of developing your business, you must realize the importance of good communication skills. We invite you to Make 2015 Your Best Year Ever, a virtual meeting which, we promise, will give you ideas, techniques, and specific language to improve your one-on-one conversations with prospects and your marketing presentations.
In case you have not met him, Scott Pace is the founder of Advisor Growth and one of the most sought-after business development experts and coaches in the financial services industry. His financial services industry clients will tell you, “Scott helped our advisors implement growth strategies that result in triple-digit percentage increases while enhancing the quality of our lives.”
On Thursday, December 18th at Noon Eastern, I am joining forces with Scott. Perhaps you have read his book, Cold Calling Mastery: Lessons from Selling on Wall Street?
Your audience will forgive you for almost anything – except being boring. Long before you ever take the platform, you must design and rehearse your presentation to catch your audience from the first line and keep them enthralled. Elements of a powerful presentation include: a strong opening, clear structure, emotional connection, memorable stories, well-paced delivery, eye contact, and on-message body language. Fine-tuning these aspects of your presentation is the best way to ensure that you won’t lose your audience mid-speech. However, in the middle of a presentation, is there anything you can do if you notice that your audience is actually tuning out?
November is National Nonfiction Writing Month, also known as the Write Nonfiction in November Challenge. During this month, you are personally challenged to start and complete a work of nonfiction in 30 days. This can be an article, an essay, a book, a book proposal, a white paper, or a manifesto. It’s an honor to have been asked to close National Nonfiction Writing Month with my recommendations to help writers turn their book content into presentations. Speaking is one of the best and most cost-effective ways to market your book, develop a following, and expand your audience:
Executive Speech Coach & Hall of Fame Speaker, Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE
Developing a powerful and persuasive presentation begins with thoughtful structure and careful word choices. Speakers can benefit from learning the secrets of good writers. I share this fascinating article from Ragan Communications explaining the psychological strategies copywriters use to craft headlines. Courtney Seiter explains how and why effective copy works on even the most distracted audience:
8 Successful Headlines and The Psychology Behind Them by Courtney Seiter
You will never go wrong congratulating a potential client on an accomplishment or recent success.
You are competing for a major contract. All of the companies the being considered have great reputations, stellar client lists, and similar pricing structures. How do you craft and deliver your sales presentation to stand out as the clear choice amidst the competition? Here are some do’s and don’ts to be aware of:
Your commitment is going to build trust, rapport, respect, and credibility that will be transferred to value. Prospects define and buy value.
When you lose business you should have captured, you lose twice. First, you don’t get the sale or the cash flow. Secondly, your competitor gets both. It is not your prospect’s job to remember you. It is your responsibility to make sure they do not have the chance to forget you. I share this advice from my friend Scott Plum, sales expert and sales coach, on demonstrating your commitment to your prospect, by making yourself unforgettable.
Prospects Define Value by Your Commitment And Persistence by Scott Plum
Lately I’m hearing a lot of salespeople say they call prospects, leave messages and they never call them back. Most times the prospect doesn’t answer the phone. In an age where every phone has Caller ID, it is a split second decision to quickly ignore the interruption. When this is true most of the time, we want to ask ourselves, “Why?”
Congratulations to Toastmasters International on its 90th anniversary! Let us celebrate Toastmasters’ 90 years, as a non-profit educational organization helping men and women around the world develop their public speaking and leadership skills. Before I ever established myself as a professional keynote speaker, before I had the honor of serving as the first female president of the NSA (National Speakers Association), and long before I became the founder and creator of Fripp Virtual Training… I joined Toastmasters. I share this from Toastmasters on the remarkable history of the organization and Toastmasters’ extraordinary role in nurturing and shaping the public speaking and leadership skills of generations of speakers worldwide.
Taking the wrong feedback to heart can actually make a good speech a bad one.
An outside perspective on your presentation or public speaking skills is often the best way to discover where you can improve your content or delivery. However, ask yourself: “Is this person giving their advice truly qualified to help me? Does this person have my best interests at heart? Am I asking for their input, or do they have their own motivation to give it to me?” Sometimes unsolicited feedback says much more about the giver than the recipient. My friend and fellow presentation skills expert, Darren LaCroix, explains how to recognize and avoid feedback that can harm, rather than help, your public speaking and presentations.
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How to Present and Teach in the Virtual World…and More
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.
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