While you may already be familiar with my brother, Robert Fripp, the world-renowned guitarist and a founding member of the band, King Crimson… you might not know that he is a profound and powerful speaker. Robert lives in the UK and it is always a treat (for us and for our audience!) when we get the chance to present together. Enjoy this brief biographical sketch of my remarkable brother:
Read More...What if every time you spoke in public you were powerfully persuasive and a resounding success? Most people realize the advantages of being an excellent speaker, but are unsure of how to get there. Here are ten ways you to guarantee major improvements every time you stand up and speak. If your goal is to transform your presentation skills, opt for the following:
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Hall of Fame Speaker, in-demand speech coach, and former hairstylist, Patricia Fripp learns a valuable principle from her brother, King Crimson guitarist, Robert Fripp…
One day, after I had retired as a hairstylist, I was cutting my brother’s hair, and he said, “Sister, you really are the best hairstylist I’ve ever had. You’re probably one of the best hairstylists in the world.” I said, “Well, I don’t know about that, but when I was teaching people to cut hair, I told them, ‘It doesn’t matter if you’ve had 20 years of experience, you still have to show me that you can cut the basic haircut. You take the first cut, the guideline, and you match; you balance the whole haircut around the guide. Then you do the lining and the edgings, and then you add the magic. You run your fingers through the client’s hair, and it will talk to you and tell you how to personalize it for that haircut.’”
“The way I taught stylists to cut hair is exactly the way I teach people to create a speech. Your first cut is your premise, your central theme.
Read More...Are you agonizing over an upcoming presentation? Having trouble organizing your thoughts? Whether you are a novice preparing your very first speech, or a skilled presenter trying to develop your insights into a powerful new program, strong structure always underlies a successful presentation. In this short video, my friend and fellow presentation skills expert, Darren LaCroix, shares his tips to help you create an outline for your speech. Darren and I team up for the Lady & the Champs Speakers’ Conference. Enjoy Darren’s helpful approach to outlining your presentation:
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.
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The Best Way to Open a Sales Presentation
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 Speaker Patricia Fripp is hired by individuals and companies who realize that powerful, persuasive presentation skills give them a competitive edge.
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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?
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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?
Read More...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:
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:
Read More...8 Successful Headlines and The Psychology Behind Them
by Courtney Seiter
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.
