Even the most hardened prospect can’t resist a good story – when it is well told. The reason you must tell stories is because your prospects will not remember everything you say; they will, however, remember what they see in their minds and feel in their hearts while they listen to you share a story within your sales presentation. I give you the first of three story formulas to help you improve the effectiveness of your sales presentations:
Formula 1 – Situation, Solution, Success
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The key to connection is conversation, and the secret to successful conversations is asking good questions. My brother (the legendary guitarist, Robert Fripp) has often said to me, “Sister, you ask people such personal questions!” Though this is true, nobody has ever said to me, “That’s none of your damn business.” People love talking about themselves. A conversation may lead to a relationship, and a relationship may lead to new business. A business relationship when nurtured can and will lead to long term success.
If shyness prevents you from meeting and conversing with new people, you may be missing important business and career opportunities. My friend, bestselling author and professional speaker, Susan RoAne is known as the The Mingling Maven® for her savvy socializing techniques for business growth. I share these tips from Susan:
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The Wit and Wisdom of Phyllis Diller
My friend Brian Palmer is one of the most creative and ethical professionals in our speaking industry. He is president of the National Speakers Bureau which was founded by his father, John Palmer. Back in the day, John was a well-known bandleader and performed with Phyllis Diller.
Brian told me this about his Dad’s work with the legendary comedienne, “Phyllis was constantly working on her craft. My father would be off on the side of the stage, and she would ask him to look at his watch and make a notation every time there was a laugh, and then measure the amount of time between laughs. My dad believed that speakers should have the same understanding of their presentation flow.”
As speakers, we can learn a lot about pacing from the world of comedy. Brian went on to say, “To this day, I look at my watch and measure the average length between emotive responses.
Legendary screenwriter Syd Field was true Hollywood pioneer. He is regarded as the first to reveal the inside secrets of Hollywood screenwriting. His bestselling book, Screenplay is known as the “the screenwriting bible.” I feel fortunate to have attended his screenwriting seminars over the years; Hollywood knows how to emotionally connect with their audience in a way that many speakers do not. Last year, my World Champions’ Edge colleague, Darren LaCroix and I attended one of Syd’s presentations; what an honor sit at the feet of the master and take in his screenwriting genius just a short time before his passing. I share this remembrance from Syd’s fellow Hollywood screenwriter, Michael Hauge:
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Want to make a deep, emotional impact on your audience? My friend and colleague, Bob Roitblat is a professional speaker and actor. He lends us another Hollywood technique for better professional speaking. This one is: Think it. Feel it. Speak it.
Read More...Think it. Feel it. Speak it.
by Bob RoitblatWhether you’re an actor, business presenter or professional speaker, you can rehearse gestures. You can rehearse movement. You can rehearse the words that come out of your mouth. But only genuine emotions drive your message. And genuine emotions only come from genuine thoughts.
As you strive for excellence in all areas of your business communications, remember that good speakers can benefit from learning the secrets of good writers. Developing a successful presentation begins with thoughtful structure and word choices. If you want to improve your public speaking, why not gain the advantage of improved writing skills? Make it a daily discipline. Read and write.
Become the best writer you can be. Here are 10 techniques to improve your writing skills (quickly) from Amandah Tayler Blackwell and Ragan Communications.
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Is your audience hearing what you are attempting to communicate? If not, perhaps this is because your delivery is distracting from your message. After all, it is not only what you say – it is how you say it.
As a speech coach I am frequently asked, “I have my presentation together. Can you just coach me on the delivery?” To which I usually reply, “Why would you want to perfect a badly-structured and poorly-scripted presentation?” We always start with the presentation structure and good word choices.
Once you have your sales presentation or speech together – the structure, the stories, and the PowerPoint – then you can internalize your new Frippy way of presenting and make it second nature. When you deliver your talk, you want to be able to focus on your audience, not on your performance.
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When you receive feedback and advice on how to improve your presentation skills you need to ask yourself:
Unsolicited feedback says more about the giver than the recipient.
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Public speaking instruction often focuses on eye contact, voice projection, and what to do with your hands while you’re talking. Equally important to mastering these physical techniques is developing and deploying good and original content. As an executive speech coach people ask me, “What do I talk about?” “How do I start my speech?”
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What should we do if we find ourselves in an audience listening to someone who has not yet learned how to structure and deliver an engaging presentation? “Every audience has a responsibility,” says my brother, the legendary guitarist Robert Fripp. Bill Gove, the first president of the National Speakers Association taught NSA members, “You are responsible to your audience, not for your audience.” I share this advice from my Las Vegas friend and colleague Amy Ayoub, popular professional speaker and speech trainer:
Read More...Be the Audience You Want to Have
by Amy AyoubImagine you are invited to speak at a luncheon to give an update on an important law (or company policy) that was recently passed. The audience is largely made up of people who will be directly affected by this law, and are extremely interested in what you have to say. You aren’t the most dynamic presenter,
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.
