8/22/2023-Presenting

A recent study based on the book At My Pace” by Jill Ebstein found that the average human attention span has fallen from 12 seconds in 2000 to eight seconds today. (Goldfish are at 9 seconds.)

"Thanks for your attention through my obnoxiously and atrociously long presentation…any questions?"

"Yeah, I have one," says a bold and fictitious buyer, "Who taught you it’s okay to run through that many slides without breathing?"

Namaste.

Whether you’re presenting slides, a demo, or yourself, understand that you are competing with the buyers’ phone.

(HUH?)

It’s reported an individual checks their phone 1500 times a week, so obviously, you’re up against them checking the weather.

Creating buyer-centric conversations is the new presenting. Focus on creating a human connection in your customer meetings rather than creating and practicing slides.

Today, practice your pitch.

What pitch? you ask.

All of them.

Your sales pitch. The way you introduce yourself. The way you tell a story. And, also practice the way you answer questions.

Are you confident? Engaging? Knowledgeable and humble at the same time? Are your answers brief and clear? (Or do you run on?)

If you’re in a business where formal presentations are made with customers, that’s great…practice your formal presentation skills too! Load a few buddies in a room, stand up, and let it rip.

Eye contact. Voice modulation. Pausing. Energy. More eye contact. Pointing to slides on the screen, pointing to parts of a hand-out. Questions and then listening, plus a little back-and-forth.

That pretty much sums up the traditional stand and deliver routine, eh?

You can do it any day without thinking. The problem is, that’s not really what satisfies customers these days. You realize your customer has perfected the art of the "I’m listening stare" when they’re really not, right?

It might be time to adjust how you "present" to your customers.

Integrate "conversation into your presentation to the tune of about a 90/10 ratio and you’ve arrived at something closer to what the customer wants.

Everything posted above still stands – eye contact, voice modulation, pausing, questions, listening – but now turn down the salesmanship* and you stand a chance at being trusted and remembered.

As you’ve concluded, presenting applies to many parts of your sales activities.

The core of presenting is how you speak, and speech is a seller’s golden tool. You know the standard stuff about it’s what you say AND how you say it, but let Julian Treasure expand your appreciation for speaking in this 9-minute Ted Talk.

It will change how you think about speaking, presenting yourself, and connecting with your buyers.