Another hapless presenter stood in front of the crowd and sputtered and stammered. We all squirmed in our seats. Probably because we have all been there. Or maybe because it was of the appearance of that toothless troll who lives in the back of ever presenter’s mind.

I speak about that evil beast: FORGETTING YOUR STUFF. Yikes. I shiver just thinking about it.

It is, of course, one of our biggest fears. It is a real problem. It is a speaker’s Achille’s heel that does not lend itself to a quick fix.

But there are tools and techniques you can take to quell this monster that destroys speakers.

Everyone has a secret cure, a technique, a trick.

Here is one solid, proven solution I know works. Actually, here are two of them.

The first is serious practice. Lots and lots of practice. I will not dive deep into this at this point. I will say, I spend a lot of effort inside my course helping folks build a solid, logical and very effective practice routine. I call it by the catchy name of Intelligent Practice. Here’s a hint: start earlier than you think you should.

The real point I want to make is something I heard recently from my good friend and mentor and superstar speaker, Ron Chapman.

This is so simple, but so effective.

He said if he needs to burn a presentation into his brain, he takes a walk. It is only one part of his practice routine. (By the way, professional speakers practice the way professionals do in any other business – all the time.)

Back to his walk. He takes off and repeats parts or all of his material over and over. He might take a few notes with him if necessary. But the words have to come from his understanding of his topic not from a script.

He doesn’t hesitate to mix things up either. New words and phrases. New order. He tries everything until he gets a good fit. Then he practices some more.

It’s a big commitment.

But if you want to play big, like Ron, you better be committed.

Wanna play big? R U Committed? Jump on my waiting list: https://ready2speak.com/course

Tom

We presenters are an insecure lot.

When we are not sure that we have mastered our content, we tend to pile it on, droning on and on and overwhelming our listeners. Or we add slide after slide, bullet after bullet until our audience members give up their souls and lie bleeding in boredom on the floor.

When we have not rehearsed enough or are otherwise not confident of our thoughts, we tend to repeat our ideas or ramble endlessly, thinking that we surely must have covered it adequately by now.

All of this sabotages our best efforts to communicate clearly to the audience in front of us.

Another great diffuser of clarity is the tendency to put more than one image or photograph on a slide. After all, if one image tells a story then 6 should do it so much better.

The fact is one image commands 100% of your viewers attention. Additional graphics and photos on a single slide split their attention to the point where there is no impact. It’s just a jumbled mess.

A few points:

• Try to use only one image per slide to communicate your idea. Get the right image. Two weak images don’t add up to a strong one. They just look like two weak images. Or worse they confuse and turn off your audience.
• Get the best images you can afford. Be prepared to pay if necessary. Photos and graphics should reflect your professionalism and convey your point quickly and cleanly.
• If you have a progression or a build on a slide, then carefully consider adding more images.

Often a large image with a few added words will perfectly communicate your point on a single slide.

Try for that.

Protect your audience from dreaded PowerPoint induced sleeping disorders. This guy knows how to do it: https://ready2speak.com/coaching

Tom

We presenters are an insecure lot.

When we are not sure that we have mastered our content, we tend to pile it on, droning on and on and overwhelming our listeners. Or we add slide after slide, bullet after bullet until our audience members give up their souls and lie bleeding in boredom on the floor.

When we have not rehearsed enough or are otherwise not confident of our thoughts, we tend to repeat our ideas or ramble endlessly, thinking that we surely must have covered it adequately by now.

All of this sabotages our best efforts to communicate clearly to the audience in front of us.

Another great diffuser of clarity is the tendency to put more than one image or photograph on a slide. After all, if one image tells a story then 6 should do it so much better.

The fact is one image commands 100% of your viewers attention. Additional graphics and photos on a single slide split their attention to the point where there is no impact. It’s just a jumbled mess.

A few points:

• Try to use only one image per slide to communicate your idea. Get the right image. Two weak images don’t add up to a strong one. They just look like two weak images. Or worse they confuse and turn off your audience.
• Get the best images you can afford. Be prepared to pay if necessary. Photos and graphics should reflect your professionalism and convey your point quickly and cleanly.
• If you have a progression or a build on a slide, then carefully consider adding more images.

Often a large image with a few added words will perfectly communicate your point on a single slide.

Try for that.

Protect your audience from dreaded PowerPoint induced sleeping disorders. This guy knows how to do it: https://ready2speak.com/coaching

Tom

A man searches on Amazon for the latest noise-cancelling headphones. He finds one he really likes. He loves the cool design and the color. And he orders it. When he tells his wife about the great deal he got, he reminds her that the next day shipping is free.

This is a simple example of how an emotional decision or purchase gets backed up with logical justification.

As humans we do this all the time. In fact, I would argue that we are not logical, intelligent beings at all. We are emotional, irrational animals that happen to have a brain we can use to back up our nonsensical decisions with some sort of logic.

But that is a theory for another time.

Every good salesperson knows we buy based on emotions that we then justify with reasoning.

Yesterday, I gave you five emotional components necessary to deliver a successful sale pitch to your audience. They are the most critical part of your sales presentation. But we should also address the right side of the audience’s brains. (Or is it the left? I can never remember.)

So today, let’s get logical. What are the areas of a normal presentation we need to “enhance” to give our audience the logic to validate their emotional decisions.

Here we go.

First. We should justify the value of their purchase or investment. What you are asking of them has to, in their minds, have value equal to or greater than the cost. This can be a list of features that would separately cost much more than your offer. Or it could be a comparison of how much time and money it will save versus the price. On some level it has to make sense. Not necessarily too much sense but some.

Second. Somewhere in our introduction, our bio or comments we should establish our credentials. Why should they believe and trust us?

Third. Use testimonials from others who have used your product or service. We are social animals. Testimonials as social proof are a great way to help audience members build logical arguments in their minds for a commitment.

Fourth. Discuss their concerns and objections before they do. From your deep research into your audience you should know what they feel anxious about. If those anxieties are going to get in the way, you should bring them up and address them. These roadblocks are already on their minds — don’t let them fester.

Fifth. Consider a guarantee. Remove as much risk from their investment as you can.

A couple of final points:

My personal style is to be upfront with my presentation’s goal. I would encourage you to tell them right from the start what you want from your audience – a sale, a commitment, continued engagement. Whatever that is, don’t let that be a surprise later on. Your credibility will suffer if you are not completely honest.

Finally, make sure you deliver a strong close or call to action. After you have touched their emotions and made your logical case tell them exactly what you want them to do. Be specific and detailed.

So there you have it. A strong “sales pitch” is just a normal presentation with a little steroid application: Amp up their pain. Show them a wonderful world with your solution. Build a logical case and then nail the closing.

No plaid suit necessary.

Does your presentation need some enhanced mojo? Go here: https://ready2speak.com/coaching

Tom

A man searches on Amazon for the latest noise-cancelling headphones. He finds one he really likes. He loves the cool design and the color. And he orders it. When he tells his wife about the great deal he got, he reminds her that the next day shipping is free.

This is a simple example of how an emotional decision or purchase gets backed up with logical justification.

As humans we do this all the time. In fact, I would argue that we are not logical, intelligent beings at all. We are emotional, irrational animals that happen to have a brain we can use to back up our nonsensical decisions with some sort of logic.

But that is a theory for another time.

Every good salesperson knows we buy based on emotions that we then justify with reasoning.

Yesterday, I gave you five emotional components necessary to deliver a successful sale pitch to your audience. They are the most critical part of your sales presentation. But we should also address the right side of the audience’s brains. (Or is it the left? I can never remember.)

So today, let’s get logical. What are the areas of a normal presentation we need to “enhance” to give our audience the logic to validate their emotional decisions.

Here we go.

First. We should justify the value of their purchase or investment. What you are asking of them has to, in their minds, have value equal to or greater than the cost. This can be a list of features that would separately cost much more than your offer. Or it could be a comparison of how much time and money it will save versus the price. On some level it has to make sense. Not necessarily too much sense but some.

Second. Somewhere in our introduction, our bio or comments we should establish our credentials. Why should they believe and trust us?

Third. Use testimonials from others who have used your product or service. We are social animals. Testimonials as social proof are a great way to help audience members build logical arguments in their minds for a commitment.

Fourth. Discuss their concerns and objections before they do. From your deep research into your audience you should know what they feel anxious about. If those anxieties are going to get in the way, you should bring them up and address them. These roadblocks are already on their minds — don’t let them fester.

Fifth. Consider a guarantee. Remove as much risk from their investment as you can.

A couple of final points:

My personal style is to be upfront with my presentation’s goal. I would encourage you to tell them right from the start what you want from your audience – a sale, a commitment, continued engagement. Whatever that is, don’t let that be a surprise later on. Your credibility will suffer if you are not completely honest.

Finally, make sure you deliver a strong close or call to action. After you have touched their emotions and made your logical case tell them exactly what you want them to do. Be specific and detailed.

So there you have it. A strong “sales pitch” is just a normal presentation with a little steroid application: Amp up their pain. Show them a wonderful world with your solution. Build a logical case and then nail the closing.

No plaid suit necessary.

Does your presentation need some enhanced mojo? Go here: https://ready2speak.com/coaching

Tom