Position yourself as a solution to your prospects problems.
Presentations are one of the best ways to reach a large number of prospective clients and build credibility as a solution to their problems. There are three aspects for productive presentations:
First, you have to secure the opportunity. This requires you to market yourself to the person in charge of arranging presenters, which is not that different from how you market your services. Be prepared to reach out to several organizations, and get started early – most groups schedule out 6 to 12 months in advance. You’ll need to have an outline of your presentation that demonstrates that you can talk to their audience’s problems in terms they can understand.
Next, you have to deliver the presentation. It’s critical that you provide valuable information and don’t “sell from the platform”. Information is valuable only if it speaks to the audience’s problems, in their language – this is not an exercise in demonstrating your technical expertise. Close the presentation by collecting their business cards (offer to send your slides or raffle off a relevant book), and be sure to tell them to write “yes” on their cards if they would like to talk to you about further assistance. Collect the cards personally.
Finally, you should follow up to your presentation within 48 hours. Call the individuals who wrote “yes” and determine if it makes sense to schedule a meeting, or not. Be sure to ask them if they belong to any other associations or groups that might need a speaker for a similar topic.
Here’s a couple of tips for making presentations a productive part of your prospecting mix:
- Be sure to fulfill your obligation to present a useful and entertaining talk on the topic publicized.
- Make sure you are presenting to prospective clients – don’t fall into the trap of educating your peers and potential competition.
- Stay away from technical jargon. The more you relate to your audience and their problems, the more likely they will view you as a potential resource.
- Don’t talk about your services, talk about how you help your clients solve their problems.
- Be sure to publicize your presentations. People who don’t come will still be impressed that you are recognized as an expert.
