Asking questions to engage listeners during a demo or presentation is a good thing. Asking the same two questions of your listeners over and over again, however, is not. You sound robotic and they tune you out, rather than tune in to your message. Yet, that is what so many demo presenters do. Is it… Read More
How Stark Choices Sell
I am not sure you would put Steve Jobs and Katie Couric in the same sentence, but an interesting similarity between them popped up in the last few days that is instructive for presenting and selling new ideas. Steve Jobs In 1983, Jobs was pursuing John Sculley, Pepsi’s wonder boy senior executive, to leave and run Apple. While Sculley was… Read More
Metaphor: The Shortcut to Yes!
If you saw a winning lottery ticket on the floor, would you pass it by? Of course not!. Who would ignore such an easy road to riches? Yet, sales people overlook winning “business lottery tickets” every day without realizing it. I’m talking about the winning lottery tickets that are metaphors and analogies. Used strategically, metaphors… Read More
Presenting in Style
Did you ever have this experience? You and a friend hear a speaker in either a business or social situation and you each come away with a different reaction to that person? You: “I thought he was really interesting!” Your friend: “How could you say that? I was so bored by him!” Who is right?… Read More