In my workshops and coaching on presentation skills, one of the key areas we focus on is how to deliver a presentation to persuade, influence and motivate others. Based on my book, “Present with Power, Punch and Pizzazz” and over 20 years of working with companies on presentation skills and personal presence, I have put together 10 questions you must ask when developing a persuasive presentation.
To persuade, motivate and influence others to sell ourselves, products and services we must be able to tell stories and create pictures in the minds of our customers to excite their imagination. A story can either be dull and uninteresting or it can come alive. To put imagination into your “sales” story and increase your persuasion IQ you must answer the questions below.
Get out the list of your ideas, products and service’s persuasive features and benefits. If you don’t have a list make one. Next to each feature and benefit put the answers to the questions below. (a feature is the characteristic about your ideas, products or services and the benefit is the result)
1. What’s the most dramatic statement I can make about this feature and benefit?
2. What’s the most arresting visual presentation of this feature and benefit to set a customer thinking about it?
3. What’s the most searching question I can ask about this feature and benefit to set a customer thinking about it?
4. What are the most interesting success story or sales examples I can give to back up the claims I make for this feature and benefit?
5. Which are my best, most impressively written testimonials, the ones most likely to get attention either because of the person giving the testimonial or of what it says.
6. What is the most dramatic action I can perform to hold and impress my customer while dealing with this feature or benefit?
7. What is the most compelling logic I can find in relating this feature and benefit to others?
8. What is the most effective demonstration I can make of this feature and benefit?
9. What customer participation can I devise, in this feature and benefit so that my customer becomes part of the act?
10. What practical test can I suggest for proving the validity of my claim for this feature and benefit?
To further increase your opportunities and kick start some life into your business, ask yourself, your staff and your customers these questions about your product and services:
Can the products/services be put to other uses? Can it be adapted? What else is like this? What other ideas does this suggest? What could we copy? What could be modified?, Given a new twist? Changed in color, meaning, sound, motion, odor, form, shape? Any other changes possible? Can it be magnified? What can be added? More time? Greater Frequency? Stronger? Higher? Longer? Shorter? What can we substitute? What else instead? Other ingredients? Rearrange? Change the schedule? Reverse it? Combine it? Different Purposes?
Remember that you only get one chance to make a good impression. By putting some “zip” into your presentation you’ll become much more effective in persuading, motivating and influencing others