Presentation Training Skills

Presentation Training

Presentation Training is provided across the United States and Canada. Participants have three options to attend and participate in our presentation training. Presentations are delivered via public open enrollment courses in all major metropolitan areas and are also available to be delivered on-site via private courses. The 3rd option is to attend Online Webinar Presentations Skills Workshops. Our face to face Presentation Training can be provided as off-the-shelf sessions, ready to be delivered to a diverse audience or can be customized to provide a tailored and personalized presentation training approach based on client needs. All presentations courses are limited to a maximum of twelve participants so as to increase presentation course effectiveness and provide the individual level of face to face or online coaching and interaction that is associated with the Presentations Training Skills Center.

For more information on our presentations skills training courses please contact us.

The Psychology of Presentation Training - Close More Sales!

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There's more to a great sales presentation than terrific graphics and tons of detail on your slides. In fact, great presentations require neither. The truth is, you are the presentation; your PowerPoint is not. Knowing that, it also pays to understand what it is that turns an audience on and makes them receptive to your pitch.

Psychologists know there are a number of communication traits or tactics that tend to make people respond positively to what they see and hear. You should know them too--because when you do, it will improve your closing ratio. So, in this article, I am dealing not with the details of your PowerPoint or the minutia of your presentation, but with underlying communication truths that should drive your approach whenever you present. Here's what you need to know.

1. Buyers respond positively to people they like.

Companies don't buy from companies. Logos don't buy from logos. People buy from people. What's more, they buy from people they like. And according to research, all things being equal--and they often are--buyers want a friend in the business. It's your job to be that friend--to convey the warmth, likability and honesty your customer expects in a trusted advisor.

2. People think you are smart when they understand everything you say.

People understand and remember information only when they can organize it into a coherent structure so it makes sense. You can make remembering easy and understanding a breeze by organizing your content into three distinct topics for your listeners. They will think you are brilliant.

And that's not all. It is a communication truth that people respond positively to people who speak their language. That means using real, everyday words whenever and to whomever you present. Research tells us that buyers don't like fancy language, platitudes or business-speak because it sounds contrived or unnatural. Buyers prefer straight talk--the kind of language they use in real life.

Think about it. In real life, nobody says they desire something; they say they want it. Nobody utilizes anything at home; they use it. Friends don't search for the longest word they can find when a short, crisp alternative works better. There are also lots of personal pronouns in friendly conversation--lots of "I" and "you" and "we"--because pronouns connect people to people.

Real people engaged in friendly conversation use real, everyday language to communicate without pretension or an air of self importance. Friends are sincere because sincerity always counts. Friends talk to express--not to impress. I call it shirtsleeve English. Use it.

3. People like people with whom they feel a human connection.

In psychology, it's called self disclosure. In presentation, we call it a personal story. Whatever you call it, when your audience feels they know something about you as a real person, they tend to find you more likable.

Everybody loves a story. In fact, there is terrific power in story. And yes, a presentation is the perfect place for a personal story--one that tells your listeners a little something about you as a real person. It's the human element that resonates with an audience.

Now, I'm not talking about the Gettysberg address here. Keep it short and charming. If you can use humor, so much the better; laughter is always good. But even if your story is not at all funny, open yourself to your audience and you'll find they are more open to you.

4. For your buyer, you don't represent the company, you are the company.

As a presenter, it's your job to make your company look good by being likable and approachable--because you are the company.

When I go into a store to pick up a tube of lipstick and I find the saleswoman talking on the phone--too busy to attend to me--I don't tell friends I met a twit at the make-up counter. I tell them "I hate that store!" I make a judgment about the whole store--perhaps even an entire chain of stores--based on my brief interaction with a single sales person. And according to research, I am a typical buyer.

So it is with your audience. For them, you don't represent your company; you are it. If your audience likes you, they like the company. Of course, the reverse is also true. If they don't like you, forget closing the sale.

5. Warmth and energy stimulate good feelings in your audience.

Energy is infectious. Warmth is engaging. Enthusiasm generates enthusiasm.

If you have ever watched your fellow passengers' response to the flight attendant during the safety spiel delivered before takeoff, you will understand immediately how people react to a drone of information. Nobody listens. Passengers are confronted with an information dump--albeit a life-saving one--and nobody cares.

In a sales arena, as in all communication situations, people respond positively to energy and warmth. As a presenter, it is your job to bring those traits to the table. Speak with energy. Exude warmth. Let your enthusiasm show and you'll find your audience responds in kind.

6. Buyers perceive physical barriers as barriers to doing business.

The farther away you stand, the less apt you are to make a meaningful connection with your listeners. The more things you put between you and your audience, the more they perceive you as distant and difficult to deal with. And while those kinds of barriers may work for a Judge or a President - neither of whom are interested in a relationship with their audience - they do not work for a sales person who is trying to initiate a long-term connection.

Get as close to your listeners as is practicable. Remove the podium. Get off the stage. Take away anything that gets in the way of friendly conversation and real, human connection. Your audience will like you better for it.

So before you begin to prepare your next presentation, think about the psychology of presentation--the tips and tactics you have just read. They will help you make more informed and more effective decisions about what and how you choose to present. If you're smart, you'll let these communication truths drive your presentation--because it pays.

Source: Fern Lebo link

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