Presentations part 1

Hey there,

Today the topic most on my mind is: presenting to other people. When most people hear the word "present," they picture someone in a smart suit with a pie chart or Powerpoint standing in a conference room. And that is one way you can present, but in our industry, whether you call it Social Entrepreneurship, Network Marketing, Direct Sales or MLM, presenting is better understood as "giving information." I prefer to call it that for 2 reasons: #1. It's less intimidating to the client, #2. It's less intimidating to the new people and #3. It's non-threatening.

If I called you and imitated what in my mind would be a salesperson-type pitch, I might say something like, "Hello John Doe, this is Lizi and I had noticed you inquired about our services. When is a good time for you to schedule a presentation?"

Mind you, that isn't a terrible way to go about things if that is the way you talk. However, I don't talk like that.

I talk like this: "Hey John Doe, how's it going? Awesome man, listen, I saw you were curious about what my team was doing in your area and I always want to be available to answer any questions you might have. What time is good for us to get to know each other and kick around some information?"

Is that threatening? Do I come off as "here's 15 minutes of my time and then I don't care about you anymore?"

NO! I want people to know I care about them--because I genuinely care about them! And if I hear anyone badmouthing a prospect, I let them know that their thinking and their speech will propel them to failure--they're doomed before they even start because of their poor attitude.

Instead of that, honor the person you're speaking to. Really pay attention to what they say, what they want out of life and who they are.

So, the takeaway: presenting doesn't have to be scary. It is literally a time you and your prospect are setting aside to get to know each other and to share personal goals.

Tune in tomorrow and we'll go over the nitty gritty details of being yourself during a presentation.