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These questions will help you identify the most important substance of your sales call or meeting and form a strategic plan.
During your contemplation of substance you will invariably encounter a degree of “ego impact.” While you would like to believe that people care about everything you have to say … they don’t. As part of your message development process, continually ask “Who cares?”
When you consider what you are saying from the perspective of your audience, whether it is a caller on the phone or a presentation to a new collision repair account prospect, you can honestly assess whether or not they care about certain statements or points. By removing elements that your listener doesn’t care about, you will begin to create truly powerful and impactful messages using fewer words than you imag- ined possible.
Simplicity
Having identified your core substance, ask yourself: “How can I deliver this in the most simplistic manner possible?” Keep in mind that when you are presenting information to others, they are: • Listening to you
• Processing the information • Thinking about the information and what it means to them
• Watching you (if they are in front of you) • Distracted by their surroundings • Feeling their cell phone vibrating • Thinking about other things they need to do Given the level of thought and distraction occurring within the mind of your listener, the more straightfor- ward your message, the higher the probability your message will stick with them.
As you develop your message, consider: • Using simple terminology, avoiding buzz words and jargon • Using shorter, more concise sentences • Using a short story to illustrate a point about your quality, delivery or another important sales point Keep in mind that the intent of simplicity is not to talk down to people but to present a message that is easy to understand, interpret, and act on. During your process of simplifying your message,
don’t be surprised if your ego kicks in again. Part of your mind will try to convince you that those fancy, complicated words and long sentences with multiple commas and semi-colons make you sound more impressive. Equally, a string of “umms” and “you knows” aren’t as endearing as you think. Remind yourself that “less words = more message.”
Structure
Once you are clear on your key message and word- ing, developing the structure of your discussion or presentation will help you avoid missteps. Some of the key areas that require attention are: • Rapport building • Opening
• Information gathering • Information sharing • Story structure and placement • Closing/call to action
As you become more strategic about the structure of your presentations, you will develop a library of common openings, stories, and calls to action that you will be comfortable using in a variety of situations. In the early stages of becoming more intentional about the structure of your presentations, you may have concerns that you will become bored with these structured presentations. When this occurs, remind yourself that your presentation is not about you or for your entertainment and enjoyment; it is about the people you are talking to, their needs, and helping them move forward.
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By removing elements that your listener
doesn’t care about, you will begin to create truly powerful and impactful messages using fewer words than you imagined possible.