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You’ve been making the same old presentations, year after year.

Same script.

Same slide deck with the same cute cat clip-art.

Same old brochures… same old proposals…

You know it. I know it.

What you might not know, however, is that while your presentation may not have changed, your results sure have.

Same presentation – diminishing returns.

No, putting a new cover on your brochure every year doesn’t cut it.

Nor does a new cat pic on slide three.

That is not a refresh!

The same material delivered in the same style will garner average results… and average results diminish your actual returns year over year due to rising costs and increasing competition.

Face it. You’re in a rut. A very costly rut.

Here’s how to snap out of that presentation rut without getting overwhelmed or breaking the bank.

Why your presentation Is failing you

The first reason why your same old presentation is failing you is all on you.

You’re bored. Most importantly, your audience can tell you’re bored.

When you give the same memorized presentation with the same supporting materials time after time, it becomes rote. You’re no longer thinking about what you’re saying, or paying attention to how your delivery is affecting your audience.

AGENT SMITH

You’re not engaged in your presentation – so why should your audience be engaged in it?

Think about that lullaby your mum sang to you when you were a kid. Now you sing it to your kids as you put them to bed at night. It’s a nice lullaby. But it’s also a routine. When was the last time you actually paid attention to the words you were singing?

Repeating the same memorized presentation is like singing your audience to sleep.

The second reason your presentation is failing you is because it’s not keeping up with the changes your company is going through.

Change is the only constant in business. Since you created that presentation, your business has certainly changed. Maybe you have new offerings, or a new customer service team, or a new purchasing process. If those changes aren’t reflected in your presentations, you’re missing a huge opportunity to share what’s new and exciting at your company.

And you’re missing the opportunity to get your audience excited about it, too.

The third reason your presentation is failing you is because a predictable old presentation delivered by a listless speaker is a recipe for a stagnant performance.

A good presentation is dynamic. The room, the stage and the audience all affect the delivery.

A stagnant performance encourages the audience to tune out. It also makes it less likely that your audience will remember anything you say. In fact, people recall nothing if they’re not paying attention, and the average adult attention span is only five minutes.

There are three elements to fixing a failing presentation and engaging your audience…

Element #1: Conversation – and It Only Happens When Prospects Participate

A successful presentation is a conversation.

And conversation only happens when the dialogue goes both ways.

Whether you’re giving a sales pitch to a buyer or presenting your quarterly business report to your organization, no presentation should be “shut up and listen to me talk for 30 minutes.”

Your audience should feel like they can jump in and ask a question at any point. And you should feel like you can shift gears to accommodate those questions and give a great response at any point.

Part of this comes from practicing dynamic speaking skills – which you can learn more about here. But you may be surprised to discover that part of this also falls to your choice in supporting materials.

You’re only human, and you can only remember so much. You’ll need to come to every presentation opportunity prepared with supporting materials, such as brochures, spec sheets and discretionary slides. If someone in the audience asks you a question you can’t answer off the top of your head, stopping the presentation to shuffle through a stack of paperwork or scroll through dozens of digital files will be incredibly distracting for everyone involved.

And sometimes saying “I’ll get back to you on that” just won’t cut it.

So keep everyone on track and engaged by having your supporting material well-organized an instantly accessible in a dedicated app. At Stun, we use Showcase Workshop for this.

Element #2: Excitement – the Secret to Waking Up Your Audience

The secret to an engaged audience is excitement. Yes, that means keeping the presentation dynamic and having your supporting materials easily accessible.

It also means rethinking your story for your current audience.

What’s new? Different? What’s exciting in your world? How has your product changed lives? What do your quarterly results mean for your organization’s future?

These are the stories your audience wants to hear.

Element #3: Encouraging Dialogue – Leave ‘Em Wanting More

Now you understand the need for conversation and excitement to keep your audience engaged.

The third element to a presentation that doesn’t bore the socks off of your audience is to encourage dialogue.

Don’t just prepare for questions – encourage them. Tell the audience you want them to ask questions. Don’t wait until the end for a formal Q&A. No one will be awake for that.

And ask questions of your own. Foster two-way dialogue by asking the audience questions that trigger responses you’re ready for, so you can use those responses to move seamlessly forward in the presentation.

Most importantly, tell the right stories to elicit an emotional response from your audience.

If you’re telling the right stories, your audience’s response will be “me too!”

They’ll want to jump in with their own examples of why what you’re saying is on-target.

They’ll pursue you for more information because what you’re saying is resonating so deeply.

They’ll tell you why they need your solution.

Tell the right stories and your audience will be anxious to hear more.

Don’t worry. You’re not on your own creating these stories. That’s exactly what we do here at Stun Sells. We help you uncover your story, and then construct the highest quality digital sales collateral to power that story. Hear how other companies have gotten better results from their presentations with better stories.

EVEN yesterday was perhaps a blight and something to be quickly forgotten. Something to be ashamed of, to feel guilty for, to be struck down with self-condemnation, if not another’s judgment – for not living up to a standard.

Such a phenomenon is likely to be experienced every now and then by us all.

We feel dirty or just like dirt. Our spirit within takes a tumble and we wonder if we will ever succeed in the slightest degree. The enemy is having a field day at our expense.

We are held inextricably to our pasts as long as we insist on remaining there.

By memory or insistence of consciousness, we go there, to where no sun shines; only pelting rain thrashes our worn exterior. Go inside to truly view the damage. The human spirit, a delicate instrument – a shimmering image of our soul – is dashed without consolation. Whether by rejection, ridicule or repeal we are strewn without hope when the sensitivities of the soul are carelessly treated.

None of us need to have been abused or neglected to feel the abovementioned burden.

It is part of the human condition – being human qualifies us for guilt, shame, condemnation, fear, judgment, and the like. We could have had the best of upbringings and we will still find it harrowing what the human experience calls us to endure. So it’s not just the abused and neglected that suffer. We all do.

***

The past is important to validate. It happened. We were not affirmed or loved as we deserved to be; none of us were. Being parents, we now empathise. It’s impossible to be a perfect parent. In my parenting I’ve failed my children countless times, simply by what I’ve said and not said.

Now here’s the rub.

Transcending our pasts is no impossibility. It is no mere possibility. It is one sure probability when we are prepared to do all we can do.

When we have proved the power of God right in being able – through trust and obedience – we know we can do anything.

A vision for the future is something we can procure simply through wondering what might be.

Such a vision is nothing short of inspiring. And to go to great pains to bring that vision to bear upon reality is our quest. There is plenty to gain and nothing to lose when we jettison time for thought on our past and cast our thoughts upon the present – what can be done now.

***

Feeling the hurt of God for how we were hurt in our past helps us believe in an inspiring vision for the future built on living in the present.

Your past does not equal your future. Your present is your key.

Our futures are always brightest when we view life through the perspective of God.

© 2015 S. J. Wickham.

Conducting a seminar either that’s free or fee-based is a fantastic way to build your brand, your reputation and your expertise. Once you are known as the expert in your field via your seminars, you’ll be better able to build your client base and your referrals. You’ll also be able to capture new subscribers for your newsletter and gain testimonials you can post on your website as well as in your marketing materials. And if you have books to sell that align with your seminar topic, seminars are the perfect avenue to have “back of the room” sales so participants can purchase your book. So let’s get started!

Coming up with a good topic

All great seminars start with a topic. How can you help people? How can you solve a problem? What in your industry causes customers confusion? Your seminar topic’s title should also be specific and compelling. For example,”All about Today’s Real Estate Market” is too broad. Instead, you should title your seminar,”The Ins And Outs of Selling Green Homes to Today’s Savvy Homebuyer.” Coming up with a topic requires you to listen, take notes when someone mentions a problem their having and research blogs and papers in your field.

Planning and more

o Where

First, you need to figure out where you’ll have your workshop. When you’re first starting out, try finding free places such as the local library, community centers or friends’ businesses that have adequate office space. Once you’re more established, negotiate with agencies and business owners who will take a cut of your participant fees.

You’ll need to consider having enough tables and chairs. Also consider if your chosen location has available parking, and is handicapped accessible.

o Fees

Will your workshop be fee-based or free? If it is fee-based, is the agency who is hosting it taking a certain percentage of your fees or is it a flat fee? How many participants do you need to cover the fee? You also need to know what is your minimum number of participants to make it worth your while.

o Publicity, Marketing

How will you publicize your event? Will you use flyers in key locations that would attract your ideal customer, social media, traditional print advertising, community bulletin boards, press releases, or email marketing? Also remember to use the signature block of your email to publicize your event. If you have partnered with an agency such as a community college, continuing ed program, or store, they will help you (since it will help them, too) through their brochure, website and email blasts and newsletter.

It’s the day of your seminar!

Before the day of your seminar, you’ve made enough copies of your handouts, you’ve prepared your PowerPoint presentation if you have one and you’ve made sure your laptop and projector are compatible. You also have made sure you have enough business cards, brochures, books to sell and you’ve created a sign-up list to capture email addresses for your future mail-outs.

Purchase name tags for your participants along with a marker. Show up to your seminar an hour early if you have computer equipment, and a half-hour early if you only have handouts. Adjust the chairs, tables and room temperature. Set up a separate table for your marketing materials and the participant name tags. It’s also a good idea to place your participants’ handouts on their chairs or on their spot at their table so they have everything they need. Along with the seminar handout, you should also prepare an evaluation and a video release if you are videotaping the seminar or if you want to capture your participants’ video testimonials.

And remember to

o Delegate someone to handle registrations, payments or to check participants off of the pre-paid list. This person shouldn’t be you since you need to greet everyone by shaking their hands and welcoming them to your seminar.

o Start on time, even if you know people are running late – don’t penalize the folks who got there on time!

o Who will be doing your introduction? Will you introduce yourself or be introduced? If the latter, give that person your bio sheet in advance.

Once you’ve started the workshop

o Use voice modulation; don’t look at your PowerPoint slides. Remember to talk slowly and clearly.

o Don’t rush through your points, maintain eye contact, SMILE and relax!

o Don’t overload your audience with information; make your material fit the timeframe.

After the workshop

o Read all of the evaluations (even if you’re scared to – it won’t be that bad, I promise)

o Follow up with participants via email or snail mail and welcome them to your e-newsletter or email subscription list.

When you’ve organized your materials, figure out what worked and what didn’t so you can start planning your next successful seminar!