Monthly Archives: April 2012

What is the Theme of Your Presentation?

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LAST month I led a 90-minute, Deep Dive session at Microsoft’s Convergence. The session was designed for a 100-level audience spanning topics from CustomerSource, Dynamics Marketplace to SQL Report Builder and PowerPivot. According to the post-event report, the session drew just under 100 people.

MY THEME:

I opened with a story about my first job; at 15 I began my career as a DJ for a mobile music service on Long Island. Then, I segued into the evolution of the music industry over the past 20+ years. From LPs to CDs to MP3s to iPods to Xboxes. Today ERP software, like music,  has grown more complex than ever. While we have so much more access to resources, modules and services … finding, learning and implementing presents another set of challenges.

SO WHAT?

Creative themes are extremely effective ways for people to remember you and your pitch.

The reason for today’s “TIP” is that almost 30 hours after I delivered my session, a woman sitting across from me at lunch on Wednesday   afternoon turned to her co-worker and said ‘see that guy, he was a DJ in New York, when he was 15 years old’. It’s amazing if you consider how many people she met during that span at Convergenc and she still remembered my story/theme from the session she attended.

Consider how many sales organizations, or vendors, your prospect meet. My guess is much fewer than 100 people. What are you doing to ensure your prospect remembers you when you leave the room?

And remember, if you have a creative idea but you are not confident it will resonate with a prospect, test it on a friend, spouse or a co-worker.

 

Opening Day in the Mile High City

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LAST Monday afternoon was opening day for the Colorado Rockies. It was a spectacular day and attending the home opener (or at least soaking up the downtown festivities) has become a rite of passage in the mile high city.

About PREPARATIONS

During the game I began thinking about spring training. Spring training is the preparatory period leading into the baseball season. It’s about practicing the common tasks these professionals will execute every day for the next 5 – 6  months. Even the veteran players who have been playing for 10+ seasons approach spring training as if this were their rookie season. Fielding ground balls, catching fly balls and playing a game of pepper.

About ORGANIZATION

It’s also fascinating to consider the effort and details a manager puts forth to compile a roster for each individual game. 162 games over the next several months. Every morning, before game time they sit at their desk to organize their thoughts and ideas on how to tackle the upcoming opponent. “Who is our starting pitcher?”, “Who will bat 3rd?” … yadda yadda yadda

Today’s Tip

Today’s tip is about preparation and organization. I consider every one of you successful and seasoned professionals. You’ve been selling software and conducting discovery calls for many, many years.

But … do you approach each opportunity uniquely as if you were the head coach of your favorite baseball team? Before every call do you plan out your questions and strategy?

For example, how are your discovery questions organized for the prospect and their industry? Do you begin your discovery with a blank sheet of paper or do you have a “roster” of questions already prepared prior to your first call.

During the discovery workshops we provide organizational tools to help you capture key, pertinent information for each opportunity. It’s an extremely efficient way to get organized. Also, having your questions pre-written saves time during note taking and improves listening.

Whether you leverage the tools provided during the workshop or you have your own pre-defined question sheet. Use it. It’s a simple way to prepare and get organized.

Good luck during the remainder of the quarter and win one for the gipper.