One of the very best speakers I’ve had the privilege to hear isn’t necessarily someone you may have heard of. He doesn’t make his living earning speaking fees; in fact, he probably has never received a payment for speaking services. He speaks to get his message across and to facilitate sales for his company. He presents within his industry only, so—unless you’re a financial advisor or a financial wholesaler—you may have never had the pleasure of listening to him.
So what’s his secret?
I wrote about Christopher Mee’s ability to close sales through his speaking abilities in my book, The Connectors. I have observed that Mee is such an exceptional orator because of the way he manages to so eloquently connect with an audience. Whenever he speaks, he seems to carry the audience in the palm of his hands. I’ve seen him take an audience and literally lift them out of their seats, give inspiration and motivation, instill confidence, enlighten, give solutions, and, as a result, get people to want to do business with his company…over and over again.
His secret? Spend 70% of a sales presentation on the audience’s challenges, 20% on solutions, and 10% on a call to action, in that order—then you’ll have a well-designed presentation that will engage. A presentation—even a sales presentation—should not be about the speaker, but rather, about the audience. Great speakers I have heard spend time getting agreement and interacting with the audience about the challenges they face until their prospective clients are eventually hungry for solutions. An impactful presentation connects, but it always closes on an action. And in the case of Mee, I’ve never seen someone spend so little time on the traditional act of closing a sale and be so prolific at actually closing sales.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Maribeth Kuzmeski
Maribeth Kuzmeski, MBA is the founder of Red Zone Marketing, LLC, which consults to Fortune 500 firms on strategic marketing planning and business growth. She is the author of 4 books, has frequently appeared on TV and radio, and has written articles on marketing strategies for hundreds of publications including Business Week and Entrepreneur. She regularly speaks to audiences on topics relating to business development, marketing, and sales strategies. Maribeth is author of The Connectors: How the World’s Most Successful Businesspeople Build Relationships and Win Clients for Life (Wiley, September 2009).
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This is a GREAT post. I am just starting my accounting firm, and I am looking for ways to build my practice. The suggested format of the presentation has definitely inspired me. Thank you!!!!
I have worked with Chris Mee in the past and was always impressed with his ability to successfully nail the message that the audience wants to hear. He demonstrates the right combination of reading his audience and anticipating their needs, being super knowledgeable on his subject matter and getting right to the core, and being sure to leave his audience with concise action items. Even though I no longer work with him, often I am at industry meetings and find myself thinking “What would Chris Mee do?”