7 Insights that will Improve Your Presentation Close Rate

New York Yankee Mariano Rivera “The Closer” This may sound funny coming from a presentation trainer, but the most effective way to improve your presentation close rate doesn’t happen during your presentation. It takes place before your preparation.  No deck, prop or story can replace the need for a thorough understanding

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Using the One-Two Punch of Logic and Emotion in Your Presentation

Think back to purchasing your last car.  Did you buy it because it checked off a list of features?  Or did it just “feel” right?  You’ve probably heard the statement: Buyers buy on emotion and justify with logic.  Yet too many sales presentations speak to business buyers as if they

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Can Your Voice Cost you the Sale? 2 Common Vocal Habits that Distract Buyers

You work hard to get an opportunity to present your solution to a prospect.  You have a great message to deliver. The last thing you want is for your audience to misunderstand it or discount it because of how you sound.  Can your voice cost you the sale?  The unfortunate

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Tom Hanks, Credibility and Sales

Describe a film as a “Tom Hanks movie” and everyone knows what to expect:  A highly likable, regular guy who gets caught in extraordinary circumstances but rises to the top due to his true good character. It’s this credibility that has landed Tom Hanks at the top of the list

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Top 10 Sales Blog Posts of 2016

You voted with your mouse on what sales issues mattered to you this year, so in case you missed them or want to re-read, here are your favorite Top 10 Sales Blog Posts from 2016! P.S. Be sure and read to the end of this post for an opportunity to jump

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5 Proven Acting Tips for More Confident Presentations

“Show confidence!” This was one of the least helpful pieces of advice I received before delivering my first sales presentation.  Not only did it lack practical tactics or steps, I didn’t want to just appear confident.  I wanted to feel confident. Confidence is vital in sales. Prospects want to feel

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Make ‘em Laugh! 7 Guideposts for Using Humor in Your Business Presentation.

Many experts recommend opening your presentation or demo with a funny story, joke, quote, or prop. And why not? Humor can engage your audience, add welcome lightness to a heavy subject, and increase audience recall. Yup, humor can be a great opener….when it works.  And when it doesn’t? Few things

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6 Keys to Closing the Sale with a Great Call-to-Action

Not every pitch or presentation ends in a signed contract.  However you must ask for some next step, otherwise you have just invested a lot of time and energy delivering an informative talk. With so many deals ending in “no decision” today, you can’t afford to waffle when it comes

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87,000 choices at Starbucks…and 1 Demo? 3 Simple Ways to Tailor your Demo

You can now walk into a Starbucks and order any one of 87,000 drink combinations and the barista won’t bat an eye (although I have seen a few eye rolls…) If customers expect that level of customization from a five dollar investment, imagine what they expect when investing thousands of

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How to Engage Your Audience During a Virtual Presentation

I once made a sandwich, responded to an email, and let the dog out – all while “watching” a virtual presentation.  I’m not proud.  And I’m not alone. InterCall, the world’s largest conference call company found that audiences are engaged in a number of activities while on conference calls.  For

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