Are Presentations Costing You Big?

How Much Are Lousy Presentations Costing You?

There are no statistics on how many deals are lost due to poor presentations.

The variables are great: no focus, lack of preparation, no engaging conversation, poor style, lousy slides, and on and on.

It’s even unclear how many presentations are given each day.  The numbers in the U.S. alone range from 30 to 100 million, but not all are “deal killers.” It is fair to say, however, that each day millions of presentations fall short. Yet, all organizations can change this easily, fast, and with little cost.

If you could close 10 percent more deals with a more powerful message or presentation would that be worth pursuing?

How?

Great presentations or sales pitches are not about a dazzling slide deck, though that can help. It’s about having a strong point of view, a story, personalizing it, and then having dazzling visuals.

The most critical missing element I have found is point of view.  The best presenters know about “telling a story,” but even they can miss the most essential component to the story – the point of view.  Without a point of view, you’re presentation is sunk, or at least not as powerful as it could be.

Like a rudder on a ship, your point of view is what sets a presentation’s course, sets you apart, guides the story, and lands the audience in a safe place. A point of view is not difficult to develop. It’s based on personal experience, research, case studies, current trends, and outside expert opinion. 

For your next presentation, try creating a strong point of view.  Put it right upfront, in Act 1 of your business story. We call it “Point of You” in our training.  It will set you apart instantly, set the course, and make your next presentation a breeze.  You’ll audience will love it, and you’ll close more deals.