Steve Boyd
When it comes to independent manufacturers’ representatives being able to deliver a first-class presentation in front of a prospective principal, at the outset Steve Boyd points to the importance of trust and credibility.
According to Boyd, Ph.D., CSP, Professor Emeritus of Speech Communication, College of Informatics, Northern Kentucky University, near Cincinnati, when the rep stands in front of a principal “You want to establish your credibility with them. I’m assuming they do not know you well at this point and you want to say things that will make them trust you and rely on you for your expertise. I sometimes call this your credibility speech. Don’t rely on e-mails, texting, etc. That simply won’t cut it. What you want to do is to make a great first impression with your knowledge of their line(s), your past experience that proves you would be the right person. Your skills in presentations and the question-and-answer period are critical.”
In the course of hopefully impressing the principal with your skill set there are some critical things to keep in mind. For instance, “First of all, don’t be late. Once there, you shouldn’t speak in a disparaging manner about competitive products. Be sure not to include material that does not relate directly to your purpose for being there. And don’t take more time than the principal told you in making the appointment.”
Armed with information about what not to do, Boyd, a professional speaker, seminar leader and communication consultant, emphasizes that it’s just as important to know what to do as it is what to avoid. Focusing on the former, he maintains the rep “must demonstrate that you’ve done your homework beforehand by exhibiting a knowledge of the principal’s lines, all the while showing a sense of excitement about the opportunity to represent them. Once done, continue to show that you have experience with compatible lines. Be sure to anticipate and be prepared to answer questions.”
When he speaks about various methods to employ in the course of delivering a dynamic presentation, Boyd emphasizes the importance of getting the audience’s attention with an opening, energetic delivery and including a “wow factor.”
“Listeners pay close attention when a speaker begins with: ‘Last night as I was driving home from work.…’ Or you could begin with a current event: ‘You might have heard about the flood that….’ A question is another way to make people listen: ‘How many of you check your e-mail more than three times a day?’ Whatever technique you use, when you grab the attention of the audience, you’re on your way to a successful speech.”
Be Energetic
An invaluable tool in gaining the audience’s attention is to be energetic in delivery. “Speak with variety in your voice. Slow down for a dramatic point and speed up to show excitement. Pause occasionally for effect. Don’t just stand behind the lectern, but move a step away to make a point. When you are encouraging your audience, take a step toward them. Demonstrate how something works or looks or moves as you tell about it. Show facial expression; smile when talking about something pleasant and let your face show other emotions as you discuss an event or activity. Make sure your movements have a purpose.”
When it comes to including the aforementioned “wow” factor in a presentation, Boyd, who has years of experience working with manufacturers and reps, stresses that “Something in your speech should make your audience think, ‘Wow!’ It could be a story, a dramatic point, an unusual statistic, or an effective visual that helps the audience understand immediately. With a ‘wow’ factor, you have something to look forward to in the speech that you know will have an impact on your audience. You’ll become a more enthusiastic speaker because the ‘wow’ factor will get you as well as the audience pumped for the speech.”
He continues by noting that the “wow” factor is critical for all kinds of audiences. “In my opinion the ‘wow’ factor does not deal with a level of sophistication or intellect. It could be a sales presentation, the inaugural address, or a math professor presenting at a mathematics conference.”
Additional Presentation Tips
Avoid Being Offensive — “There’s a famous anecdote featuring British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and British politician Bessie Braddock, which may be apocryphal but makes for an entertaining story. Supposedly Braddock encountered an intoxicated Churchill and said, ‘Sir, you are drunk.’ He replied: ‘And you, Bessie, are disgustingly ugly. But tomorrow I shall be sober, and you will still be disgustingly ugly.’
“As speakers we want to work hard not to offend an audience on purpose, though in some situations someone is just waiting to be offended. I think offending an audience goes across all occupations. In most audiences at least one person is waiting to be offended. Anything you say that shows you don’t understand what the people in the room believe, do or say, you have offended someone. Mispronouncing a proper noun is deadly. Using “marking” where you unnecessarily identify a person by gender, color, nationality, etc., will offend someone. I am very careful about the content of the jokes/stories/evidence to avoid offending someone. I think all reps should have these same concerns. This is more of a challenge than it was l5 years ago because people seem to be more sensitive today about the words we use.”
What can speakers do to avoid offending someone in the audience?
Always be concerned about time — Be present early for your speaking engagement. The person in charge of the program will be relieved to see the speaker present with time to spare. Audience members who see you before your scheduled time will view you positively. Also, don’t go overtime with your presentation. If you are to speak 30 minutes, never speak 35. In fact, stop at 28 minutes. Show respect for the time of the listeners.
Don’t freeze and don’t rush — Boyd emphasizes that among the most effective ways to develop your presentation skills — which includes what has already been mentioned — is to join a local Toastmasters Club. Here you get to practice overcoming the problems mentioned previously. Pause at the ends of sentences to avoid rushing. Make eye contact with specific individuals and look for understanding facial expressions. Being audience-oriented will slow you down. Avoid saying too much: never tell all you know. Answer a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and move on. Don’t give an opinion or information to that kind of question. Go through your presentation and ask yourself ‘What can I leave out?’”
And finally, to avoid freezing in front of audience make sure you are prepared. Always concentrate on connecting with your audience. Get enough sleep/eat the right kinds of foods/avoid sugar/avoid too much caffeine.
Pronounce proper nouns correctly — “Check ahead of time to make certain you know how to pronounce the name of the organization to which you are speaking, key names of people in the group, and any words or terms common to that business or association.”
Have new and relevant information — Audiences are more intelligent and more demanding than they have ever been. Before you speak, find out the group’s knowledge level on your topic. A speaker has a responsibility to stay current with findings connected to speech content and share that with audiences. Alternatively, if you find out the audience is not knowledgeable about some of the terms you need to use, be careful to define the words as you speak them.
Be pleasant but not pushy in the way you interact with the audience members — before and after you speak. Be willing to go with the flow and adapt as best you can. In talking to individuals before and after the presentation, be a good listener by asking open-ended questions that engage the listener. Don’t reinforce the speaker stereotype that all speakers monopolize conversations. Be sincere and pleasant as you relate to the audience members one-on-one.
Finally, be very careful about poking fun at people in the audience — Even if the program chair points out someone who could be the subject of a joke or one-liner because he or she is a jokester, think twice before doing it. Someone might be offended if you do, wondering, “Will I be next?” Be safe by only making fun of yourself.
Especially if you are speaking to a large audience, you cannot predict the context each member is bringing to the event; thus the possibility of alienating someone can’t be avoided. Keeping these principles in mind, however, will help to win over your audience.
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