Making the right presentation

I'm struggling to find a tactful way of saying this: I doubt if you are, because hardly anyone does. After an embarrassment of years doing this stuff, I'm forced to the conclusion that no one really takes their presentations seriously enough to spend any time considering what they say in them.

Hopefully, you're one of those unusual people who take them more seriously than that, so let's talk about pitchperfect.

The advent of PowerPoint^® has tended to blind us to an important truth: as long your message is good enough, you'll get results if you present it on a fag packet. That's not to say you don't need a professional presentation (well you wouldn't expect me to, would you?), but coruscating animations and loud bangs won't persuade anyone if they just don't want (or understand) what you're offering.

pitchperfect is how we fix this. We'll sit down together and establish just what your content should be. Once we've done that, I'll give you a clear steer on what should go on each slide. That way, even if you put your own PowerPoint^® or KeyNote^® presentation together, you'll be pitching far beyond your competitors.

People don't buy features. Fair enough, but you know what else? They don't live in the 1970s either.

If you think it's enough to say "This does that, which means that...", you need to think again. And a lot harder. People are a lot more ready to buy what they want than they are to buy what they need. So the old "Establish the need" sales technique needs to be consigned to the deep along with the alternative close. We're all a lot more sophisticated these days.

Lots of regular presenters have slide decks ready-prepared for specific industry sectors. This seems reasonable - after all, one construction company is much like another isn't it?

Leaving aside for the moment, that they're likely to be very unalike, I can pretty much guarantee that the people you'll be speaking to will be unique. So your proposition needs to be as personal as a LadyShave.

If you want to generalise, start thinking about job descriptions; the Financial Director of a construction company often has more in common with the FD of a software manufacturer than with the Sales Manager of another construction business.

Your solution almost certainly requires change; it may be perceived as including an element of risk. You're asking your audience to put in extra work, spend money and risk the disapproval of their peers and bosses. Unless they want what you're offering enough to endure the pain, you're not going to win. Their company might need the cost saving, but they don't want the hassle and exposure.

Want trumps need every time.

Think how many times you've lost a sale to a competitor.

Now think how many times your potential customers just didn't buy anything - from anyone.

I'd bet you've lost a lot more sales to inaction than you have to your rivals. Why? Because you may have made a strong case for what they needed, but they just didn't want it enough.

That's something I can fix.