Every presentation is a story waiting to be told. We turn to our communication expert, Karen, to share some techniques about how to get your credentials across and appeal to your client in a way that is both informative and effective.

Q: Karen, how can a company tell potential clients their credentials?

A: Karen: The wrong approach is to do a data dump. Most organizations go in to a sales pitch with a powerpoint deck showing their own companies history, successes, and biographical info about the group. You have bored your prospect with your unoriginal approach.

Instead – find out the prospects issues, needs, problems and make your pitch about THEM and how you can help them solve their dilemmas.

Tell stories about how your company has solved other, similar problems in the past and how those skills can be used here to help your company.  The stories, rather than a list, will draw in your audience and subliminally demonstrate your track record without listing it straight out. Stories also help your audience clearly visualize how you can help solve their specific problems.

Q: If a company is giving an informative presentation rather than a sales pitch, how do I make the presentation about them?

A: Use their organization in your examples.