THE BARD GROUP, LLC

Every new section or topic inside a meeting requires an opening. To learn more about the opening at the beginning of the meeting, refer to Opening the Meeting.

OBJECTIVES

Re-engage the client and get their attention focused on you and your specific message.
Intrigue them and make them want to know more.

CHALLENGES

At the beginning of each section of the presentation the client is deciding, consciously and unconsciously, if what you are about to cover is worthy of their attention.
As a subject matter expert, talking about a specific subject, your job is not just about sharing facts and information. It is about connecting your information to what is critical to the client and to the overarching 3 key messages around which the presentation is built.

TECHNIQUES

The opening of your section should spark everyone’s attention and get them back into the present moment. You want to be crisp and to the point so that the client is intrigued enough to want to know more and anxious to hear your ideas.

Apply these techniques to deliver an effective section opening:

A. Review time

1. Give them a sense of how much time your section will take if the facilitator has not already done so.

Example:

“Over the next 15 minutes, I thought it would be helpful to…”

2. Check in with them to see if they have different expectations.

Example:

“How does that sound to you?”

This sets an expectation for how long the client needs to focus. It also allows the Sales Lead an opportunity to jump in and adjust your time if needed.

B. Headline what you are going to cover

1. Share what you will be talking about in your section and some sense for why the client should care.

Example:

“…I want to walk you through X and Y…As we think about this, the one thing we are most excited about is…which is meaningful to you because…”

2. Be sure to tie back to the overall messaging of the presentation.

C. Share your path

1. Review the order of topics inside your section. Once the client knows where they are going, they can relax and focus on you and your message.

Example:

“I will start with…, then move to…, finishing up with…”

2. Then ask for their input.

Examples:

“How does that sound, and what else do you want to be sure we cover on this topic today?
“What is the most important thing you want to get from our conversation on this subject?”
“Tell me about the challenges you are facing relative to this.”

D. Gain agreement on their challenge

Share something intriguing that makes them sit up and think and gets them talking about their challenges.

TIP: Be sure that whatever you share ties to their challenges as you currently understand them, and aligns with the solution you are offering.

Here are three ways to engage the client around their challenges:

1. Hit their challenge head-on.

Example:

“Here’s the challenge we believe we are uniquely positioned to solve for better than almost anyone else. It ties back strongly to our ability to …What are your thoughts?”

Feel free to tell them you are excited/proud/thrilled/happy about the opportunity to share the story, whatever it is you really do feel about it. The audience wants to know that you are excited so that they can be excited too.

2. Offer a thought-provoking observation that ties to the challenge and ask them to react.

Example:

“One statistic that stands out to us is...Have you seen this, and what are your thoughts?”

3. Summarize something you know about them or their market and ask them to comment.

Example:

“From the research we have done, in anticipation of today’s meeting, we learned… and …and …How does that fit with what you are experiencing?”

When done well, everything that follows is a proof point to the overall message that comes from this discussion.

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E. Listen and respond engagingly

1. Clear your head of everything else and actively listen.

Do not rush them. Do not speak over them.

It does not matter if they challenge, agree, or haven’t ever thought about it. These are all positive responses because it gets them talking, thinking, and engaged.

2. Restate what they said in a slightly different way and check-in with them to see if you got it right.

You may even decide to rephrase what they said in the form of a challenge and confirm with them that you heard right.

3. Ask for feedback to see if they have more to add. Any information they share is gold because it provides a view into what is most important to them.

Example:

“Did I get that right, and what more would you add?

ADVANTAGES TO YOU

You have their attention, they are engaging with you, and they are intrigued.
You are learning more about them and what is important to them. The more you know, the better targeted you can be in aligning your solutions to their challenges.

ADVANTAGES TO THE CLIENT

They see that this meeting is all about them, so they are feeling optimistic.
Their assumptions around what happens in a typical meeting have been disrupted, and this is a welcome change.
They are easily focusing on you, what you have to offer, and feel connected.

EXERCISES

OPENING STATEMENT

1. Prepare your opening remarks, including these critical components:

Review time.
Headline what you plan to cover and why they should care.
Share the flow of your section and ask for their input using an open-ended question.
Share something intriguing that will get their attention or get them talking about their challenges.
Invite dialogue. The more you know about them, the better you will be able to connect what you do with what is important to them.

2. Rehearse until it is natural and smooth, both what you plan to say and the questions you plan to ask.