THE BARD GROUP, LLC

OBJECTIVES

Create one story that builds, one page and section at a time, toward a climactic finish.
Make it easy for the client to see that there is total alignment between their challenges and what you do uniquely well.
Create a presentation deck that visually supports and strengthens your story and allows you to get your message across within the allotted time.

CHALLENGES

85% of executive buyers say sales meetings are a waste of time because they are all about the sales team and their story, not about them or their needs. Your job is to bridge your value to what they need.
When given a choice between listening and reading, the client will always read because reading is easier. Written words are neatly separated with spaces, and your client can read at their own pace. Speech is messier. If the client is reading your text-heavy or complex page, wandering around trying to figure it all out, they are trapped in the slide and cannot listen to you.
You spend hours or days refining your presentation deck before first getting clear on what your story should be for this client and their situation.
You are a fountain of fascinating information! You want to include everything about your company and solution, and you want to be ready for whatever might happen in the meeting.
Your client will remember very little of what you tell them, so your challenge is to focus only on what is most important to them.
Too often, a presentation becomes a reaction to your last client meeting. Someone asked a question last time that was not expected, so this time you will make sure that page is included, just in case. You will not be caught short again!
There is a tendency to want your presentation to be your script, for it to tell the whole story. But your pages should only be a visual tool to support your story. Use them to emphasize your points, not to deliver them. Only you can tell your story effectively.

I apologize for such a long letter - I didn’t have time to write a short one.
Mark Twain

TECHNIQUES

Begin by building your story because it is then easier to refine your presentation deck.

A. Think through the lens of your client

Start by grounding yourself in who your client is and what is going on with them.

What is your client trying to accomplish? Use what you have been told and do additional research.
What challenge(s) are making it difficult for them to achieve their business objective?
What do they want to learn from you and why?

B. Identify what makes you different

1. List out the things that make you different. Make a complete list because you will prioritize them for this specific client next. Here are questions to help guide you:

What are the key things that have driven your firm’s performance?
What would your current clients say makes your firm special?
What are you most proud of?
What problems have you solved for other clients?

2. Which of the above differentiators pass this test? You must reply ‘yes’ to all:

Unique to you,
Important to this client (addresses their challenge), and
Defensible (you can prove it).

3. Next, you will use the results of this test to come up with your 3 key messages for this client.

C. Select 3 key messages

Knowing that they will remember very little, focus on the 3 things that differentiate you and align what you do uniquely well with what is most important to them.

1. Be confident that these are the right three things that are most important to the client.

Of the differentiators that pass the test above, select which three are most important to your client.
Imagine yourself saying this sentence at the close of the meeting,

“When you pull of this together, there are 3 keys to our ability to meet your challenges, 1, 2, and 3…..and here’s why…”

‍

‍

2. For each of the 3 key messages, figure out why the client should care. We call this the ‘So What’.

Be very specific as to why the point you are making is important to THEM, or how they will benefit from your solutions.
The more specific you are about the ‘So What’ the better, because it will allow the client to process your information exactly the way you want. You leave no room for them to create their own interpretation.

D. Identify your proof points

1. For each of the 3 key messages, select proof points or facts which validate that what you do works.

2. Facts can come in the form of case studies, real-life examples, statistics, or other quantifiable results.

3. Strike the right level of detail. Be specific enough to be convincing but not so detailed that you lose their attention or add to their cognitive backlog.

4. Remember, every detail you share should build a bridge between your world and theirs — between what you do and what they need.

‍

E. Structure your presentation

A great presentation has a beginning, middle, and end.

1. Start with a strong opening.

The first few minutes of your presentation should be high engagement. This is when you are making introductions, checking on time, and sharing your flow. Typically, you will not have any slides during this part of the presentation.

Next, transition to engaging the client around their challenge.

The client will only accept your solution if they have first bought into their challenge or concern. So, the first slide in your deck should offer a thought-provoking stat, quote, or recent headline that will engage them around what they want to accomplish and what’s in their way of achieving that objective. Keep the slide simple.

The information you provide creates a conversation starter and makes them want to continue to engage because you are making it about them.

You want them thinking, ‘’Holy cow, I’ve got to do something about this!” because then they are open to what you have to offer.

2. The middle (or core) of the presentation is where you talk about your solution, your 3 key messages, and the supporting proof points specific to this client and their situation.

Create a natural and logical flow. Which subjects flow in what order? You will find there are natural groupings, where one section ties nicely to the next.
Decide which key points belong in each section?
Plan how you will bridge between slides.

3. Close by tying it all together. The last slide should recap your 3 key messages.

Use three bullets to restate your 3 key messages succinctly, without using full sentences. This slide will be your backdrop while you summarize what they said about their challenges and link that to your solutions.
Be sure to reflect what you learned from the client using their own words and comments. This reinforces for them that you are a partner who listens and that what they say matters.

F. Be very selective about your content

1. Solve to the least amount of information you need to convey your message, nothing more.

2. Eliminate everything in your presentation that does not support your key messages.

The client is not looking for complex, data-heavy slides. If they want more, they will not be shy about asking. They are counting on you to make sense of it all for them, to provide them with the salient facts, and to give them the ‘why this is important’ commentary.

G. Every page supports your story

Every page of your presentation is there to prove out or build upon your 3 key messages.

1. Each page should have only one key point that ties back to the bigger story.

No page is a stand-alone point on its own. If the slide does not clearly support the bigger message, it does not belong in this presentation.

2. Each page should easily and logically flow from the previous one, as should each section.

Your presentation is not a series of stand-alone mini-presentations or short stories where the client does not need one section to make sense of the others. You are creating one story that builds one page and section at a time toward a climactic finish.

H. Design matters

1. A good PowerPoint design creates cohesion and helps you tell your story by punctuating the verbal messages you are delivering.

Good design makes it easy for the client to track with you. It keeps them focused on you and your message — on listening, not reading.

2. Your goal is to design a crisp, clean, and visual presentation that enables you to maintain control of the message.

3. By following a few simple design rules, your presentation slides will flow easily and logically.

To learn more, refer to Designing the Optimal Live Presentation.

ADVANTAGES TO YOU

Thinking it all through ahead of time allows you to feel good about your message and boosts your confidence at the meeting.
Refining the presentation deck is much easier and quicker once you have a crystal-clear story.
You can engage the client because you have been selective about the content and are clear on the story. You are not trapped in the details of your product or the complexity of the slides.
Good design eliminates confusion on the client’s part and the risk that they will interpret all that text and data in a way that you do not want.
When your story revolves around 3 key messages that align what you do uniquely well with what is most important to them, it is easier to manage the limited time you have in the meeting.
Your visuals help them remember you and your story.

ADVANTAGES TO THE CLIENT

They feel like the meeting is custom-made to their situation.
It is easy for the client to focus on you and how you are different because they are not trying to decipher busy or complicated slides.
They are free to listen, think and engage with ease, letting the importance of what you are saying sink in.
They understand why you and why now.

EXERCISES

1. WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT TO YOUR CLIENT

A. What is your client trying to accomplish? What are their business objectives? Use what you have been told and do additional research.

B. What challenge(s) are making it difficult for them to achieve their business objective?

C. What do they want to learn from you and why?

2. THE WAYS YOU ARE DIFFERENT

A. Of all the ways that your product and firm are different from or better than your competitors, which ones pass this test. You must reply ‘yes’ to all three of these qualifiers:

Unique to you
Important to the client
Defensible (you can prove it through facts, figures, results, stats, etc.)

B. Now pick the Top 3 differentiators based on what you know about this client. These are your 3 key messages around which you will build your story and your presentation.

3. YOUR STORY FOR THIS CLIENT

List the 3 key messages that differentiate you, why that information is important to the client, and proof that validates it or provides a magnitude of impact.

‍