Never Underwhelm Again

In speaking with a new client, I found it interesting to hear her lament relative to business development. She spoke about underwhelming a client during a presentation and asked how to avoid this going forward.

I asked, “Did you relate the presentation to what they told you about their business? Did you probe further to find out their real pain points? Did you retrofit those points into your recommendations?” She hadn’t. So, what had happened is she gave a canned presentation that, while very well crafted, had no relevance to the client. In other words….there was no “Wow” factor!

Anticipate…then Retrofit

The presentation you’re about to deliver actually starts weeks before you deliver it. It’s your job at this stage to anticipate a client’s challenges and incorporate them into your presentation. Heck…it’s easy to talk about your offering in a vacuum. You can do that all day. But, your job as a trusted adviser is to craft a compelling reason for your offering that answers a problem/challenge your client has acknowledged.

Once you find their challenge and size it with your client you then must retrofit it into your presentation. That’s the “WOW” factor. The great part of this technique is to say to a client, “As you have shared with me, XYZ has been a challenge, is that right?” Now, they know you have listened, you understand their world and they are as invested in the presentation as you are. That’s a recipe for success right there!

How prepared are you for your next client meeting? What help do you need?  Let me know below. – SG