Creating Your Value Proposition: Step 3

It Don’t Mean A Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing!

The jazz great Duke Ellington was right. And it applies to you and your presentation! A presentation has to be entertaining and educating. You need to develop a rhythm and a level of alacrity (cheerful readiness) that’s infectious.

Practice, Practice, Practice

There’s a great German expression: “Practice makes the master.” So it is with your presentation.

The script I spoke of in Creating Your Value Proposition: Step 2 must be memorized first. You have to know it cold! After you’ve got in ingrained in your mind, then you can add your personality to it and be consummately thorough and entertaining.

Review, Review, Review

One of the greatest ways to make your presentation all of these things is by videotaping yourself delivering it until YOU’RE inspired. Keep reviewing your video to master your physical delivery. The tape won’t lie…if it seems the presentation still needs work, it does. Video recording allows you to “be your own worst critic,” but in this case, that’s good. You want to fine tune your delivery before you step in front of a client or potential customer.

Avoid non-words such as “ah”/“um”along with qualifiers such as “try,” “think,” “want,” “hope,” etc. These words dilute your message and take a way from the confidence required to inspire you’re client to desire your product/service. What sounds better to you:

I think our service can be the solution to your issues
or
Our service can be the solution to your issues.

Make clear, powerful statements that convey your confidence.

Input, Input, Input

One of the sure fire ways to present your value proposition in a relational climate is to get their input on what they think your value is first:

“I’d enjoy hearing your opinion of our service; it’s important to me.” 

This is a form of cognitive dissonance in that clients don’t expect to hear this, they expect they’ll be sold something.

Its also important to check-in periodically throughout your presentation by asking questions such as:

Can you see this helping your business?
How would this aspect of our service affect your profitability?

Try these actions and let me know how it goes for you.

This is the last of a three-part series focused on creating a value proposition. Leave a comment to let me know what you thought. Your feedback is important to me.

Thanks.

SG