Presenting Your Venture

THOUGHT INTO ACTION INSTITUTE

September 2012

WIRELESS:U/N: tia

P/W: colgate

THOUGHT INTO ACTION INSTITUTE

Topics For Discussion• Thinking Like An Entrepreneur

• Presenting your Business/Organization in the Most Effective Way

o We will focus on this at every session, large and small

o It is a Huge Differentiator;

o You can not execute it if you are can not explain it to all of your constituencies

• How to Get What you Want; If You Know How to Ask, You Will Get What You Need

What Do They Have In Common

THOUGHT INTO ACTION INSTITUTE

THOUGHT INTO ACTION INSTITUTE

Constitution Of A Founder• Passionate

• Flexible

• No fear of failure

• Decisive

• Perseverance

• Can Take Criticism

• Ruthless

• Powerful Work Ethic

• Leader

• Life Begins at Edge of Comfort Zone

THOUGHT INTO ACTION INSTITUTE

Have In Common?• The Answer is Not: None of them Graduated From

College-Although True.

THOUGHT INTO ACTION INSTITUTE

Your Business/Product/Organization/etc.• Four Components of the 30-60 Second Elevator Pitch

o Your Business/Product/Organization Name

o Problem you are attempting to solve

o Your Solution

o Key Benefits

THOUGHT INTO ACTION INSTITUTE

What Is Your Idea? (In 30 Seconds)• The promised land: clarity, simplicity, and jargon-free.

• Try writing it before you try saying it…and then trim everything that isn‘t essential.

• And then, be able to say it in one breath……

• The test: can you present your idea in a way that produces reactions to the idea, rather than ―Hmm—not sure I understand it.‖

THOUGHT INTO ACTION INSTITUTE

Student Entrepreneurs; Your Ventures

Volunteers to the Front of the Room

THOUGHT INTO ACTION INSTITUTE

‗Company-Maker‘ Interactions• In any meeting or conversation, there is only One Goal:

o Getting AGREEMENT from that person to do something that advances YOUR Interest in the TIME FRAME that You want it done.

• You are going to have to ask for it.

• But, it is a process

THOUGHT INTO ACTION INSTITUTE

Getting Agreement• How Do You Get Agreement

o Plan and Know what Success Looks Like

• ―don‘t wing it‖

• Research and Understand the other side‘s pleasure and pain points; Develop a story around being aligned

• Collaborative Selling-The customer is a partner and you are there to solve his problems and meet his needs.

o For entrepreneurs, sales in not a numbers game

o One important customer/relationship can be a company-maker

THOUGHT INTO ACTION INSTITUTE

Maximizing Your Points Of Contact• Be very explicit about what you want and what your

product/service/organization will do for the customer

o Refine to perfection your 30-60 second pitch of what your business or organization does and how it benefits the person you are meeting with.

• Make sure they understand that you will not waste their time

• Employ an ―agree-as-you go‖ process

THOUGHT INTO ACTION INSTITUTE

Asking For The Order• The ―order‖ is what you want from the person you are

speaking with that advances your interest. Can range from a second meeting to a big check

• Don‘t be afraid to ask for a lot. Top producers have high turn down rates

• If you are not meeting some resistance, you are not asking for enough

• Make sure that both sides know what has been agreed to; Follow-up email.

THOUGHT INTO ACTION INSTITUTE

Most Powerful Words After Agreement• I am committed to delivering you X by Y date.

• Your personal brand will be completely tied to fulfilling this promise.

THOUGHT INTO ACTION INSTITUTE

Motivational Clichés - I Got Hundreds• "Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find

out how far it is possible to go." -- T.S. Eliot

• "Go out on a limb. That's where the fruit is." -- Jimmy Carter

• "If things seem under control, you are just not going fast enough." -- Mario Andretti

• "Pearls don't lie on the seashore. If you want one, you must dive for it." -- Chinese proverb

• "You'll always miss 100% of the shots you don't take." --Wayne Gretzky

THOUGHT INTO ACTION INSTITUTE

Goal Of A Presentation• Persuade the Audience to Actually Do Something that They

May Not Have Been Planning on Doing before Hearing Your Presentation.

-OR-

• Build Alignment Among the Audience on Values, Goals and Actions

THOUGHT INTO ACTION INSTITUTE

How To Accomplish Presentation Goals

• Fascinate

• Captivate

• NOT Educate

THOUGHT INTO ACTION INSTITUTE

Impact Of Your Presentation?• Most research suggests that impact is determined:

o 50%: by body language/how you visually ‗present‘

o 40%: by how you sound/tone of voice

o 10%: by content/what you say

• Even if overstated, the implications are clear…..

THOUGHT INTO ACTION INSTITUTE

How To Start• Don‘t build to your ―conclusion‖ – Start with it.

o My business is going to make investors a ton of money because…

o This organization will improve the lives of millions by….

o Adoption of this technology will slow the melting of the polar ice cap by…

THOUGHT INTO ACTION INSTITUTE

Some Pretty Basic Rules• You will be nervous.

o Public Speaking is a greater fear than death

• Your technology will at some point break down

o Know it cold without slides

• Don‘t overwhelm the audience with data

o No one wants to drink water from a fire hose

• Keep it simple

o Tell them the time, not how the watch works

THOUGHT INTO ACTION INSTITUTE

What Does ‗Keep It Simple‘ Mean?• Get to the ―core of the idea‖

• Simple does not mean ―dumbing down‖, mono syllables or sound bites.

• This process is difficult; What is your most important point? You have many good ones but only one Most Important.

• But you have to come up with the ―core‖. Everything else flows from it.

THOUGHT INTO ACTION INSTITUTE

Core Ideas• ―Southwest is THE Low-fare Airline‖

• ―It‘s the economy, stupid‖

• These Messages are both Core and Compact. Vital and Simple;

• You need both. Compact is Not a Virtue without Core

o “The world is flat”

THOUGHT INTO ACTION INSTITUTE

Key To Presentation Success Is SUCCESS• Simple

• Unexpected

• Concrete

• Credible

• Emotional

• Stories

• Stickiness

From Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath

THOUGHT INTO ACTION INSTITUTE

A Few Tips To Keep In Mind• Show your audience you are happy to be there!

• Take the time to read your audience…and respond

• Focus on your audience, not yourself: tell them only what they need to know--not all that you know

• Energy is a tool…it is contagious…and better than a triple espresso for your audience. And it can be delivered by your voice, body, and face. Use it.

THOUGHT INTO ACTION INSTITUTE

One Bad Meeting Can Kill All Your Work• Feedback I received from a top Political Consultant for a

Candidate I am working with for NYS Senate

o he wasn't prepared. It is incredibly frustrating. I had been really clear in my emails as to what needed to happen this morning.

o He also needs to aggressively hire a campaign consultant to do messaging, media, print material, calls and field. I had given him the name of a consultant who I think would be the right fit - and he didn't make that meeting happen

o He's meeting with the Newsday ed board on Tuesday and is not prepared in the least. I also hope his delivery at the ed board is slightly more animated than it is in meetings with me.

o He needs a coach/trainer/dominatrix to make this happen

THOUGHT INTO ACTION INSTITUTE

A Few Tips To Keep In Mind• Don‘t read notes—there is nothing duller on earth than

watching someone read

• Present to the audience. Think about connecting with your audience

• Get them involved/engaged: intellectually (questions), physically (your movement), visually (you, visuals, props), aurally (your voice, music, sounds)

THOUGHT INTO ACTION INSTITUTE

A Few Tips To Keep In Mind• PRESENT WITH PASSION---it is contagious!

• Remember---you are selling your idea…and selling is the transfer of emotions…so emote!!

THOUGHT INTO ACTION INSTITUTE

It‘s About Winning

THOUGHT INTO ACTION INSTITUTE

How To End• You are there for a reason…make sure you know what it is

• Call to Action

• Ask for the Order

• Get Buy-in and Commitment for Next Steps

OTHERWISE, WHAT WAS THE POINT OF WASTING YOURS AND THEIR TIME