Whiteboard sales conversations are transforming presenting around the world. How can you get the most out of your whiteboard presentation? Find out the 5 moves that alienate audiences and kill sales.
For years, sales professionals have relied on PowerPoint to get their message across. This resulted in the common phrase: “Death By PowerPoint.” It’s not really the software’s fault. It’s the over-reliance on one medium to be the do-all, end-all savior for every situation.
Enter. The whiteboard. The whiteboard has long been in training rooms, conference rooms and boardrooms. Dry erase boards and classic whiteboards are often found covered in dust, scribbles or static data.
If you want to make the most out of this powerful medium, avoid these 5 moves. If you don’t, your awesome presentation is doomed to fail.
1. Wing It
You’d think that smart sales professionals would know better. But, here are a few comments that cause brilliant people to make foolish mistakes.
• I could do it in my sleep.
• This is just like the one I did last month.
• I have this in the bag.
Whiteboard presenting and selling looks spontaneous. There’s a reason why it flows and seems so easy. Because you’ve practiced.
Confidence in whiteboard presenting occurs when you start with the basics, get step-by-step training, learn to adapt skills to your content…and practice like crazy. Confidence is the result of preparation.
2. Show All The Details
Know any presenters who feel they must show all the gory details? While they are busy mapping out the exact chronological history of their project, the audience is falling asleep.
In speaking with experts, I often hear comments that point to the magnetic attraction to details.
“This is how I show my expertise.”
“I have to provide all the evidence.”
“My boss expects me to know all these details.”
The opposite is true. By showing every tiny detail, you are doing your audience a disservice. You aren’t making your expert knowledge accessible to every participant.
3. Never Get Feedback
Strange, but true. There are experienced presenters who believe that they are experts in their field, have powerful life experiences and know exactly how to share this at the whiteboard.
Maybe they are right. But they won’t know for sure…because they resist getting feedback. Asking for feedback is not a sign of weakness or poor performance. Rather, it is the mark of a leader who is ready and open to learn.
There are always things that other people see about our performance that are impossible to see ourselves. Perhaps we miss only one critical detail because we assume everyone knows it. This missing detail sticks like glue, and your audience can’t focus on what comes next. If this happens, it won’t matter how brilliant the rest of your presentation is. The audience won’t be listening or watching.
In short…it’s always a great idea to ask for feedback.
4. Rely Only On Words
As much as words are important, they are not the only way people process and digest information. Over 65-80% of the population are visual learners. They rely on pictures and words to make decisions.
If you are ignoring pictures, you risk ignoring the majority of your audience. This is not a great move.
Especially because a whiteboard is such a visual-friendly medium. There is no reason to rely exclusively on words. Even if you can’t draw a straight line and feel you have zero artistic talent, you can illustrate your story.
If you aren’t sure how, take an online whiteboard class. It’s the fastest way to boost your confidence for drawing-and-writing your message. Plus, you’ll discover exactly how to organize your message for maximum impact.
5. Never Put Down The Marker
After a terrific whiteboard presentation, this is the worst thing you can do—keep going. Important moments in presenting and selling require pauses, listening and connection.
There is a time when the conversation shifts away from what you are capturing…and towards other parts of the interaction. If you refuse to put down the marker, it’s just like continuing to pitch benefits after your client has said, “Yes!”
What can go wrong? A lot. Your client may change his or her mind. A new option might appear. A new idea to work with a different provider. A new realization that you aren’t listening, aren’t interacting, and aren’t doing everything in their best interests.
In whiteboard conversations your sensitivity is essential. Working with a marker is critical to what you do…but so is putting it down.
Avoid these 5 pitfalls and enjoy the power of interactive selling with whiteboard presentations. It’s the fast way to get ahead.
Milly Sonneman is a recognized expert in visual language. She is the co-director of Presentation Storyboarding, a leading presentation training firm, and author of the popular guides: Beyond Words and Rainmaker Stories available on Amazon. Milly helps business professionals give winning presentations, through Email Marketing skills trainings at Presentation Storyboarding. You can find out more about our courses or contact Milly through our website at: http://www.presentationstoryboarding.com/