I'm coaching a new client on her presentation skills. How can I help her attract more clients at her business launch event?
A new client is having a launch and is requesting assistance on giving a speech on the night of the event. What is the most important thing I could coach her on, in order to attract more customers to her business?
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Aug 15, 2016
Does she have a plan for her launch and how is she marketing the launch event? Typically our clients will have a marketing launch budget and we work with them (either coach them or if they want us to help them (consulting) to help them develop a launch plan with the event itself and working back to advertise it whether it be online, advertising, web, social media....etc. You have to build momentum and can not launch and hope they will come. How this is done differs on the business. Example, if you have a local business, you will want to involve your local government and maybe get your city councilor to cut the ribbon. Here in Canada I find the local Chamber/Board of Trade will come out and if they join/belong - they will help advertise for you. There are also sometimes local celebrities.
You could coach her on developing a plan that works based on her target market and business along with developing a budget. If she doesn't feel comfortable, there are people she can hire to work with her to do this for her if she has a budget.
Aug 13, 2016
I would put all of the energy on the potential clients, and their wants, needs, and desires. I would ask someone to introduce me and give a brief overview of my credentials, but then I wouldn't put any emphasis on myself. I would focus on the people in the audience and attempt to tell them how I can help solve their problems or add value.
I would not do any selling, but give as much value as I could. At the end, I would ask them to fill out a "critique sheet" that gave honest feedback about the talk. I would ask for testimonials, and permission to use them if they liked the talk. I'd have one sheet that mentions my services, and asks for contact info for those who are interested.
The most important thing is the presenter's attitude: The people in the audience don't care what you want or need...they have problems that need fixing and things that they want done. Show how you can help them....It's ALL about them!
Hope this helps!
Jun 7, 2016
Hi Nellie - of course she will be nervous but she just needs to be herself. Be friendly and confident in what she is presenting. It seems the common them with the answers is connecting with her audience. Good luck!
Jun 5, 2016
Great question and even better responses. I think coaching someone for a presentation is one of the hardest tasks to take on because what you are really coaching is confidence. With confidence, most presenters will succeed.
Aug 16, 2014
I hope you know this is a marketing question first and a performance question second.
What does she sell? Who does she sell it to? What problem does it solve and/or job does it do for the buyer? How big of a problem is it for the target prospect? How often does the prospect think about the problem and what words does the prospect use when they're talking about it to themselves or their closest associates?
Answering these questions will begin to give you the words and headlines needed to attract the attention of those that MIGHT want to buy what she is selling. For example let's say she's selling donuts. What kind of problems do people have when trying to buy donuts. How do they know where to look, where to go, what time to buy (fresh donuts are better...right)? How could they compare donuts so that they would know, absolutely, if this was a good one, bad one, great one.... Now how does your client solve the problem of buying a great donut?
What we're talking about here is a minimum 12 week course with lots of exercises, pictures, graphs, tests and practice to get the strategy right and then the tactics to match both the strategy and her prospect(s).
She must learn how to:
1] "Interrupt" the prospect's thinking so that they are ready to listen (you can't sell to somebody who isn't listening);
2] Engage them so that they believe that if the continue to listen they will get information that is both valuable and useful;
3] "educate" them on why buying from your client is the best decision they can make;
4] and lastly "Offer" them an easy, low risk way to learn more, sample, try the product in a way that demonstrates the inescapable logic of buying whatever she sells, from your client.
Aug 15, 2014
Nellie, you have received a wide range of responses and quite frankly, I have to say that almost every one of them make great points. But I also understand that you are now at a position where need "the group" to give you some answers. For that reason, I offer the following from my past coaching and behavioral change consulting:
1. do not pretend to know the answers to the needs of your clients customers unless you have done the due diligence.
2. Ask your client what does she want the attendees to know, say, feel and do as a result of attending the business launch event. Be careful, this is much more difficult than you may think and your client will struggle at first. Be patient and make suggestions when the client is stuck. As you discover answers to the know, say, feel and do, ask the client what part of their event would directly elicit that response (for each "KFSD").
List the features that you and the client have come up with and have your client rank order them first, by which she thinks will be most powerful for her clients, most moving and convincing. Remember, this is in terms of the KFSDs that were generated earlier. Then have the client rank order them in terms of most comfortable to talk/demonstrate about. You and your client will discover what to use, what to throw away, what needs work on (delivery, content, etc) and depending upon the needs, you may have to enlist the expertise of others.
Good luck with your new client. Just be careful that you do not over promise because they are new and you want to keep them. In the end your honesty and straightforwardness will be winners in the marketplace.
Aug 14, 2014
Hi Nellie,
Two important things that will help your client:
- She has to know her audience through in depth research on business people attending her event
- then connect with the audience through what the audience really need. The focus of Her speech should be about her customers not her. Then what she can do for them knowing their pains.
Hope this will help
Aug 14, 2014
I think Nellie, You need to make sure first he departures well with the main ideal of his business to the arrival where he is, at the stage of launching his business. I will explain why I am saying departure and arrival = ( Feasibility ) As the Client is very young but energetic.
Second thing to make sure : The expectation or solution the business bringing to the clients or audience.
Departure and Arrival are the main key success of attracting clients and keeping them, this is the final stage of all, before launching any business ; you can attract, but if the outcome is not satisfying or satisfactory, you can’t keep clients ( No loyal clients),
If not I will suggest you not to advise him to launch yet, see with him the expectation or solutions is going to bring to his fresh clients, does he have list of assessments problems and solutions or how he is planning to solve those problems( Consulting Business ). He must got a team also , a small for the first start.
In short, He must do a presentation of the audience’ expectation ( Solutions) than he will impress. No talking too much or too long, just stick to the point, essentials points.
And Ask Audience ( Preparing a sheet paper with questions to give to the audience ) each one of them to give him their toughest thing they are dealing in their business as said Mike.
Wish you the best.
from Patrice Papy Nzau bayonika
Aug 14, 2014
What I used to do when I had to give presentations for the first time was to use props. It helps you get through the awkwardness of presenting by using some tools, charts, graphs to smooth it out. Good Luck
Aug 14, 2014
1) She needs to be herself and make a connection with her audience
2) Use empathy to make that connection.
3) Define how her new product solves a problem she knows her audience has
ie you have an organic food product and your audience is people who want nutritious food but don't have time to cook .... you show the audience how to help them with simple recipes and tips on how to make the food ahead for healthy meals using your products
4) Promote at the end by connecting the audience to website for a free coupon or offer for your product.
5) If client has budget, give audience sample sizes of product.
Good luck with the coaching Nellie
Aug 14, 2014
I would suggest she creates a strong digital marketing campaign using multile online platforms such as Social Media, Blogs, and Search Engine Optimization to attract clients to her business. Did you know 93% of consumers begin their search for a product or service online and only 75% scroll past the first page? She needs to engage her audience and share her companies mission and vision/paint the big picture! Quality content and Social Engagement all the way.
This video has helped me to get over the fear of presenting to large groups.
http://andnowpresenting.typepad.com/professionally_speaking/ted-talks/
If she's looking for a digital marketing company please feel free to contact me!
Shanna Johnson
SCM Marketing Solutions,
Driven People, Dedicated to Growing Your Business.
Aug 14, 2014
Well, you have already had more advice than you can likely assimilate, but just thought I would chime in anyway.
For the record, unless you were hired ONLY to help with a presentation AND you do not have expertise of your own to bring, I don't care if you're a coach, consultant, mentor, or whatever -- she must trust you to be of help. That's good. As a "coach" myself, I try to have the relationship with the client where they will come to me first for everything. It is my job to decide when I really teach and when I preach, and there are times for both. Also I feel it is my job to tell the client what I know and also be a resource to find experts to help her in areas I cannot.
I'll just make a couple of high level suggestions, that hopefully help in conjunction with the other good comments. Since she is effectively trying to promote something with her presentation, she has to be careful to two things.
First, don't have a clear point in the presentation when there is a shift to the "sell" mode. The entire presentation must be a COMBINATION of teach and sell. Build up your expertise and at the end, only make it that if they want to know more, get help, get the product or service, do things faster, etc., etc., they can engage her (perhaps for a free consultation or something).
Secondly, beware of bringing so much value in the presentation that there is no need to engage her for anything. Make a clear part of the presentation one of "widening the gap" between where they are and where they want or need to be (or what they have and what they need), and she points out how she can fill that gap.
Hope this was helpful.
Aug 14, 2014
The speech is the smallest part of the whole communication action.
Answer only if you have the coaching responsibility of the whole event.
The moment, the place, the duration, the attitude are may be more important that the contain of the speech, but has to be integrated and coherent with the communication operation itself.
Aug 14, 2014
Please told him that avoid to contradiction with respect to their wording and their product, and fifty percent rely on man to man publicity so address according to human not according to book.
Aug 13, 2014
My main questions would be:
1. Who are the people in the audience?
2. What do they value?
3. What is their common challenge?
3. Based on no. 1,2 and 3 answers, which of your strengths could help them achieve their target?
Aug 13, 2014
Who would come to the launch of a business? The fans, the well-wishers, the helpers, the friends and family. Right? This is a time to celebrate, a time to welcome and share the joy of this happy occasion. Is this the time to make a sales pitch? Aren't these people already sold on her and her endeavor? How can she make them feel special? How can she make them feel welcome, appreciated, loved? How can she convey gratitude for their support? This is the launch of a business, not a product, yes? How about finding some videos of ship launches?
Aug 13, 2014
Nellie. I'd have to agree with Carsten, and others.
I'd be very careful when doing this for them. Primarily, as you maybe measured as the coach if the attendance is down; the event doesn't have the success they are looking for; or the content of the material isn't up to the job.
All that aside, presenting, or giving a speech is about knowing, or understanding your audience, connecting with them, and allowing them to understand the journey they are being taken on.
So, Make sure the material is right for the audience, the message is clear, and isn't a dictatorial set of slides or text.
Aug 13, 2014
There are two very different topics at hand here. The first being presentation skills. The second, marketing for her launch. In my opinion, the latter requires first priority. If your client has access to social media, she should create awareness of her event, given that there is enough time left before the event. If she has a marketing budget, try some collateral engagements with industry partners. Then, on to the presentation. Three golden rules apply: Know yourself. Know what you want to say. Know your audience. I hope that's a helpful start. Good luck!!
Aug 13, 2014
If this is the Goal, let her define it in her own way, with your presence to help her further refine the same. Once it is internalized, make her shine the goal with actions.
Once the client takes a baby step towards reaching the goal, rest of the steps come out inevitably.
In the given Public speech or presenting a larger audience, my clients have agreed that when they enacted the in their mind, they did the same in real subsequently.
Aug 13, 2014
This appears to be a twofold issue: How do you fill the room? AND… How do you “sell” them after they’re there?
To fill the room, she must obviously invite potential customers. Where do you get a list of potential customers? Contact the local Small Business Development Center (SBDC) or the local library, both of which can supply you with a target list based on your criteria.
How does she “sell” them? The million dollar question! Since this appears to be a “first impression is a lasting impression” scenario, she should keep her speech focused on what her target audience needs, not what she is willing to provide. There is a subtle difference between the two and the difference between success and failure. Have her sell the benefits of her business, not the features.
Wish her luck!
Kevin E McCormack
NivekTek Business Services