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You have just been asked to give a 30-45 minute speech at a conference and there is absolutely no time to put visuals together for it.  You’re on a sales call and your PPT presentation dies on you.  You are having lunch with a client and it would be inappropriate to pull out any marketing materials.  In all three scenarios, you’re panicked at the thought of boring these people to death with just your information.

Where can you turn for help?

WORD PICTURES to the rescue!

Word Pictures are words that create images in your listener’s mind.  They add color, life, interest and meaning to your information that would otherwise have been provided by actual visuals. They help listeners see, feel, understand, and retain your information.  Used artfully, they make complex information simple and simple information meaningful.  Spice up your information with a liberal use of the four techniques below. 

TIP: It is generally a good idea to have at lease one vivid WORD PICTURE for every different piece of information you present.

1. Show with Examples & Stories.
A. “We have over 200 clients, such as IBM and GTE.”
B. “Let me tell you what we did for IBM...”

2. Dramatize Points with Comparisons (Metaphors & Analogies)*
A. “We need to implement system X.  Otherwise, we are going to wind up being roadkill on today’s superinformation highway.”
B. “Entering this market will make us the big fish in the little pond.”
C. “Cutting training when business is down is like stopping baseball practice when the team is losing, a foolish strategy in both cases.”

Years ago, I used an analogy to compete for and win the Presentation Skills training business of a leading ad agency in New York.  I was up against every major firm and consultant in the city, including one who specialized in presentations work with agencies.  When confronted with the fact that I had no ad agency in my client base, I responded, “That is correct. However, you just won the DHL (the overnight courier) account.  How much overnight courier experience did you need to have to have the right to do their advertising?  Let me suggest, none.  You would learn the dynamics of their business the way you have of all your other accounts in the insurance and beer industries.  DHL just had to be sure you were the best ad agency for them. Isn’t that right? (“True,” replied the Executive Vice President).  “The same is true with me.” I continued.  “I will quickly learn the dynamics of your ad agency the way I have learned the dynamics of my other clients in the aerospace, investment banking, and consulting worlds.  You just need to be sure I know everything about presenting. And I do.” (the last three words said staring into her eyes).  As the truth of what I said dawned on her, all the EVP could manage to say was, “Oh.”  I won the business and went on to earn many thousands of dollars from them over the next several years.—all because of this carefully thought out analogy to their business.

3. Translate Abstract Numbers into ConcreteTerms
Numbers are meaningless abstractions. They only have impact when compared to something else familiar to your listener — another number, an equivalent amount of time or resources, or another known situation from your listener’s experience. For example…
A. “It costs $925, half the cost of last year’s event.”
B. “We’re talking a billion dollars — enough money to operate every school in America for five hours.”
C. “The ideal consumer has a $50,000 household income, a house valued at $350,000, and an annual clothing budget of $10,000. We are talking the Bloomingdale’s shopper here, not the K-Mart shopper.”

4. Bring in Quotations & Testimonials
Quotations from people or sources known to listener’s increase the credibility of your information, because they validate what you are saying.
A. “GE’s….division said our system increased its sales by 15%.”
B. “You ask, is a team building program necessary? As John D. Rockefeller said, ‘I will pay more for the ability to get along with people than for any other ability.’ And he knew something about business sucess! So, yes, this program is essential for our growth.”
C. “‘Automobile’ rated XYZ car #1 in its class for the last three years, so you are definitely getting real value for your investment.”

WORD PICTURES IN ACTION
Pretend you are an Event planner, responsible for your firm’s annual meeting. Below are statements from a Resort Sales Director who wants your business. Compare the persuasion power of the facts presented below with and without the use of word pictures.

1. We offer many activities for your group to enjoy.
1A. We offer many activities for your group, including tennis, golf, fly fishing, soaring, hiking and biking–something for everyone to enjoy.

2. We are able to respond to all emergencies quickly.
2A. We are able to respond to all emergencies quickly. For example, last week we helped a speaker who had an allergy attack the night before his talk. We reached his doctor in his home city. We filled his prescription at midnight and the next morning, the recovered speaker was able to present his seminar as scheduled — to the eternal relief of the Event Planner!

3. Bruce Jones will handle your account. He is very creative and very careful.
3A. Bruce Jones will handle your account. He is the Steven Spielberg and Martha Stewart respectively of creativity and attention to detail.

SUMMARY
With or without actual visuals, WORD PICTURES are a necessary part of any presentation. They engage the mind. They strike a cord in listener’s hearts. And they ignite your audience’s imagination. As one of my clients said, “Trying to sell without using images is like running a marathon barefoot.  It can be done, but not very well and not without a certain amount of pain.”

c. 2008 Anne Miller.  

Anne Miller, sales and presentations consultant, is the author of “Metaphorically Selling.”  She works with high profile firms like The Blackstone Group, Yahoo! and Time, Inc. to help them sell products and services worth millions of dollars of business.  Her free newsletter is available at www.annemiller.com  Contact: amiller@annemiller.com 212 876 1875

Today’s News: I read some interesting facts over the w/e and one of them was that 56% of all sales forecasts in the USA are hopelessly inaccurate and unachievable. Do we assume that Americans are unrealistic and the rest of the world are far more rigorous? Hardly! I can be absolutely certain that this is just as true for sales teams based in Europe, Asia and every other continent.

I work with my clients to develop process tools that are wholly appropriate for their specific sales force, industry, sector and circumstances, but it takes time.

However, if you are looking for a better way to improve your forecasting accuracy you should tune in to the work that my good friend Kevin Dwyer is doing over at the Change Factory - by subscribing to his superb Winds Of Change weekly newsletter, you will gain access to some very innovative and pioneering work.

The hot topic over at Salesopedia this week is “Sales Prospecting” and there are some excellent articles, including the highlight “Searching Customers With Style, Strategy And Speed” by Anita Sirianni You can hear her in conversation with Clayton Shold later in the week here. Can’t wait? OK, go here

Tomorrow: Customer care levels have, in my opinion, hit an all time low - how does your organisation measure up? Is everyone in your company really tuned in to the value of building brick walls around your existing client base, or is that something that is left to a small number of individuals, whilst the rest of you go about your own tasks?

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