Great Meetings that Go Nowhere

By Jay Spielvogel

https://salestalk.typepad.com/sales_talk/

“Have you ever had the following experience?”

You meet with a middle level manager who is extremely interested in engaging your company to fix an issue.  This person willingly shares information with you regarding their perception of the challenges their company faces and how personally committed they are to fixing it.  The meeting ends with an agreement that they will run your proposal by their boss and an expectation that it will be a “rubber stamp”.  The action item is for you to follow up “next Monday” at which point they will have the “OK” to move forward.  Unfortunately, when Monday comes they tell you they have not had a chance to speak with their boss, but they expect to have the opportunity to sit down and have the discussion within the next few days.  Days turn into months, which inevitably turn into an endless sales cycle of following up.

The issue here is that the well intentioned prospect, who wanted to believe they would get the OK from their boss, lacks the ability to get the final buy-in.  There are many reasons for this, the least of which could be that the boss does not perceive there to be any issues or does not believe the issues can be fixed.  Either way, your contact lacks the influence over their boss.   Again, because nobody wants to believe they lack power and influence, the prospect assumes they will get a “rubber stamp“.

So, how do you know you are dealing with a non-influential person? 

First, have you ever experienced the opposite?  A prospect that was capable of driving decisions up the corporate ladder, methodically getting what they want!!!  If you have, then you can begin to see the difference between these powerful prospects and their counterparts who lack the power.  Here are some apparent differences between the two:

Non-influential prospects, with very little (if any) power:

1. Will tend to complain about their manager.
2. Will not have shared the fact that they are meeting you, with their manager.
3. Will have had very little, if any, experience influencing their manager in the past.
4. Will be unable to define their manager’s vision, goals and potential objections.
5. Will plan to present the features and benefits that you offer, as justification for the cost.

Influential prospects, which are empowered to make decisions:

1. Will speak positively about their manager.
2. Will have shared the fact that they are meeting with you, with their manager.
3. Will have an experiential understanding of how their manager makes decisions.
4. Will be able to clearly define their manager’s visions, goals and possible objections.
5. Will work with you to co-develop a solution that will address their manager’s issues, concerns and desired results.

They say the first step to fixing an issue is to admit you have one.  In this case, the first step for a sales person is to become extremely perceptive of the type of prospect they are dealing with.  It is just as critical for a Sales Manager to implement a sales process and coaching system, which sniffs out these situations rather than allowing the sales people to clog up the pipeline with non close-able business. 

So how many GREAT meetings are your sales people having with prospects that want your solution but won’t be able to influence the other decision makers to spend the money? 

The Zoom Scan – What It Is, Why It Is Important, and How to Do It

By Peter Cohan

CEO, Great Demo www.greatdemo.com

Many presales and salespeople report that they find it difficult to consume and act on the various inputs when presenting demos and presentations over the web using Zoom and similar tools.

They note it is hard enough to present over the web – and taking in audience impressions via webcams, checking chat, scanning the participant pane, the Q&A pane, monitoring audio and one’s own video is tough to observe and incorporate.

It is very important, however.  Why?

When we are face-to-face delivering a demo or presentation in a conference room, we have developed – almost unconsciously – skills to scan the room while we are presenting.  We talk and drive our software while also watching people’s expressions for comprehension, questions, agreement or disagreement, and whether people are paying attention.

In these face-to-face meetings we have learned to perform a Face-to-Face Scan.  As seasoned face-to-face presenters we do this naturally.  If we simply ignored the audience, it is likely our demos and presentations would be much less successful.

We now need to translate our Face-to-Face Scan to web meetings…!

So, here are some simple guidelines for developing your personal Zoom Scan (or WebEx Scan etc.):

1. Get familiar with your web collaboration tool (Zoom, WebEx, GoToMeeting, etc.). Set up sessions for yourself (even better with a colleague, who can give you feedback) and explore all of the tools and relevant settings so that you know what is available and how to use them.

This is very similar to what we do in face-to-face meetings – we make sure we are comfortable with our laptop and software, our plan for our demo or presentation, and any other materials or visual aids that plan to use.  We organize and have ready our equipment, presentation tools, visual aids, notes, phone hotspot, etc. that we might expect to need.

2. Launch your Zoom (etc.) meeting 5 minutes early. This gives you time to test and make sure things are working properly before your customer arrives.  Check latency, audio, video, and screen sharing with a colleague or key customer contact.  Then open the participant and chat panes, organize the video pane to see all the participants, as well as the annotation toolbar – arrange them where you can see what you need of your presentation/demo and have good visual access to the various audience panes.  Ensure your webcam pane is showing as many of your audience members as possible (“Gallery” mode shows the most but may cover more of your screen than desired).

This is again what we do in face-to-face meetings – we typically arrive in a conference room before the meeting to familiarize ourselves with the layout, arrange chairs, connect to the projector, find pens and clean whiteboards, and generally organize in accord with our needs.

And like face-to-face meetings, we may need to move things around during the meeting – to more clearly see a person asking a question, to draw on a whiteboard, or access a visual aid.  When operating over the web, we can expect similar needs – and have to rearrange our screen.   For example, we may need to move a pane aside to annotate on a specific part of our display.

3. Greet and Meet attendees as they join. Ask them to turn on their webcams and unmute their microphones as they enter.  Monitor the participant pane to note new arrivals and the status of their video and audio, accordingly (hey! you are now building a scan element).

In a face-to-face meeting, we greet people as they come in the conference room, shaking hands and doing brief mutual introductions – now you are doing exactly the same thing over the web!

4. Build your Zoom Scan. As the meeting begins and you share content, glance at your slides or software as you start presenting – then glance at the participant pane (anyone new?).  Scan the participant faces in the video pane for comprehension, questions, attention (any confusion or comments?).  Now repeat:  content, participant pane, video pane, content…

After a session or two this will begin to feel natural – and you can expand your scan to include the chat and Q&A panes.  Note that chat and Q&A often have red “alert” marks, which means you only need to glance to see if an alert is present – if yes, then scan the pane.

Next, incorporate the use of annotation tools – these really help to make an online demo come alive…!  Select a tool, annotate, then erase – and remember to click the mouse cursor on the annotation pane to re-enable “normal” mouse control.

Your scan now includes content, participant pane, video pane, alerts, annotate, erase, repeat…

Pro Tip:  let your audience know what you are doing.  For example, rather than have your audience wonder why your mouse moved to a blank part of the screen (from the audience’s perspective), tell them, “OK, let me grab an annotation tool…”

Is there an analogy with face-to-face meetings?  Absolutely!  You have just translated your face-to-face scan to Zoom:  You are talking and driving your software while also watching people’s expressions for comprehension, questions, agreement or disagreement, and whether people are paying attention.  Congratulations!

Here’s another analogy:  Driving a car.  Most of us likely don’t recall how overwhelmed we felt when we first learned to drive – but most of us can appreciate the differences between being a passenger in a car vs. driving.

Most of us are passengers in web meetings (even if we host the sessions) – we join the session, listen, talk, and sometimes present content.  But we aren’t really driving, compared to what we do when we drive a car.

Consider – when driving a car, we are managing the speed (accelerator, brake), direction (steering wheel), checking the speedometer, glancing at road signs, occasionally checking for problem lights on the dashboard, using the turn signals – and quite likely also eating, drinking, listening to GPS instructions as well as music or a podcast, and chatting with passengers.

Our scan for driving a car has become natural to us.  And note (I hope!) that the majority of the scan is on the road ahead…

When presenting over the web, the same type of scan can take place – and again, note that the majority of your time will likely be spent presenting your content – but you’ll still want to check on the “passengers” (participants’ video), the “GPS” (participant pane), “road signs” (chat and Q&A), as well as sip your tea or coffee, etc.

5. Practice your Zoom Scan. Now practice your Zoom Scan with each session – you’ll find you get more and more comfortable with the process.   And you won’t have to think about doing the scan – it will begin to become a habit.

Establishing your personal Zoom scan is a key element in transitioning to our “new normal” of operating over the web for our meetings.

Pro Tip:  Many presenters report that they focus (too much) on their own webcam video.  While you do want to include yourself in your scan, occasionally, the main focus should be on your audience.  Experiment (with a colleague or by yourself in your own web sessions) to get comfortable with how you appear – your physical location and size with respect to your webcam, the lighting (is your face clearly visible – is there distracting backlighting?), what else is visible (or use a Zoom background), how much space you have for hand motions and the use of physical visual aids or props, etc.

Even Better Pro Tip:  Record your sessions and occasionally play them back…  Very humbling, but very effective!  You’ll hear your voice, your tone, your word choice; you’ll recognize if you cut off somebody’s question or if you forgot to close a question; you’ll see your mousing and use of the annotation tools.  This is an opportunity for some very rapid improvement and growth!

It only took a few face-to-face meetings (hopefully) to develop and grow comfortable with our face-to-face meeting scans – which then became second nature.  Now it’s time to fully translate our face-to-face practices to the web!

Copyright © 2020 The Second Derivative – All Rights Reserved.

What (exactly) do Sales Engineers Sell?

By Ken Lambert

It all depends on who they work for.

The answer to this question was and is instrumental to the establishment of our North American Association of Sales Engineers (NAASE).  One of the main objectives of NAASE is to be a place where SE’s from all different industries and products can come together and learn from one another, in addition to networking etc.

The definition of “sales engineer” does not really tell us what industry the person is in.  Per the US BLS, “Sales engineers sell complex scientific and technological products or services to businesses.”

Well- that could mean almost anything, and it does.

Just last night I conducted an informal scientific study, to try to back up my claim that roughly 50% of SE’s are in software, while the balance being in “other”, which sometimes I refer to as the “widget” world.

I went to LinkedIn and ran a search of sales engineers in the 4 largest cities/areas in the country.  From there I just went in order of the names presented, and counted.  Out of the first 100 names LinkedIn listed, 40% were working for a software/IT company, while a full 60% had nothing to do with software or computers.  I realize this was a small sample, but it is safe to say that somewhere between 50-55% of sales engineers are not involved with software.  So, what are the majority involved in?  I found examples of:

HVAC/R

Misc. Industrial/ Manufacturing

TeleCom

Building Products

Energy/ Petro

Automation/ Robotics

In short, almost any industry that has a level of complication and technology can employ sales engineers.

As the president of NAASE, I believe- I know actually- that there are many facets of our jobs that are nearly identical whether a SE is in software or not.  About 98% of my career has been on the “widget side” of the business, but in truth I did dabble a bit in software about a decade ago.  (I actually own a US registered Copyright regarding a computer program/ source code for a loan software type.)   The point is-  most of what works (and what doesn’t work) in the trenches for a software enterprise sales engineer also works for a SE working with commercial and industrial HVAC controls.

And this is the exciting part of NAASE- and also the value of being a sales engineer in the first place.  It is a mindset, in addition to the intricate knowledge of 1 software or 1 product.   We are technical salespeople, and we assist and navigate some of the more complex projects and transactions in business today.  And we deserve an inclusive and wide-reaching trade organization.

How to Use Content Collaboration to Drive B2B Growth

By Sarah L. Parker

Startup and business growth specialist  www.sarahlparker.co.uk

When I was given the chance to move from Pre-Sales to Marketing, I knew that pulling the teams closer together would be the key to success.  We all know from spending time with friends that we share each other’s voices; we quote them, absorb them, challenge and change them.

If you’re reading this, you’re probably searching for ways to define your growth mindset and make it happen.

There’s no need to look any further than your own organisation.

Don’t limit yourself

It’s no secret that Pre-Sales, Sales and Marketing can find collaboration difficult and sometimes it’s because everyone’s too busy focusing on their own goals.  If we ignore the fact that the boundaries are fictional, we force a false division that limits the creative energy of multiple voices.

Toni Morrison leads us to an enlightening truth when she says “everything I’ve ever done, in the writing world, has been to expand articulation, rather than to close it, to open doors, sometimes, not even closing the book.”

It’s very easy to get stuck in old habits, we all do it.  And it wouldn’t be unfair to say that Sales and Pre-Sales are often seen as driving growth from deep client knowledge whilst old style marketing is seen as an overlay to that knowledge; a sort of sparkle to draw people in. 

Let’s challenge ourselves for a moment

Why not take deep client knowledge from Pre-sales and embed it into content—whitepapers, blogs, articles and podcasts—and also our Sales relationships and Marketing strategy?

Marketing isn’t defined by the conversation. It’s defined by the relationship beneath it.  Brian Solis sees that “We all need more signal and less noise.  We all need beacons.  We all need salient and empathetic voices to move us in a common, rewarding direction.”

But what if we created a new direction ourselves by revisiting, reinterpreting and reflecting back on our own conversations?

Don’t let old rules hold you back

There’s so much more that we can achieve when we decide to define our own future and look again at the old expectations that hold us back.

Then, and only then, can we force a profound questioning of how we use content to participate in the conversations around us.

We can break the mould of what B2B content can achieve.

The tide is turning.  So let’s turn it faster.

Two Solutions To Help You Lead Your Remote Teams More Effectively

By Skot Waldron

Internal Brand and Communication Expert  www.skotwaldron.com

COVID has changed the way we work now and in the future. While working remotely has advantages, it also has challenges. Here are just a few:

1. Learning to manage your time
2. Trying to figure out how to communicate with different people in a new environment

Trial: Learning To Manage Your Time

Tool: 5 Gears

The same distractions that interrupt office productivity also penetrate remote work environments. There can be spouses, kids, pets, laundry, and yard work to manage. So, how can you be simultaneously present and productive? By learning to set boundaries using common language and simple tools like the 5 Gears.

5th Gear – Task-centered, fully focused and moving quickly

You need this gear to focus and get things done. Alerts and notifications are disabled, the door is closed, the calendar is blocked off, and maybe headphones are on playing your favorite Mariah Carey hit (if that’s your thing).

4th Gear – Multi-tasking; working hard in various ways

We tend to spend a lot of time in this gear. The door is cracked, with multiple things going on, or an occasional interruption from a kid showing you their favorite Lego creation.

3rd Gear – Present with people and can shift up or down easily

We call this gear “water cooler talk” or “small talk.” Talking about the weather or last weekend might happen when you begin a Zoom call. 

2nd Gear – Present with family or friends without work

This is the gear that we all need to pay attention to. How many of you are guilty of checking your email or work messages while watching a show in the evening with your family? That’s what I thought. Second Gear is when we are fully present with our family or friends. Sitting down and talking over dinner, or having a bigger conversation via Zoom with a work colleague. 

1st Gear – Personal recharge, completely unplug

You need time to recharge. Read a book, ride your bike, watch Netflix, or go and talk to your neighbor. Do what gives you energy but rests your mind. 

A few tips:

• Teach your team about 5th Gear and start blocking out time on your calendars. Respect each other’s boundaries.
• Teach your family about 2nd Gear so they can help keep you accountable the next time you reach for your phone while watching Hamilton for the 23rd time.
• Know which gears you should be in and when.

Challenge: Trying to figure out how to communicate with different people in a new environment

Solution: 5 Voices

News Flash! Not everyone thinks or wants to be led like you. I know, surprising, right?

People want to feel valued, heard, and understood in every environment. So, how do you know which team members want to be led in which way? First, seek to understand yourself, then seek to understand others. The way you communicate will lead to building or destroying your workplace culture (aka Employer Brand). 

Your team is made up of diverse types of people that all communicate in different ways. Let’s walk through the 5 Voices and see if you can identify yourself and those on your team.

Nurturers (43% of the population)

Champions of people, relational harmony, and values. Quiet voices who undervalue their contributions to the team. You need to draw them into conversations.

Creatives (9% of the population)

Champions of future ideas, innovation, and organizational integrity. With a lot going on upstairs, they may struggle to communicate their ideas effectively. 

Guardians (30% of the population)

Champions of due diligence, resources, and efficient systems and processes. Guardians can be right in what they say, but wrong in how they say it. They may also struggle to see the value in social networking and conversation that seems to “waste time.”

Connectors (11% of the population)

Champions of relational networks, collaboration, and effective communication. Connectors can be very inspirational and will always push us to be better, but they can critique or take criticism personally.

Pioneers (7% of the population)

Champions of strategic vision, results, and problem-solving. Pioneers are driven to win the war, not the battle. They are very competent but can be dismissive (to put it lightly) of those they see incompetent or that jeopardize the chance of success.

As you can tell, each one of these voices will need to be led differently. We stick to the platinum rule. The Golden Rule says “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The Platinum Rule states, “Do unto others as they would want to be done to them.” Lead them how they need to be led, not how you think they need to be led.

Want to find out your Voice? Take the free 5 Voices Assessment at www.giant.tv.

Remote working isn’t new. But it has become a new normal for almost everyone.

Embrace it. 

Find ways to thrive. 

Be intentional about building yourself as well as those around you. Your human capital is one of the most valuable intangible assets you have.

The Acknowledged Value of Professional Designations

By Ken Lambert

The Acknowledged Value of Professional Designations

Business leaders overwhelmingly (95%) view applicants with a professional designation as more desirable than those without, according to a study released recently by Key Media.

Professional designations, those miscellaneous letters after peoples’ last names, are everywhere and are quite visible on resumes and on LinkedIn profiles.  Some are quite well-known, like CPA, PE, and PMP.  Others are a bit more abstract but are still relevant to those within said industry, like CCNA or AIA.  Currently not well-known is the new CSE designation (Certified Sales Engineer) being offered by the North American Association of Sales Engineers.  NAASE is hoping that its designation focusing on presales/ technical sales will be a boost for the industry as well as the career paths of its current and prospective members.

But whether one is a sales engineer or not, just how important are professional designations?  Is it even worth the time, trouble, or expense?  The following are a few 3^rd party thoughts on the subject.

• According to  https://www.the-cma.org/resource/newsroom/2020/Research-reveals-significance-of-professional-designation-for-marketers  , the Key Media research found that 86% of business leaders would recommend hiring a candidate with a professional designation, and that those with professional designations command a higher starting salary/promotion/raise (80%).  Even more relevant, is that ninety percent say that the value of having a professional designation is increasing (46%) or remaining constant (44%), while only 9% believe it is declining.
• Published in a report from a Canadian Human Resources association, https://www.hrpa.ca/Documents/Regulation/LinkedIn-Articles/01-The-four-types-of-professional-organizations.pdf , granting a designation is seen as the first step in the process of professionalization and supports the aspirations of members to be seen as professionals.  Offering a designation is done initially to provide members with a means of signaling their professional status.
• Other input is shown here in this page from “Infosysblogs” at:   https://www.infosysblogs.com/management-consulting/2012/07/what_is_the_value_of_a_profess.html 

“Any highly motivated young person is well advised to pursue the knowledge and credibility that come with obtaining a professional designation. If obtained early in a career, this knowledge and credibility helps offset the disadvantages of less experience. When recruiting people for our organization, I always look for designations as an indication of motivation and persistence in addition to basic knowledge.”

“In my opinion professional designations surely hold value because each one of these reputed designations require one to have the necessary industry experience, expertise and aspiration to move forward.  It also gives you multiple opportunities to connect with like- minded professionals.”

“A designation indicates seriousness. It shows that the person has a goal in mind…a sense of purpose.”

At NAASE, we agree with all of the above.  While we realize that it will take time for the CSE to become a widely known and sought-after designation, we are currently starting that journey.  Professional sales engineers, regardless of industry, deserve further professional recognition- both within and outside of their chosen fields and industries.

Should you have any questions, comments, or suggestions regarding this topic- please do reach out to us at the Association.  We look forward to hearing from you!

Use Reverse Surveying to Reverse Rejection in Your Sales Process

By the FeedGap Team

Sales engineers and account executives are challenged to grab the attention of prospects. Prospects
lack time and attention and respond to limited vendor messages. As a sales professional, you need to
stand out and be creative. Your goal should be to establish trust and provide value in an articulate,
authentic and simple manner (as simple as practical). To do this, leverage what physicians do when they
first meet with a patient. They run some quick and reliable diagnostics that easily gather patient
information and transform that into insight for the next step.

 

This experience described above is sometimes the opposite of what happens in a sales process. A sales
process will either a) bombard the prospect with features and benefits or b) overwhelm the prospect
with a battery of questions that likely have no benefit back to the prospect if answered. That is where
reverse surveying (i.e. diagnostic tools) can be used in a highly effective manner. Reverse surveying is
the creation of a series of concise statements organized around your values, features and benefits that
the prospect rates. This is similar to the physician asking the patient to respond to questions or
statements they ask in their process. Yet unlike traditional survey tools where the prospect likely
receives nothing in return for their information, reverse survey diagnostics give the prospect immediate
information. The data is calculated using a variation on Net Promoter Score (NPS) methodology that is
credible and valid and presents color-coded scores by question and category. What’s more is that each
section prescribes guidance back to the respondent so they can understand not only their biggest gaps
but how your solution can narrow or eliminate those gaps. This is like the physician counseling the
patient on the treatment options based on their diagnostic results.

Reverse surveying has multiple benefits. It is innovative as most prospects would not get immediate,
curated results. It is engaging because the prospect is doing a diagnostic to understand the health of
their business. It is credible because the calculations are methodology sound. It is trustworthy because
the consultative guidance offers credible advice.

Reverse surveying can be a pain without technology. That’s why FeedGap exists. We are a technology
that allows our users to simply author custom diagnostic tools along with the automated scored output
and guidance. These tools are easy to build and can be deployed in marketing campaigns or materials or
in unique and personalized prospect messages. They’ll have higher click rates and completion rates than
most other tools because they are active vs. passive forms of engagement.

Go to www.feedgap.com to see samples or reach out to them at go@feedgap.com. FeedGap is free
right now so if you’re reading this, and you want to try something new, contact us at for a free account.

Those BIG A/E Commission Checks: The Other Side of the Story

By Ken Lambert

This article of course will be more relevant to the sales engineer who works alongside a separate
Account Executive/ “Sales Rep”. This very topic, which can involve jealousy and other quandaries, is the
standard in the software world- but is not necessarily such in the non-software world of technical sales.
From my experience, between 50%-65% of non-software SE’s do NOT work with an AE. In other words,
they handle and do everything- including prospecting, account management, preliminary sales calls,
financials/credit, etc.
That said, I have worked on both ends of this, as a sales engineer. I’ve had jobs where I did work with an
AE, and I’ve also had jobs where there were none and I handled everything. Also, twice in my career
(early on) I had positions that were 100% commission-based compensation. Some AE’s do work on
100% commission, but many have a base salary (typically $50k- $60k), plus bonuses & commissions.
I have heard several people over the years gripe that it is not fair that they (as sales engineers) do not
make the kind of money that some AE’s earn. This can foster resentment and other issues that damage
the working relationship.
I believe before resentment and jealousy develop, a sales engineer should consider the following:
? You earn solid money! Per the BLS, the average SE makes $100k- $105k per year. Keep in mind
the average compensation for someone with a bachelor’s degree in the USA is $58k. So
generally-speaking, you are doing OK.
? Yes, there are AE’s that earn $200k or $300k (or even more) per year. But, for every high-earner
like that there are some that are making $60k. According to payscale, the average account
executive (across industries) earns $86k per year- total. Typically software AE’s will be slightly
more, so that might be around $90k-$95k/ year as an average. So while some make a small
fortune, many others do not.
? When all or most of your compensation comes from sales commission/ sales bonus, there is a
high level of anxiety and pressure involved. I can assure you of that, from my 100% commission
days. Many people in this kind of arrangement brag “We eat what we kill”, which is not very PC
but is still said. The issue there is that if you don’t make the sale, you have no income (or very
little income). That can sway an AE’s judgment; this is just human nature.
? It is not ideal or healthy to begrudge people that earn a lot of money; more often than not- they
earned it and worked for it. They are doing something right; maybe you could learn something
from them. I worked with an AE a year or so ago and she always had her “A” game showing; she
was very intelligent and was a hard worker and a great planner. And she made a lot of money,
much more than I- but God bless her…. She deserved it.
Some SE’s eventually go on to become AE’s, as they think it is a better fit and/or they will make more
money. In some cases they give up their $110k per year and might spend the next 2 years making $75k
annually. That is not easy to take and deal with, and it is a possibility.
Of course some will flourish in their new role, and will have some great earning years. That’s great, and
good for them. But it also won’t work for everyone.

In conclusion I think anyone who has been working for more than a few years knows that there are
positives and negatives in every position, and at every company. Being a sales engineer is a solid career
and one that can be fulfilling on a variety of levels. And, as the old saying goes, the grass in not always
greener on the other side.

Read the Room

By Aileen McNabb

Read the room.  Which means…read people.  Everyone says we need to do it in presales.  Why?

Everything we do is all about people.  Discovery.  Demo.  AE relationships.  Everything.  If you can’t adapt your style to another one, you risk being at odds with the majority of people you deal with. 

You answer a question in a demo with a detailed explanation that went over really well in last week’s demo.  But this time you can tell the questioner is annoyed.  Why?  Maybe you answered with a style that was just too different from his.

Social styles of behaviour is a methodology that can equip you to recognize behaviour styles and how they are likely to act or react.  Once you understand this, you’re well on your way to reading individuals and reading the room.

You may have heard of these terms:  Driver, Expressive, Amiable, Analytical.  And seen something like this diagram:

But you don’t know what it all means; and you don’t have the time (or inclination) to learn a lot about it.  Here’s a helpful hint that will get you started and get you reading right away.

This style is based on two axes:  Responsiveness and Assertiveness.  Start by learning just one – responsiveness – the x-axis.

People on the left are Indirect.  People on the right are Direct.  People on the left are also slower paced than people on the right.  And this is where to start.

Because the biggest cause of conflict is a difference in Pace.  Analyticals and Amiables like to take things methodically.  They don’t like to be rushed.  Drivers and Expressives like to get to the point quickly.  They’ll accept some detail but start with the end result.

You can recognize where people are by watching for these things:

Pay most attention to pace.  How fast do they move and talk?  Do they walk quickly?  Do they interrupt people – that’s an indicator of fast pace.  Do they seem to like detail?  People on the left do.  People on the right don’t. 

Just watch everyone you interact with and try to place them at either end of this spectrum.  Now, adapt your style to theirs.  This is great self-training.

In the example above where one day a detailed question was well-received but in the next demo it was annoying; watch your questioner. 

Did he appear methodical?  Was the question asked with some detail?  Did it take a while to get to the core of the question?  He’s Indirect/Slower Paced.

Did she interrupt you to ask the question? Have you noticed during the demo that she wanted to get to the point quickly?  When you had a break, did the questioner leave quickly – whether online or in person?  She’s Direct/Faster Paced.

For the Slower Paced questioner:  This is not a bad time for the lead-in – That’s a good question.  (Please don’t say this after EVERY question.)  Tell how you’d do what they asked about.  Maybe even show it – possibly a multi-step demo segment.

For the Fast Paced questioner:  Answer Yes or No.  Then add increasing degrees of detail.  If needed.  Sales people may tell you to never say No.  The Drivers and Expressives would like you to say it when it’s appropriate.  They think you’re avoiding or lying if you take too long to get to the No.  So even if you don’t want to say the word No, if that’s the answer, get to it. 

I was at a demo where a question was asked, and we couldn’t do it.  The  SE did what some people think all good SEs do.  She danced.  A lot.  I observed the questioner getting more and more annoyed, so I intervened (I didn’t often do that.)  I said, Bob, we don’t do that.  Chris can show you how you can achieve your goal another way.  All he said was, OK.  We won that deal.

It’s not easy to read a room.  But it can be learned.  Start with Pace.  You’ll become a good reader.

Showing slides today? So What?

By Chris White https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-white-b0079b5/

We’ve all heard the term Death by PowerPoint.  We’ve all sat through presentations that drone on and on – viewing countless slides that seem to add little value to the conversation.  In fact, how many times have you heard someone open a sales meeting with “allow me to run through a few slides before we begin”?  BEFORE we begin?  So, these are just meaningless slides that you’re going to torture us with so you can check some corporate box, and THEN we’re going to get into the heart of the conversation?

What about you?  Let’s be honest.  Have you ever had slides in the presentation you were delivering because you were told they HAD to be included in any presentation?  By corporate?  By marketing?  By your boss?  Of course you have.  WE ALL HAVE!

How did it go when you had to present slides that weren’t necessary your own?  More importantly what was the feeling you had while you were delivering them?  Probably not great.  You were probably thinking to yourself “let me just get through these slides as quickly as possible, so we can get into the real conversation”.  Sound familiar?  Consider this.  If you were uncomfortable imagine how your audience felt – how much more unpleasant and distasteful it was for them!

We’ve all been there.  We’ve all been given slides and told that they were part of the corporate messaging that HAS to be delivered.  So how do we handle this?  How do we follow corporate guidance and not become that person who is rushing through corporate slides just to get through them?

MAKE THEM YOUR OWN!  What do I mean by that?  Am l saying change the slides?  Not necessarily. (Although I’ve never been shy about adding some animation here and there or cleaning up some of the words or even dressing up the slides to make a finer point.  But I digress.)  What I’m really talking about here is know your message and make it your own.

On every slide, make sure you understand the key point that is trying to be made be sure to phrase it in a way that is natural and comfortable to you – so long as you don’t violate or contradict the corporate messaging. 

Be sure you can pass what I call the “So What?” test.  Ask yourself, what’s the “So what?” on every slide.  In other words, know the key point intending to be made on every slide and BE SURE to make it. 

On EVERY slide?

YES.  On EVERY slide.  There should not be a SINGLE slide in your deck that doesn’t have a point.  There should not be a single slide in the deck that you don’t completely and fully understand – at least at a fundamental level.  Please do not show slides that you don’t understand.  Please don’t show slides for which you cannot pass the ‘So WHAT?’ test.  Do not try to fake it.  When you do, it’s as obvious to your audience as the day is long. 

OK.  You’ve convinced me.  I’m not going to be that person who just runs through the corporate slides because that’s what I’ve been told.  But what now?  Because that’s the situation I find myself in right now.  I’ve got a slide deck I’ve been told I need to use, and I don’t feel comfortable with (or worse, agree with) the message.

Get help.  That’s what your sales enablement team is there for.  It’s what marketing is there for.  If they’re not available, take it to your manager.  Have the difficult conversation if necessary – especially if you legitimately have a problem with some of the slides.  Yes, you could just remove them from your presentation, but that might get you in trouble with the boss – or worse, might get your boss in trouble with corporate.  I’m certainly not suggesting that.  But somehow you need to figure out a way to make them your own.  Come up with at least ONE POINT that you can make on every slide – even if it takes less than 10 seconds to deliver that point – and move on.  Whatever the case, please do not put your customer through a presentation that you’re either uncomfortable with or ill-prepared to deliver.

You might be asking yourself do I need to do this EVERY time in EVERY meeting?  My answer is pretty much YES!  If you are speaking to a group – whether it’s a prospect you are meeting for the first time, a long-time customer or an audience at a cont or webinar – EVERY one of your slides should have a purpose and be an important part of the message – EVERY time.  And you should know what that is on every slide, or it should be left out.  Your audience shouldn’t have to sit through one single meaningless slide.

Remember.  Slides are tools.  Designed to help you tell a story, or steer a conversation, or articulate a valve proposition.  They are a means to an end.  They are NOT to be used as a crutch.  They should not be a mandatory box to check.  

Know your slides.  Make them your own.  And remember in most cases, less is more.

Final thought…  During the pandemic, in which almost all sales presentations are being done over web meetings, it is THAT MUCH MORE IMPORTANT that our slides are concise and on point.  Brevity is king when delivering a message in a remote meeting.  We need to work that much harder to keep our audience engaged.  Expert tip: increase animation in your online presentations to make them more visually engaging.