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Anyone that wants to learn how to deliver a great new
business presentation should watch Billy Mays, the
recently-deceased television pitchman who sold
everything from “Mighty Putty” to “Flies Away”.
That’s because persuading someone to hire your firm
isn’t much different than selling “OxiClean”.
Take a Lesson from Mays’s Delivery Style
The first thing that anyone giving a sales presentation
can learn from Billy Mays is to speak with passion. Mays
was known for his over-hyped delivery. “Why is he always
yelling?” my wife once asked.
The answer is easy – energy sells.
I’m not saying that you should shout like Billy Mays
when you’re meeting with a prospect. But Mays
understood that one of the best ways to connect is with
your voice.
Sellers should remember this. Too many of us speak with
all the energy of a houseplant.
If you’ve been selected to compete for an important
project, the chances are that you’re on a short list of
elite firms. All are capable of doing the work.
You can distinguish yourself from the other excellent
firms with your passion for the work. That passion comes
through in your voice.
Always focus on Solving the Business Problem
Like all good sellers, Mays always started by focusing
on his listeners’ key problem. Consider his pitch for
the “tool bandit” a band that straps to your shoulder
and holds your tools, keeping them nearby for easy
retrieval.
Mays doesn’t start the ad by describing the product. He
starts by identifying the problem that it solves. The
spot begins: “Tired of fumbling with your tools or
wasting time trying to find them?” Mays then proposed
a solution – in this case the “tool bandit.”
Use the same approach in your sales pitch. If you’re
competing for a chance to sell a major office building,
don’t start talking about yourself and your firm.
Rather, find out the prospect’s key business objectives.
Then start your presentation by focusing on those
objectives. “We know that your primary objective is to
sell this building as quickly as possible.”
Once you’ve identified the problem, the rest of the
pitch should detail your solution.
Build the relationship.
Mays was successful in part because he was on television
constantly. People felt like they knew him. Sure, he was
goofy. But people liked and trusted him. He had a
relationship with his audience.
Great business developers understand that a good sales
pitch doesn’t stand on its own, that you greatly
increase your chances of winning by leveraging a
relationship.
For that reason, meet with and listen to the prospect
prior to the pitch. If you’ve been asked to compete for
a chance to be a business’s new accounting firm, ask to
speak to key players prior to the presentation. Those
pre-pitch encounters help build a relationship that
often pays off.
Billy Mays was a great seller of consumer products. But
we can all learn from his ability to connect with
prospects and sell.
Joey Asher is President of Speechworks, a selling and
communication skills coaching company in Atlanta. He has
worked with hundreds of business people helping them
learn how to communicate in a way that connects with
clients. His new book “How to Win a Pitch: The Five
Fundamentals That Will Distinguish You from the
Competition” is
available now at on Amazon and at www.speechworks.net. He is the author
of “Selling and Communication Skills for Lawyers” and
“Even A Geek Can Speak.” He can be reached at
404-266-0888 or joeyasher@speechworks.net. His website
is www.speechworks.net.
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