Monday, January 29, 2007
Out-of-the-chair Speaking Topics
Recently “Georgina” told a networking group about her new seminar program. Her first class was called “Pre-planning the sales call.” Everybody yawned except me. I was too busy thinking like a copywriter. “What’s the takeaway?” I asked. “I know. You’re going to ask about benefits. If sales people in my industry use my system, they’ll be better prepared for their first meeting with a new client.” “And...” “So they’ll do a better job for the client.” “And that’s important because...” Shrugs all around. “You’ve heard of out of the box thinking,” I explained later. “To motivate seminar participants, you have to get your audiences out of their chairs. Get them sitting on the edge, leaning forward, eager to hear what’s coming next.” Like many seminar presenters, Georgina was frustrated. She knew her system would make money for seminar participants. But she didn’t know how to share her excitement. I could relate to her dilemma. Recently I planned a talk on website marketing. One topic was “5 copywriting tips to make your website sell more.” Yawn. I would fall asleep during my own presentation. So I created, “Copy is your quarterback. Web design is your offensive line.” And then I had 5 plays you can call to win the profit game. It would work even better if the Seattle Seahawks had won their last game, but you can’t have everything. Corny? Sure. Simplistic? Maybe. But when you’re sitting in a meeting room for a few hours, your mind craves entertainment. That’s why so many college professors think they’re stand-up comics. It doesn’t take much to get a laugh from a required class on a cold winter morning. Back to Georgina. I’d give up on pre-planning and focus on the bigger picture. “How to begin creating lifelong bonds with your client even before your very first meeting.” |
# posted by Cathy Goodwin @ 4:57 PM 
