Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Elevator Presentations and Your Yankee Stadium Presentation




Most of us have heard of the "Elevator Presentation" which is usually a 15 second overview of the benefits we provide for our clients when they work with us. A good 15 second elevator presentation is designed to arouse curiousity and lead to what Chet Holmes calls a "Stadium Presentation".

Chet sets up the Stadium Presentation idea pretty well:

"Imagine I could put you in a giant stadium right now as the presenter, and the entire audience is completely comprised of your most perfect prospects. Are you ready right now? Could you walk out on that stage and present to every one of them and do it perfectly? Now before you say yes, let me make the stakes higher. Before you walk out there, the audience is told: “You had to come, but you don't have to stay. If this person (you) fails to keep your interest, you can simply get up and leave.”

Chet continues:

So you need to open your stadium pitch (as I call it), with what I call “wow's.” This means that all great presentations start off with information that makes your prospects say: “wow, I didn't know that.” The focus must be on THEM and things of interest to THEM, not you. So rule number one of a great presentation is that it must be focused on the prospect and not on you (at least not initially).

In my language... that means every presentation we make should serve our clients in some unique way.

More on this in my next post...

Monday, June 1, 2009

Describing Your Unique Serve-Haggar Slacks




Why would you buy one brand of casual slack (or as Haggar calls them "Premium Dress Khaki's") over another? The Haggar Brand has done a great job creating an environment in the men's section of department stores with their "Quality for Life" display pictured above. The picture is a bit small so I will do some explaining.

First of all, they do a great job of what marketing expert Jay Abraham describes as "Risk Reversal". These slacks are guaranteed for the life of the owner.

Secondly, the Haggar people go to great lengths to explain what makes this particular slack line of such great quality. Not only do they list the specifics on a poster, they have turned the slacks inside out and placed little explanations at all the appropriate places. Here are the advantages described by Haggar:

A. Buttons - Guaranteed Unbreakable

B. Seams - Guaranteed Unrippable

C. Zippers - Guaranteed Unbreakable

D. Pockets - Guaranteed Unrippable... and they are extra deep and large

E. Waste Band - Expandable for your comfort after that big steak at the Outback


This is great selling!!! Most companies are content to say we have "Quality" this or that and leave it there.

Whatever you sell, it serves the client when you show and tell them what sets you apart or what unique advantage you offer. Figure out how to turn your product or service inside out so they can easily see what's not obvious.

Thanks Haggar... You showed us how to "Make Things Right" in the video from my last post... You are also showing us how to "Sell Things Right".