The 2 Keys to Successful Business Presentations

Business presentations are a vital piece to the creation and continuation of a successful insurance agency. The real question is: how can you ensure that your business presentations are successful?

The answer is to embrace the two keys to successful business presentations:

1. Be intentional.
2. Act enthusiastic.
   
   

In this article, you will learn more about why each of these keys to business presentations is so vital. However, it boils down to one thing. I want you to put yourself into the shoes of your prospects, your clients, your business partners, or whomever it is that you are meeting with. Think about it: you've been in a presentation or meeting where the person or people you were with definitely made you feel like you weren't important or that they didn't want to be there. Did that make you want to do business with them? From an employee perspective, did that make you want to give it your all? Of course not.

Successful business presentations are all about being present. Let's explore the two keys in more depth.

Being More Intentional 

Do you think before you speak or do you choose to wing it? I am definitely in the latter group. I have found that even with formal business presentations, I do better without a lot of rehearsal. It is just how I am wired. Others are wired with the need to carefully prepare themselves.

Regardless of which group you are part of, it is critically important to ensure that you act in a way that is intentional. What I mean is that whether you need to rehearse your specific actions or words ahead of time or not, make sure that you have a clear goal or end in mind for each encounter, meeting, client or prospective client interaction, sales call, etc. Essentially, be more intentional about every single thing you do.

Why? 

A friend with immense business experience in China shared the following proverb with me that I believe answers this question: 

The words you haven't said, you control them. The words you have delivered, they control you. 

When you hear something that is true, it jumps out at you. If we are to control our words and the impact they have, intention in everything we do is a must.

As I mentioned, some of us are much better when we are unscripted. However, this doesn't necessarily mean that we are never unrehearsed. By this, I mean that even if I don't know exactly what I plan to say, I did spend time thinking about what someone may do or say, how it might play out, and anticipating what I may say or do. I do this because I have a result in mind for the interaction. I am intentional about it even if I do not go through the process of fully rehearsing a business presentation. I want to control my words rather than be controlled by them.

Of course, this is always easier said than done. It takes forethought as well as discipline to remain intentional with business presentations as well as with all of our actions. However, when we make the conscious choice to be intentional, we are much better communicators with our employees, clients, prospects, business partners, and family members.

Bring the Enthusiasm 

I've had to endure business presentations by people with close to no energy. We've all been there. And we all know how unbearable that is. It's boring. I know when I sit through them, I need a nap...I need an escape! I need to be put out of my misery! It's truly horrible. 

It wasn't just that there was no energy… there was no enthusiasm. Please understand this: there was also no credibility or believability in the business presentation. It was a complete waste of time. It's sad because there's often a lot of good information. It just gets overlooked because, compelling evidence, and good ideas… with an awful presenter.

If you are going to make a business presentation, you must be enthusiastic about what you're saying or you will waste everyone's time. Now some of us just aren't the "rah-rah-rah!" super energetic type. And that's fine. However, you do need to have enough energy to believe what you're saying. That is what I mean when I talk about enthusiasm.

The great sales trainer Dale Carnegie is famous for saying "Act enthusiastic and you'll be enthusiastic." His advice was that you can become more enthusiastic and have more energy by making the conscious choice to act in that way. I have personally found that this is true. I have also found that when someone is enthusiastic about something, they are more compelling. 

Enthusiasm does not mean that you need to shout at your audience or speak loudly. You just need to show that you have passion for what you are saying. It does not mean that you need to fake it. It means that you need to believe in what you are saying. It does not mean that you have to jump around. It means you need to have a spark about you. It does not mean that you need to cry. It means you need to show appropriate emotion for your subject matter.

The word "enthusiasm" is my favorite word. It comes from the Greek "en theos," meaning "filled with God." Whether you are religious or not, consider what this would be like for just a moment. If you were filled with the creator of everything, wouldn't you feel energetic? Would you feel the impact of power? Wouldn't you want to share that? Of course you would. That is the essence of enthusiasm!

Embrace the Keys of Successful Business Presentations 

The only way to truly know whether the keys of business presentations will really work for you is to embrace them and try them. Can you embrace being more intentional and enthusiastic for your business presentations? Document the results for yourself. The results may surprise you!