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"Now I start with the first presentation. On that opening slide is a detailed outline of the presentation. My outline slide has links to various parts of the presentation so I can quickly get to particular details. Based on what they say at this point, I choose which show version of that topic to present. For every presentation, I create one or more custom shows of those slides. I explain that there are multiple versions of the subject and assess what level of detail they want to know about these subjects. At this point I look for nonverbal cues from the customer as well as from Mercury people from the local office, as they usually know the customer better than I. When talking about Mercury people in this context, I think it is worth pointing out that I am a person from corporate and generally do not have as close a relationship with the customer as the local account manager and application engineer. I also let them know that I can send them a copy of the slides so we don’t have to cover every single detail about a product."
On his agenda slide, hyperlinks (underlined words) are set up so that Greg can go to any section of the talk. At the bottom he has created three custom show versions of the talk. Depending on the level of interest in the room, he can give an overview with much detail.
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Greg states, "For me, I am always assessing how much or how little information my client wants right now. Then I can use my hyperlinks and custom shows to provide that level of information.
"Another technique I use is to have a link at the bottom of some slides, which points to a more detailed slide in case there is interest. I am constantly adjusting my talk based on what the customer is most interested in and where I think we should spend the valuable time we have."
The above example focuses on giving the customer a unique "sales experience." As much as possible, the customer is directing how much or how little information is presented. This is as it should be.
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| Figure 1.2 |
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| Figure 1.3 |
The logo from the website came in a red box, and it looks fine if we leave it. It was also scaled up no more than 5 percent. Look at the different logos on the slides in the CD. You will see the color issues we are discussing here.
Some other ways people customize their presentations include (1) using up-to-the-minute data (e.g., top management likes to know the very latest information and trends); (2) speaking only to the needs of the audience (i.e., the focus would change from one presentation to another, even though the basic information stays the same, for example, the management committee wants to hear what is being done to reverse a negative trend, whereas the technical people want to hear the details and process issues surrounding the negative trend); (3) showing photos and giving examples that directly relate to those companies represented in the audience.
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