What do presentations and customer service have in common? Both are all about your audience or client.
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You might think that giving good customer service can only be practiced in most business and telecommunication companies. After all, it needs sales associates to interact with clients and act as third-party agents who bridge the gap between the brand and its customers.
The same goes in business presentations. Before the audience arrives, you need to make sure you’re well-prepared. Being knowledgeable about your pitch will let you convey your message clearly. Aside from careful preparation, practicing your delivery will also help you improve your communication skills and choose appropriate words that’ll match your actions.
Doing so will make things easier for your audience to understand your main idea. This will also keep their interest and convince them to listen throughout your pitch.
Every Interaction Counts
In customer service, it’s important to offer assistance to a particular customer, as it benefits both you and the other party. By acknowledging their presence, respecting them, and bringing satisfaction, you’re more likely get positive feedback from your audience.
Imagine how effective you would be if you consider your audience as your customers. As a presenter (or as a customer service provider in this case), your goal is to give them excellent service which will satisfy them in the long run. By answering their questions and finding solutions to their problems, you give the impression that you want to work with them, and establish good rapport.
Since one of your objectives is to persuade them to invest, you should aim for a more profitable relationship with them even after your presentation. This is why giving them a remarkable customer experience makes a great impact on how they make decisions. You can begin by listening to their concerns and carefully addressing their needs to make them more interested. This also enables them to see that you’re focused on giving them what’s best, and not on what you can get from doing it. This, then, creates a win-win situation for both sides.
Consider some of these tips to achieve a successful connection and conversation with your audience:
Make Them Feel Welcome
Showing that you appreciate your customer’s presence makes him feel valued. Not only does it create a good impression on your part. It also gives him an idea how serious you are in welcoming any concerns he might address to you.
Sincerity becomes more obvious for your client if you start addressing them using a natural and conversational tone. This involves incorporating inclusive words, such as “we” and “us,” to your pitch to make them feel included and comfortable throughout the engagement process. Once they ask for an advice, instead of telling them, “You can look for better ways to handle this problem,” a more caring tone to say it is, “We can look for better ways to handle this problem.” Not only does it imply collaborative effort which benefits the two parties. It also gives them the impression that you’re interested in them.
By this you’ll realize that choosing the right words and matching it with the right tone can make a difference in your approach.
Put Yourself in Their Shoes
It’s not enough to make them feel welcome and appreciated. There’s an old proverb that says, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Avoid speaking too much but leaving your audience with nothing. Business writer Michael Hess states that these people have invested their time, effort and even their money to attend your presentation. So make the most out of your time telling how they can benefit from you and your proposal.
A one-way pitch with you doing all the talking won’t identify their concerns, especially if it relates to the costs and feasibility of implementing your proposal. So provide them with something significant and valuable in return by letting them see how your offer can improve their wellbeing. Not only does it show your respect and highlight your professionalism in dealing with them. It also allows you to align your pitch with what they’re looking for and discover how they can be best met.
Be specific and concise when presenting your products or services, especially when showing supporting facts and figures for your proposal’s promises. For a customer who’s looking for something that makes his life easier and more convenient, focus on mentioning the benefits instead of overly describing a brand’s features. Like a customer, you would want to receive something worth-having, wouldn’t you?
Satisfy Their Needs
Once you successfully display genuine appreciation for your clients, they will come to value both you and what you have to offer them. Since your listeners are vital to any presentation, your goal should focus on their needs more than yours. You might have presented what you can offer to them, but you won’t be able to influence their decisions without them seeing the need to push through.
This explains that more than getting their attention and making them interested, encouraging them to take action is important to get positive results. If you notice that some of them are not convinced with what you’re telling them, don’t hesitate to ask questions for clarification. Asking them “What factors affect your interest about a particular offering?” allows them to share their experiences and give you an idea on how you can help them achieve what they want. By this you’ll have greater chances of motivating them and giving reasons why they need you.
Once it’s their turn to speak up, listen attentively to let them notice your willingness to learn about them and their needs. You’ll understand their concerns and develop ideas to exceed their expectations, helping you to get not only their interest, but also gain their loyalty on the process. Seeing how you’re aiming to bring satisfaction makes it possible for them to come back.
Conclusion
Nothing’s more rewarding than making your audience happy and fulfilled. While it’s true that some members of your audience won’t be content, pleasing the majority of them is what matters.
Business presentations need to provide something beneficial to make them more memorable. To achieve this, treat your audience right by offering quality service.
Think like a customer service agent by putting yourself in their shoes. How would you like to be treated? What would you like to get out of this?
After figuring out their needs, provide the best solution to their problem. You’ll get more leads and sales by caring more about your audience, which will make them care more about you.
Become an agent that provides high-quality service to your audience. This enables them to build positive word-of-mouth about your brand offerings and share their experience to other people.
Remember, your pitch’s impact should last for long, and not only for a moment. Since you’re dealing with a large group of individuals, you’re more likely to accommodate queries or concerns that you need to address. To return the favor, they’ll be more willing to demand more excellent service from you.
To help you with your presentation needs, let SlideGenius experts assist you!
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Reference
Hess, Michael. “What Public Speaking Teaches about Customer Service.” CBSNews. June 4, 2012. Accessed June 2, 2015.
