Sales and Influence: It's Not What You Say, But How You Say It!

Published on March 6, 2013

Last weekend I had the privilege of introducing my colleague, Karen Jacobsen, at the National Speakers Association Conference in San Francisco. The introduction was 2:56 minutes long and left the audience laughing and energized. The three keys that made this introduction work are: Great product, preparation and timing. They are all critical for not only knowing what you’re going to say but communicating it in a powerful and engaging manner.

1) Great Product – Karen is a native Australian who has taken America by storm as an amazing singer and motivational speaker who transforms the lives of her audiences. She is also the Australian Female voice on your GPS. https://Thegpsgirl.com When Karen called me the night before asking me to introduce her, I asked what she would want me to say. Her answer was I don’t know (modest). You know me. Speak from your heart. When you have a great product to work with like Karen and great experiences, the ideas started flowing out. It took me 45 minutes to write the 2:56 minutes of polished material. Most companies have great products, in today’s market that’s the cost of entry. Now comes the question of how to communicate it in a powerful manner, that is where preperation and timing come in.

Here is the video in question-shot by another colleague from an iphone. Enjoy, then continue reading about the preparation and timing that went into this introduction.

2) Preparation – As in sales, you can’t just go into your customers office without preparing for what you are going to say and rehearsing it. It took me a total of 2 more hours to rehearse the introduction, make edits, work on the transitions and get the timing down. Add another couple of hours running through the introduction in my mind up until show time. As you can see, I spent over five-hours working on an introduction that lasted 2:56. How much time do you spend in preparing for your presentations?

3) Timing – As you can see timing is everything in life. It is critical in humor, crucial in sales and everything in life.

Book Ron Karr today to learn how to powerfully communicate your message and close more sales!

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