Thanks, Rich, for the great tips on how to give a business presentation! You sure learned a lot from the college your dad got you into, much more than I’ve learned in twenty years of business. You have every right to speak to me like I’m six! But let me repeat the tips back to you, to make sure I fully understand.
Be Friendly. You say to signal my friendliness right from the beginning. But how do I do that if I’m feeling sad? I'm sad because when I’m at work, I miss my wife. I know it’s okay to miss my wife, but I’d like to draw her a picture to show how much I love her.
Don’t Forget Your Laptop with the PowerPoint Slides. Oh no! Do you mean I shouldn’t leave my presentation behind? Wow! Thank you! If I left my presentation at home, I’d feel frustrated. But you know what? It's important to stay calm and think of solutions when things don't go as planned.
Don’t Let the Customer Rattle You. How do I do that, exactly? Like, if a customer knocks over my coffee cup and I feel upset, what can I do besides yell? Even though yelling might make me feel better in the moment, it might hurt the customer’s feelings.
Illustrate Your Points with Visuals. When you say I should illustrate my data with visuals, what do you mean? Do you mean pictures? That’s a great idea! I should use big, clear pictures. Pictures are much easier to understand than words. I never would’ve come up with that on my own.
Prepare Your Presentation with the Help of a Coworker. I will be so excited when I finish my part of the presentation. But how will my coworker Jake feel when he's still working on his part? I think maybe he’ll feel a little sad because he hasn’t finished his part yet. I will encourage him to keep going.
Don’t Be Frustrated if the Customer Rejects Your Proposal. Sometimes I’m frustrated because the customer is mean and says, “The owner’s son is a nitwit.” What can I do to feel better? Could I take a timeout? Sometimes taking a timeout helps me feel better.
Thanks again for your great tips! If you’re going to the investor meeting this afternoon, save me a spot in the story circle.
"Many a true word hath been spoken in jest." - W. Shakespeare. This is a well observed and well-written piece Mr. Bluff, please keep this up.
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