| Know your audience. You've heard that many times | | | | Your Big Message should speak to the executive. |
| and you know how important it is. In fact, before you | | | | The Executive Buyer is looking at the long-term |
| prepare your presentation, you go to the target buyer's | | | | relationship and thinking about how your company fits |
| website and find out all about their company and what | | | | with theirs. They are more interested in high level |
| they do. Good for you. But that's probably not good | | | | concepts than in detail. They want to feel you are a |
| enough to win the bid. | | | | good match for today and well into the future. They |
| What you may not have known is that what your | | | | want to like you because they are looking for a |
| audience does is less important than who they are. | | | | long-term relationship. |
| This is the crux of it: whether your potential buyers | | | | To get the Executive Buyer in your corner, go to their |
| build trucks or sell medical equipment or distill beer, as | | | | website and check out their vision and mission |
| individuals sitting in your audience, their personal point of | | | | statements. Then tweak your Big Message so it fits |
| view is predictable. That's a valuable fact--because it | | | | with the buyer's vision. Don't quote their vision |
| means you can target your presentation perfectly. | | | | statement word for word, but do use some of their |
| Indeed, when you can predict what your audience is | | | | language or concepts so your message resonates. |
| thinking, when you look at a group of buyers and | | | | Open with that Big Message and get the Executive |
| understand their individual mindsets, you are on your | | | | Buyer onside right at the start. |
| way to a win. | | | | Deliver the rest of your presentation in three sections |
| So here's the secret: knowing your audience means | | | | or topics, each of which should speak to one of the |
| more than identifying their industry sector or job | | | | other three kinds of buyers. Since people buy from |
| description. It also means understanding that within | | | | people they like, it is important that each type of buyer |
| every audience you have four kinds of buyers. | | | | hears something that speaks to them directly--that |
| Whether there is a single buyer in front of you--or a | | | | resonates for them. Make yourself likable. When you |
| dozen--these four buyer mindsets are there and must | | | | speak to the needs of each type of buyer, everyone |
| be addressed. And while not every person in the | | | | thinks you are terrific. When they like you, you have |
| audience has buying power, they do have veto | | | | given them a strong reason to buy. |
| power--which means that if you don't get it right, you | | | | One topic speaks to the techie in the audience. |
| lose. | | | | In this section, you'll want to point out the sophistication |
| Reaching each of your listeners in a way that | | | | or superiority or originality of your technology. You will |
| resonates--intellectually and on a gut level--is the | | | | talk about its reliability or whatever it is you think will |
| secret to getting every listener onside so you can | | | | resonate best with a technical mindset. |
| move ahead of your competitors. | | | | One topic speaks to the financial person. |
| The four types of buyers in every presentation | | | | Here, you point out ROI or cost savings or increased |
| audience are: | | | | throughput for financial gain to the buyer. You know |
| - the executive who thinks about the big picture and | | | | your best financial wins; be sure your financial buyer |
| long-range relationships | | | | hears them. |
| - the techie who thinks about technology | | | | One topic addresses the implementer in the audience. |
| - the financial person who thinks about cost and | | | | In this section you'll talk about the short learning curve |
| numbers and payoff | | | | or ease of implementation or whatever it is that |
| - the implementer who thinks about the people issues. | | | | makes your product or service attractive to a buyer |
| Now that you know who is sitting in those chairs, you | | | | most concerned with the people issues in the |
| want to know how best to reach them so every | | | | organization. |
| listener turns on, tunes in and wants you to win. If | | | | Know your audience. Of course. And now you do. |
| you're smart, you will choose your content--in | | | | What's more, you can predict what your audience is |
| whichever order you prefer--to address the needs | | | | thinking which means you know precisely what you |
| and interests of the four buyer mindsets in your | | | | need to present to win. But shhh. It's a secret. |
| audience. | | | | |