Relevancy: The best speeches were on a topic that was relevant to the entire audience, not just the speaker. Too many sales presentations focus on the seller's company instead of what's in it for the buyer, prospect, or customer.
Presentation tone: The speeches that caught my attention most effectively were delivered in a conversational tone. It sounds simple but many sales people change their tone and pitch during a sales presentation which makes it sound like they are lecturing to their prospect.
Humor: The most effective speeches used humor; not in the form of jokes, but through describing humorous situations or using a funny line. While humor is not always suitable in a sales conversation, finding a way to break the tension is. The more relaxed your prospect is, the greater the likelihood they will actually listen to you.
Timing: The best contestants varied the pace of their speech which made their presentation easier to listen to and easier to capture the key points. Effective sales presentations are well paced and give people time to process information. Avoid the temptation to race through a sales presentation.
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