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Hi John –
I get nervous before I have to give a presentation or
a demo. It doesn’t seem to matter how big the
audience is, nor how well prepared I am – I still get
nervous. It seems to take me at least five to ten
minutes to get into the flow, which I know is wasting
the most important part of my time in front of the
prospect. Any pre-sales specific ideas to help me out
here?
Noreen from Washington, DC.
A: Hi Noreen –
That is a very common question. When I run my “Perfect Pitch”
workshops so many people start off by saying “I’m so
nervous..”. I am a firm believer in the philosophy of if you don’t
measure it you cannot fix it. So the first action I would
recommend is that you video yourself. That might make you
feel even more self-conscious, but I can guarantee that you will
get some valuable insights into your behavior which will help
you make adjustments during that crucial ten minutes.
It is possible that part of your initial anxiety is that it takes
you a while to adjust and mentally sync-up with your audience.
One way around this is to interact with the audience
beforehand. Instead of single-mindedly focusing on getting
your laptop powered up and the demo running, take a few
minutes to socialize with the customers as they enter the room.
In addition to helping your nerves, it also avoids you being
labeled as “the tech guy/gal” by your customer.
Although not pre-sales specific – right before you start;
take a deep breath, relax, pause for 2-3 seconds, wiggle your
toes (trust me on this) and then get started.
You obviously know your material from both content and
structure contexts, so you need to practice the delivery. I’d
recommend that you mentally visualize the first five minutes of
your session – and finish with the image of a positive and
engaged audience. There is substantial research (1) which
shows that combining physical and mental visualization
preparation together works substantially better than just
physical preparation. In the same manner that athletes develop
muscle memory by repeatedly hitting or striking a ball, you can
build mental muscle by visualizing your first 5 minutes (and in
keeping with this month’s theme – visualize the last 5 minutes
too).
You should also read the from last
year for some other pre-sales tips.
Good luck and don't forget to smile.
(1) Ahsen, A., ISM: The triple code model for imagery and
psychophysiology, Journal of Mental Imagery, 8(4), 15-42, 1984.
That is a very common question. When I run my “Perfect Pitch”
workshops so many people start off by saying “I’m so
nervous..”. I am a firm believer in the philosophy of if you don’t
measure it you cannot fix it. So the first action I would
recommend is that you video yourself. That might make you
feel even more self-conscious, but I can guarantee that you will
get some valuable insights into your behavior which will help
you make adjustments during that crucial ten minutes.
It is possible that part of your initial anxiety is that it takes
you a while to adjust and mentally sync-up with your audience.
One way around this is to interact with the audience
beforehand. Instead of single-mindedly focusing on getting
your laptop powered up and the demo running, take a few
minutes to socialize with the customers as they enter the room.
In addition to helping your nerves, it also avoids you being
labeled as “the tech guy/gal” by your customer.
Although not pre-sales specific – right before you start;
take a deep breath, relax, pause for 2-3 seconds, wiggle your
toes (trust me on this) and then get started.
You obviously know your material from both content and
structure contexts, so you need to practice the delivery. I’d
recommend that you mentally visualize the first five minutes of
your session – and finish with the image of a positive and
engaged audience. There is substantial research (1) which
shows that combining physical and mental visualization
preparation together works substantially better than just
physical preparation. In the same manner that athletes develop
muscle memory by repeatedly hitting or striking a ball, you can
build mental muscle by visualizing your first 5 minutes (and in
keeping with this month’s theme – visualize the last 5 minutes
too).
You should also read the from last
year for some other pre-sales tips.
Good luck and don't forget to smile.
(1) Ahsen, A., ISM: The triple code model for imagery and
psychophysiology, Journal of Mental Imagery, 8(4), 15-42, 1984.
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