Presentations
Last Updated: Apr 14th, 2004 - 14:18:49
Journalists
are trained in writing clear, easy-to-digest information. They
are taught a structural pattern, usually called "the funnel"
or "the inverted pyramid," starting with the most
important points and dwindling down to the less important stuff.
What
about persuasion? We know that merely delivering a bunch of
facts doesn't create much of an impression. Unfortunately, we
may not know of a better alternative. Very few are ever trained
in the most effective way to structure a persuasive message.
Persuasion
is the most demanding form of writing. Part of that is because
people don't always understand what persuasion involves. Some
people confuse persuasion with manipulation or deception. They
think it involves "tricking" the reader into doing
something. Negative attitudes toward advertising and political
campaigns may lead them to regard persuasion with suspicion.
In
reality, persuasion is a straightforward process of identifying
the reader's needs, issues, or concerns, acknowledging their
importance in terms of meaningful outcomes, positioning your
solutions in the context of the customer's needs and outcomes,
and finally presenting evidence that you can deliver the solution.
Following
the four steps below will lead to effective and honest persuasion
in letters, proposals, and presentations. This pattern, called
the Persuasive Paradigm, is the basis of the consulting Sant
has done with major corporations, serving as a foundation for
a wide range of documents, from letter proposals to multi-volume
bids.
NEED/PROBLEM:
Win the customer's attention by describing the specific need
or problem that he or she has.
OUTCOMES:
Spell out clearly the outcomes the decision maker seeks. What
positive results will come from meeting the need or solving
the problem? What are the possible consequences of inaction?
SOLUTION:
Recommend specifically what you think the decision
maker and his or her organization should do. Link your recommendation
back to the client's needs and desired outcomes.
SUBSTANTIATION:
Discuss technical details, cost details, management plans, schedules,
risks, logistics, training, documentation, delivery schedules,
future implications, conformance to specifications and requirements,
whatever. Always link the details of your solution to the client's
needs and constantly return to the key persuasive point how
the solution components will contribute to maximum return.
To
learn how to build persuasive structure into every proposal
and presentation automatically, visit us at www.santcorp.com,
or send me an e-mail at tomsant@santcorp.com
ABOUT
THE SANT CORPORATION:
The Sant Corporation is the leading provider of enterprise-strength
tools for automatically generating proposals, sales letters,
RFP responses, and sales presentations. Sant's award-winning
software is available for desktop, network, and Web installations.
It has been used by organizations ranging from Fortune 100 companies
to individual entrepreneurs. Sant's mission is to help companies
increase revenues by improving win ratios through structured
proposals.
Call us at 888-448-7268 (USA) or +44 (0) 1329 227535 (UK) to
schedule a demonstration of our award-winning proposal and RFP
software products.
CONTACT
INFORMATION:
The
Sant Corporation
Corporate Office
10260 Alliance Road
Suite 210
Cincinnati, OH 45242
888-448-7268
info@santcorp.com
© Copyright 2003 by SalesVault.com
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