• by Cory Treffiletti , Featured Contributor, October 17, 2007

Have you ever sat through a long-winded, totally irrelevant, and completely un-engaging, boring presentation? I have. More than once.

Our industry is notorious for talking about ourselves endlessly. We make broad, sweeping statements about how our idea or our technology is the best thing since sliced bread and how our platform will "totally change the way consumers interact with media," but that's all pretty bogus. Our ideas and our companies may do a great job of providing new solutions, but not enough people truly sit and think about the challenges facing the audience they are speaking to first!

The best presentations are simple; they are the ones where you talk little, listen a lot and provide solutions aimed at meeting the challenges of the person you are talking to.

The only way to do that is to first find out what those challenges are and truly listen. I once sat in a presentation (true story) with someone who was pitching me about all the services he could provide me for media planning and buying which would help my clients achieve their needs online. I asked him if he knew what my team and I did and he said, "No. Why don't you give me some background on your business." I told him we were a media planning and buying shop and I asked him if he could find his way out by himself (really, this actually happened).

To be successful, you need to know your audience. Salespeople in our industry are usually so stressed for time and so busy trying to make new contacts that they forget the simple things about selling (and note that I am not criticizing them, because I understand why they are acting this way). The best salespeople are the ones who begin by asking, or have already done their research, about what challenges their potential clients will face and understanding the needs of that specific group.

If you are speaking to a venture capitalist, you need to know he is going to want to hear about how your idea will make him money. If you are speaking to a brand manager, you need to convey how your product or service will help her to achieve specific brand goals, such as increasing awareness or getting thei brand further down the consideration cycle to purchase intent. If you are speaking to an Ad Agency, understand who their clients are and what they are trying to achieve. This research may not be easy, but it will close the sales cycle dramatically and help you sign more business at a quicker pace.

It really is this simple; to sell a presentation, speak to me about what I need, not what you do! Understand what my top ten challenges are. Hypothesize what the primary issues facing my business might be -- and see if your guess was correct! Don't provide me with a solution for a challenge that is #16 on a list of the top 20 challenges on my plate right now. If you can speak to me about what is top-of -mind and provide solutions that will work, you'll get my business. If you don't do your homework first, you risk the annoyance of your audience and the missed opportunity to build a lasting, strong and effective relationship!

Our interactive industry is growing, in spite of the missteps we've made over the years. But for us to compete with TV and other formats, and for us to continue to evolve to be the central discussion in media and campaign planning, we need to grow up. Salespeople need to be trained just as much as media people do. They need to be trained not just on the technology behind their products and services, but on sales and client management. They need to know to listen first and speak second (and this goes for media people pitching a new piece of business, too).

These people represent the front line of exposure for our business, so make us proud and step up to the plate to build our business the right way. And as for media people on the other end, be courteous, return calls and respond when salespeople ask questions. Reward the salespeople who do their jobs well, because these people will be your best friends for many years to come in your career.