In this chapter

• Dramatic launch success through ‘fun’ presentation
• Powerful demonstration that created a worldwide phenomenon
• Engaging the emotions
• The magic of great oratory

Everyone in business makes presentations, often without realising they are doing so. A business presentation does not have to be a slideshow. In simple terms, it is whatever method you choose to illustrate, demonstrate or explain what you do, in order that the other person will ‘buy’ it.

It could be a speech without notes, a talk with slides, a demonstration, a stage act, a group performance. Whatever form it takes, it’s a sales pitch, pure and simple. It says (or should say): ‘This is what I can offer. Would you like some?’

There is enormous power in words and even more when they are combined with demonstrations that prove their intent. We can use them to make a sale, to get a job, to gain influence, to make our reputations, and even to change the course of history. Let’s consider some remarkable achievements that came about because of the way in which the proposition was put.

Live test

In 1998 three Cambridge graduates working in the City of London had an idea they wanted to test at a London music festival. They bought £500 worth of fruit, whipped them into smoothies, and sold the new product over the festival weekend. Their testing vehicle was an ingenious one, which has since been much copied.

They asked customers to put their empty bottles in a ‘Yes’ bin, to indicate if they would buy it again. The three thought they would quit their jobs if the test proved successful.

They put their products in clear plastic bottles with paper labels, and decided to have some fun with them.

Printed on the bottom of the bottle itself were such comments as ‘Open other end – it’s easier’ and ‘Stop staring at my bottom’. On the back of the label (visible when the bottle was empty) was more fun copy. By the list of ingredients was the notice ‘Separation may occur*’. At the bottom of the label was this: ‘*But Mummy still loves Daddy.’

Not only did they have a new product, they had a new way of addressing customers. It established the brand right away. Customers enjoyed the product, but they also enjoyed the way the product was being presented, and it encouraged them to enter into a relationship with this new outfit.

Quick success

The ‘Yes’ bin was filled so quickly that the three young men resigned their jobs the next day, and started a company which they called ‘Innocent’. Today they sell two million smoothies a week to over 7,000 shops, and their annual turnover tops £100 million. The initial demonstration answered three questions:

1. Did people like the product?
2. Would they pay for it?
3. Would they buy it again?

Once again, the presentation was a demonstration of the product, wrapped in a research format. Interestingly enough, people seem more likely to try a product (providing the cost is nil or low) if it is represented as a ‘trial’.

Having the ‘Yes’ bin there enabled customers to try the product and register their views immediately. The key element here was ‘involvement’ – something that plays a part in most successful presentations. The involvement was partly through the ‘testing’ process and partly through the witty labels, i.e. the presentation.

The power of demonstration

One of the most dramatic, breathtaking presentations took place on stage in 1994, and resulted, within a year, in sales and an international following measured in millions. Although you may not have considered it a business presentation, it proved the power of demonstration, and created a significant business that is still thriving. That was Riverdance.

It came about almost by chance. As winners of the 1993 Eurovision Song Contest, Ireland hosted the 1994 event, and the producer, Moya Doherty, invited two American-born traditional Irish dancers, Michael Flatley and Jean Butler, to choreograph an Irish dance number to be performed during the interval, while the judges voted. The MC was Terry Wogan, who announced that we were in for something very special.

By the end of the tap dance act, the hairs on the backs of people’s necks were standing on end and the live audience were on their feet, applauding wildly, eyes moist with emotion. They had never seen anything like it. Grinning with delight, Wogan murmured, ‘Tell me you didn’t like that!’

The measure of success

Bill Whelan’s composition, Riverdance, outsold the winner of the Eurovision song contest that year, and in 1995 the act had been expanded as a full stage show, going on to make millionaires of the originators.

What made it so successful was a combination of several fundamental factors which have a bearing on business presentations. It was different, it was perfectly executed, it was launched at the right time, and in the right circumstances. That short performance during the interval was a presentation of the Riverdance phenomenon, a performance that demonstrated its audience appeal and its commercial possibilities. No claims about it were necessary.

In the world of advertising it has long been said that it is always better to demonstrate than to claim, and Riverdance proved the truth of that saying. The live audience and the millions watching on television said, implicitly, ‘We’d like some more of that!’ That was success.

Classified results

Often a presentation can be the start of a sales campaign. If it is done right, its impact can carry over into the new campaign, instead of just becoming the fading memory of an event. In my mid-20s I was given a short-term assignment on the Daily Express, to lift the classified ad sales out of the lethargy that had stunted its growth. It was in the bad old days when advertising salespeople ate lunch for a living and were little more than order takers.

Some of the salespeople had ‘flip over’ presentations in black folders, which seldom saw the light of day, as they thought it sufficient to inflict their personalities on their prospects. Classified advertising was a very unrefined art in those days. I redesigned the presentations, placed the City Golf Club ‘out of bounds’ and trained the sales team in more positive techniques, such as the Five Questions to Answer Before Making the Call. In three months I increased revenue by 33 per cent.

Three years later, ad sales on the Daily Express were again mired in complacency. The Managing Director, Jocelyn Stevens, decided to relaunch the Express and asked me to return and double the classified ad revenue in a single year.

Advertising agencies had already been invited to attend a presentation, for which some embarrassingly bad slides had been prepared. I filed them in the bin and created a new, lively presentation using twin projectors, music and two presenters – the Advertisement Director and myself.

Expecting a low-grade performance, Jocelyn Stevens was reluctant to attend the presentation, but at the finish he was left with his mouth open at what he saw and from the feedback from the invited agencies.

We set and broke more records than ever before or since, established a credible alternative to the market leader, The Daily Telegraph, and TRIPLED the revenue in just ten months.

Reasons why

What was it that enabled such success?

• We focused on the needs of the market: a credible alternative to the market leader.
• We understood our own product better.
• We supported our advertisers, providing our readers with incentives to respond to the ads we carried.
• We stopped selling ‘space’. Instead we spoke of the numbers of the right kind of readers we could offer – people most likely to respond to the ads.
• We got results for advertisers.

It all began with one presentation, but the entire sales effort was a continuous presentation of what we could do for advertisers. Every salesperson was equipped with a well-reasoned case for being seen by media buyers. It was not a rigid script, but there was a planned sequence to ensure that the salesperson knew just why they were there and why the media buyer should see them.

It was, in effect, a presentation based on the concept of a joint venture: the advertiser needed readers of a certain kind, and we offered those readers plus the right environment in which they would see the ads and respond.

Not only did we increase revenue at a rate never matched before or since, but some of the salespeople I trained went on to become directors and senior managers in newspapers, radio and advertising agencies. They told me they applied the same thinking in the presentations they, in turn, devised and trained others to produce and deliver.

Engaging the emotions

In September 1994, the British medical journal The Lancet caused a stir when it published an article urging doctors to apply the techniques of acting in their work. Drs Hillel Finestone and David Conter of the University of Western Ontario wrote that doctors should be trained as actors. They stated: ‘If a physician does not possess the necessary skills to assess a patient’s emotional needs and to display clear and effective responses to those needs, the job is not done.’

It’s right in medical practice and it’s just as right in business. When you engage the emotions of those with needs that you can satisfy, you get ‘buy in’.

When colour advertising came to newspapers it was much more expensive than black and white, so I knew we had to engage the emotions of the media buyers. Did you ever see the film The Glenn Miller Story, in which Glenn Miller, played by Jimmy Stewart, searched for an elusive ‘sound’ that he could call his own?

In the film, when he first performed with that sound, Miller (Jimmy Stewart) focused his gaze on the feet of the customers. When they started tapping he knew he was in business, with the distinctive and irresistible Glenn Miller sound.

That was the inspiration I needed, prompting me to build two elements into my presentation. The slides showed a succession of newspaper ads in black and white, and then in colour. Each ad was shown first in mono, then in colour, then again in mono, and colour once more. The audience could see for themselves how much better the colour versions were. They were not left to imagine the difference or the benefit.

One of the featured ads was for a red car. The contrast between the mono version and the one in colour was quite dramatic, and you could feel the rise and fall of emotional response in the room as the slides switched between the mono and colour versions. But while the ads were running on the screen, we played a recording of a catchy tune, Popcorn.

Within minutes, people were tapping their feet. They were engaged! When people are engaged, they become more responsive.

Music can improve response to ads

Colour printing produced a surge in advertising revenue, not only for the papers where I worked, but across all national newspapers, and accelerated the development of the printing technology that made newspapers so much more attractive.

Some years later there was some research done at the University of Florida on the effect of music on emotional response to advertising. Jon D. Morris and Mary Anne Boone found that music can make people respond favourably to an ad and transfer that positive feeling to the product being advertised.

In an experiment, 12 press ads were shown to two groups. One group saw the ads on their own, the other group had music playing at the same time. The second group had a heightened emotional response to the ads. Although it may not be appropriate to play music during every business presentation, the general point about the tests (and my own experience) is that it helps to use an emotional appeal.

Music is not the only means. The words you use, the drama in your voice, the oratorical devices that Churchill, JFK and Martin Luther King used so effectively, all contribute to an emotional appeal. When people’s emotions are engaged their response is intensified.

The decade’s political success story

Rapid results are always impressive, and one of the most dramatic journeys from zero to hero was between 2004 and 2008. In 2004, the American Democratic Party held their Convention in Illinois, to endorse the Presidential campaign of John Terry. As candidate for the Senate seat in Illinois, a certain Barack Obama was invited to deliver the Keynote address. He was virtually unknown.

Obama delivered an electrifying speech, without notes. It was a presentation of his ideas, his style and his ability to rouse a large audience. Hillary Clinton and Jesse Jackson were there, rising to their feet, applauding enthusiastically.

Obama was elected to the Senate and, just four years later, was elected President of the United States, defeating Hillary Clinton on the way, and John McCain in the final. And all because of his ability to deliver a rousing speech that reached the hearts of his hearers.

That’s the power of a great presentation.

There were four essential elements in the Barack Obama speeches, especially those in his Presidential campaign, four elements that I shall cover later in this book. They were:

1. Good content.
2. Oratorical devices.
3. Vocal authority.
4. Engagement of the audience.

All four can be developed and employed by you. All four are necessary if you want to persuade and if you want to acquire the voice of leadership.

The power of the spoken word

In his 2004 Keynote address, Obama engaged his audience by emphasising the importance of unity in America: ‘There’s not a liberal America and a conservative America. There’s the United States of America.’ He also placed himself alongside the man or woman in the street by telling his personal story, the ‘unlikely’ climb of ‘a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him too.’ When he spoke of ‘the audacity of hope’ he lifted the spirits of the average American.

That one speech, that single presentation, not only propelled Barack Obama into the Senate and later into the world’s top job, it also demonstrated the power of the spoken word. It is that power which is available to you when you stand to make your case.

You will have many opportunities to practise the new skills you will learn from this book, because you make far more presentations than you might think. And every time you make one you have the chance to achieve great things.

In simple terms, making a presentation means putting your point across in such a way that your listeners can understand, accept and be prepared to act on what you say. It can be formal or informal, but it usually has a business purpose, and will therefore have some focus and structure. It could be a new business pitch, a workshop or seminar, or it could be a speech.

In times of war

You already know of the impact Winston Churchill made with his radio broadcasts during the Second World War, rallying his nation when they were almost on their knees. You may also have heard of the Gettysburg Address, a two-minute declaration by Abraham Lincoln, to honour the thousands who had died in bloody battle during the American Civil War. That two-minute speech is probably the most famous speech in American history, and the one most quoted. More recently, another military leader made a worldwide impact with a short impromptu speech to his troops on the eve of battle. This is what he said:

‘We go to liberate, not to conquer. We will not fly our flags in their country. Iraq is steeped in history. It is the site of the Garden of Eden, of the Great Flood and the birthplace of Abraham. Tread lightly there.’

Those were the words of Lt Colonel Tim Collins during the Gulf War in 2003. He was the 42-year-old commander of the Royal Irish Rangers, and he gave a stirring speech to his troops just hours before the battle to liberate Kuwait.

There were two dramatic results. First, the Royal Irish Rangers were inspired to fight with valour and distinction. Second, Tim Collins became an internationally acclaimed hero and celebrity. He was immediately promoted to full Colonel and later offered command of the SAS and SBS, a promotion which carried the rank of General.

All because of that one speech.

How does it apply to you?

Now, you may say that Tim Collins, Barack Obama, Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln are examples of global leaders, and you may be thinking, ‘I’m not in that league. How does it apply to me?’ So I had a look at some small businesses started by inventors and entrepreneurs, and the first thing that struck me was how much they benefited from guidance on turning their ideas into successful businesses.

The information that helped them was always available, in books, on the internet, and in many other places. But what made the difference to them was sitting in a room, listening to a live presenter who fed them the information in a structured way, explained its significance and showed them how to adopt and adapt it to suit their own circumstances. Most importantly, they were often inspired by something that someone said, energised and made bold enough to do something different.

Let’s consider the value of making a good presentation, and how you can recognise the success it brings.

The word ‘presentation’ usually creates an impression of someone standing in front of a screen, talking about the words and pictures on that screen, and possibly even reading out the words that everyone can see for themselves. In the next chapter I’ll explain why this does not work, but for now let me stress that it’s the wrong image to call to mind.

Let’s go back to basics. Why would you make a presentation?

You may think it is to inform, but surely the reason is to persuade your listeners to accept your proposition, your reasoning, your solution to some problem. For that to happen you have to be persuasive, and that’s a two-way street. They have to like you and accept your line of reasoning, and you have to make it relevant to their needs or interests.

It’s not enough to be entertaining or even impressive. That’s not usually enough to get people to change their thinking, attitude or behaviour.

The Greeks valued oratory

I’m often reminded of two orators in ancient Greece, Aeschines and Demosthenes. Aeschines was a polished speaker, but a bit aloof, who nevertheless became one of the leaders of the Athenian independence movement against Philip of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great.

Demosthenes was an orphan who, when he came of age, decided to sue his guardians who had robbed him of his inheritance. But he had a pronounced stammer. So he learned what he could about law and overcame his stammer by filling his mouth with pebbles and jogging by the seaside. It helped him to develop a powerful speaking voice and style, and when he sued his guardians he won the case so impressively that people urged him to go into politics. He then rivalled Aeschines in the anti-Philip movement.

Here’s the difference. When Aeschines spoke, people said, ‘How well he spoke.’ But when Demosthenes spoke, they said, ‘Let’s march against Philip of Macedon!’ So which would you rather have, applause or action?

A presentation that results in the action you want is a success. The presentation that wins you applause has usually failed. When your listeners notice and admire your technique, when they tell you, ‘That was a terrific presentation!’, they have received a performance, nothing more.

When you watch a drama on the stage or screen, a good performance has you believing in the characters. You don’t want to notice their acting techniques. So praise is good to have, but it is not the objective.

So, a last word on the need for presentations from David Ogilvy, founder of the advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather:

‘In the modern world of business, it is useless to be a creative original thinker unless you can also sell what you create. Management cannot be expected to recognise a good idea unless it is presented to them by a good salesman.’

In the next chapter we shall consider why presentations fail, before moving on to the thinking and techniques that will enable you to make winning business presentations, and also arm you to cope with the anxiety about public speaking.

Summary

• Demonstration works better than claiming
• Press the emotional hot buttons to engage your listeners
• Believe in the value you offer to others
• Don’t underestimate the power of language
• Aim for action, not applause
• You must be able to sell your great ideas