Write the introduction in advance. Put down every word of it. Then practice giving it until you’ve virtually memorized it. You weaken the introduction if you are obviously reading it.
 
SAMPLE INTRODUCTION

“What’s it about?”

The next talk is on objections. There’ll be demonstrations on how to overcome all the common objections: price, not interested, all of them.

“Why should I listen?”

This information will help you with every prospect. You can use it to close more sales and make more money.

“Who says so?”    

One of the best salespersons on the staff will handle this subject. She won last year’s Distinguished Sales Award – a real go-getter – Julie McBride!

For formal occasions, an introduction can be more lengthy. But 30 seconds should be a maximum. Let the speaker do the speech making.

“We present Julie McBride!” sounds better than “I give you Julie McBride!”

Another tip: Save the speaker’s name until last. Then when stating his or her name, really bear down! Example: “Hailing from Fresno, California, here’s JOHN KENWORTH!”

It’s usually a good idea to check with the speaker beforehand to get his approval of the introduction. A misstatement in the introduction may upset the speaker, get him off to a bad start.

Sales Meeting Ideas

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First, he might do it for the sake of informality. Upon taking the stand he looks at his audience and states, “I see Jim Dawson, Jose Timen and other friends in the audience.” He rips up his notes with a flourish, adding, “And I certainly don’t need notes to talk to my friends.” Although the audience doesn’t realize it, he may still have a few notes before him!

There’s another time for note tearing. It’s when a meeting is behind schedule and the audience is aware of it. The final speaker begins with a glance at his watch and a fast rate of speech.
“We’re running out of time, so here goes the advice I’d planned to give you.” He then tears a blank piece of paper down the middle. The audience giggles with relief.

“And here go the funny stories I’d planned to tell!” He rips some more paper. The audience relaxes and laughs louder. He captured full attention in spite of a difficult situation. Everyone is listening when he adds, “There’s only one part of the talk I’ll go through with, the part you wanted most to hear. I’m referring to    ________”.  (The speaker then covers the main point of his talk.

Sale Meeting

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Suppose the speaker wants to tell of an overconfident salesperson. “He vowed he’d eat his hat if he couldn’t sell a certain prospect.” This is a natural for a crossover! When the climax of the story is reached, a fellow crosses the stage chewing on his hat!

Perhaps the speaker refers to a fellow who became a smart-alec,”too big for his britches.” Someone with the seat torn out of his trousers could crossover.  “He lost” said the speaker.

“He almost lost his shirt.” A fellow in pants and an undershirt could then crossover.

“This man made a million dollars.” A fellow crosses with money sticking out of every pocket, and pinned to his shoulders and back. He’s counting some bills in his hands.

“That competition of ours really took a beating.” The crossover is made by a man who has a bandaged eye, an arm in a sling, and catsup on his cheek!

Sales Meeting

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Your speaker simply extends a long stick toward an assistant. He nearly touches him before withdrawing the stick. He repeats the act. Then the assistant says, “I know you need me. And I can really sell.” But the speaker gives a negative shake of his head. The assistant drops to his knees with a plea of, “Please! Please take me!” The speaker tosses the stick away, explaining to the audience, “He won’t adhere to the code of ethics. I wouldn’t touch him with a ten-foot pole!”

Here is another example to give you the idea of what I mean.

The need for having a plan can easily be enacted. Your speaker appoints someone to play the role of a salesperson. “This salesperson has set a goal for himself and is trying to reach it. This
check for $30,000 represents his goal.”

The salesperson is asked to leave the room for a moment. While he’s gone the check is taped high on the wall in the rear of the room. He’s called back in and told to “take whatever steps he must take in order to reach his goal.”

He wanders about, looking in many places. He may even look down the collar of the big boss! But he fails to find the check, fails to reach his goal.

Speaker: “He had a goal but no plan for reaching it. Break your goal down into small steps. Then you’ll know what must be done each day in order to reach it. A goal, without a plan for reaching it, is merely wishful thinking.”

Sales Meeting

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Here is a way to dramatize the importance of systematic prospecting in a sales meeting.

Your speaker is dressed as a magician. He begins by performing several magic tricks. Three people are then brought forward. They should be strangers to the audience.

One is said to be a hot prospect, ready to place an order. Your speaker guesses which of the three it is. He misses on his first guess—on the second one, too. “This proves that no one can tell which prospects will buy—not even a magician. So let’s call on everybody.”

Sales Meeting

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From time to time, pertinent facts will come to mind. Your speaker should not trust his or her memory. He or she should write down these thoughts as they occur. Over a period of several days, many ideas can be collected. It’s difficult, on the other hand, to dig all the ideas out of the subconscious at one time in one sitting.

If the speaker must do heavy research, you may have picked the wrong person. Most speakers should investigate their subjects to some degree, however. Mere reflection will produce ideas but they are not always adequate.  Deeper research will help the speaker completely cover the necessary points

Sales Meeting

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Fred Jones, approaching the speakers’ stand dressed as a grocer, will act as the salesperson.” The customer asks three or four questions about the merchandise: “Where is the flour? Are these the best potatoes you have? Don’t you have cheaper tomatoes?”

The clerk is indifferent, then discourteous, then extremely rude. The climax is reached when the customer angrily declares, “If that’s the way you treat your customers, you can keep your groceries!”  The customer throws several grocery items, including a sack of flour, at the retreating clerk. The sack hits the wall. A hole in it causes flour to be strewn in all directions! Your audience will roar. They will then be more receptive to your speaker’s remarks on the subject of customer courtesy.

Sales Meeting

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Then the speaker pretends to “hypnotize” the “prospect.” When the “prospect” is quizzed under “hypnosis” he tells the truth. “I really wanted to buy from Ray Smith—that salesperson (he points to the audience) sitting there. But he gave up too soon. If he doesn’t sell on the first try, he gives up.” The “prospect” continues, using points he wishes to emphasize. “And I couldn’t buy from Ed Smith, because he doesn’t know his products. As for Cherie Brown, she always wants to argue!”

Here’s another way to accomplish the same thing.

Your speaker can lighten the presentation by using a hand puppet—the type worn like a glove. The puppet brings out the main ideas, the speaker confirming them. The speaker can operate the puppet
himself.

Since he’s not likely to be a ventriloquist, he could play a recording for the voice of the puppet.  Better still, there can be a second person concealed from view that operates the puppet and serves as its voice.

Sales Meeting

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How did he do it?

Was it organization of material alone? Or did his subject have an unusual appeal? Did he capitalize on basic emotions and urges?

THE APPEAL TO BASIC EMOTIONS AND URGES

Indeed his subject had exceptional appeal. It encompassed the first law of human nature, the first human instinct – self-preservation! As he progressed, he also appealed to love of family, love of fellow men, love of country, and love of God. Further, he stimulated one of the most powerful of all human emotions – fear!

The most convincing speeches are usually like that one. They’re directed at basic emotions and urges. A spark already burns in the heart of the audience. The speaker needs only to fan the flame.

Such flames should be fanned when the opportunity presents itself, but the speaker at a sales meeting has little opportunity to appeal to emotions and urges. Systems and procedures are without emotion. Besides, it’s the prospective customer, not the salesperson, whose emotions must usually be considered.

Yet, there’s a means of putting sparkle in speeches at sales meetings. That means is showmanship. Speakers should dramatize their speeches, present them in a vivid manner, illustrate them visually, and bring them to life.

The presentation of each participant can be previewed to determine whether enough life has been injected. Speeches, particularly, should be checked. Where more showmanship is needed, it can be added.

Sales Meeting

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Often a story can be based upon two of the four reasons for laughing.

1.    Man’s inhumanity to man.
2.    A natural target.
3.    The unexpected.
4.    Sex.

This increases its effectiveness.

To illustrate: “At one of our sales meetings, a fellow flinched every time an automobile horn was sounded on the street. He jumped so much that he disturbed the other salesmen. So we stopped the meeting and asked him for an explanation.

“He said, ‘A few days ago, my wife ran away with our chauffeur. Every time I hear an automobile horn, I’m afraid it’s that chauffeur bringing her back!’”

There’s a double sock there. First, the unexpected is spoken. Then there’s man’s inhumanity to man. The audience laughs because the fellow might get his wife back when he obviously wishes she would “drop dead.”

Analyze the basis for humor in each story before telling it. If it has two platforms for laugh-getting, tell it in such a way that you fully capitalize on both foundations.

HOW TO HANDLE THE PUNCH LINE

The final sentence or phrase of a joke is referred to as the “punch line.” It’s the part that prompts the audience to laugh.

Be very sure that your punch line is worded correctly. The audience must understand its relationship to your build-up, other¬wise there’s no punch.

For instance, at a sales meeting a speaker told of: “A farmer was passing an insane asylum with a wagon load of fertilizer. An inmate called out, ‘Hey! Where are you going with that fertilizer?’

“The farmer replied, To put it on my strawberries.’  ” That’s funny,’ said the inmate. 1 put sugar and cream on mine.’”

The speaker got a laugh, but it could have been better. His punch line should have been more closely related to the build-up. For example, he could have “pulled the string” with: “That’s funny,” said the inmate. “I put sugar and cream on mine, and they’ve got me in the nut house!”

The improved phrasing more clearly points up the insanity angle. It doubles the laughter! Why?

Because of man’s inhumanity to man. The inmate thinks he’s smarter than the farmer but that he’s in the insane asylum in spite of it. The improved phrasing brings this out more strongly.

The main point here: Build-up makes way for the punch line, gets the audience ready for it. Naturally, the build-up should establish the basis for the laugh—inhumanity, natural target, the unexpected, or sex. But the punch line should bear out this basis. Unless there’s strong relationship between the build-up and the punch line, the story loses much of its sock.

Sales Meeting Information

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