Sales Meeting

1. Request that the person give the talk. Don’t direct her to do so. When she tackles it voluntarily, she puts more “heart” into it. Her confidence is greater. You’re no longer the only one who believes she’s capable. She also thinks she can do it. A San Diego bank cashier said, “The first time I was selected to speak at a meeting, I was told I had to speak. Having been drafted regardless of how I felt about it, I was terrified! A person should be asked to speak. They will feel better about it.”

2.    Ask well in advance. This gives them time to get used to the idea. It also enables him or her to research the subject, to organize material, and to practice delivery. These things make for self-confidence and self-assurance. “Before making my first speech, I had six weeks’ notice.  This helped, because I not only had time to get used to the idea, but I had time to get help from several friends.” These words come from a farm implement dealer who is now an accomplished speaker.

3.    Recommend appropriate visuals and other aids. If the speaker is a salesperson, he’s busy keeping “the body in front of the prospect.” He has little time for planning ways of spicing his
speech. Suggest visual and other aids. Help him integrate some good props. Then watch his confidence grow. A magazine crew manager said, “I always feel better if I have one or two good things to show during my talk. I know the audience will at least like that part of my talk.”

4.    Show confidence in her material. Having received an outline of her talk, acknowledge it with enthusiasm. Assure her she will cover the points of greatest need and interest. Tell her the  talk will be quite favorably received. “After the boss said he liked my material, I figured everyone would,” confessed a dealer of auto parts. “This made me much more willing to take the
stand at our last sales meeting.”

5.    Offer to get his notes typed. Typewritten words can be read more easily. Use large type.  “Nothing is worse than notes that are difficult to read.  Notes written in pencil are usually quite difficult to read under the light on the speakers’ stand. Use typewritten notes.” These
are the words of an experienced lecturer. Do not hyphenate a word, completing it on the next line. This makes the use of notes more obvious. The same can be said of a sentence that starts at
the bottom of one page and ends at the top of the next.

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