Did some work early this month with a client for their new hire training. When we introduce our methodology for developing content, we use the Decker Grid and SHARPs. We’ve talked about our SHARPs before: Stories, Humor, Analogies, References/Quotes and Pictures/Visuals. They’re a handful of tools to help make your message stick.
So, what the heck does Spartacus have in common with data integration?
This particular client of ours is all about data. They love it. Respect it. Manage it. Integrate it. They make data useful to their customers. One of the most important benefits of their products and services is that they can ease tension between IT and Sales/Marketing.
Here’s just one example of what they do: they make it so the sales and marketing teams have the information they need to have a 360 degree view of their customers, all in one place. Better customer relationship management, increased sales...all good news. And, nobody has to bug the IT folks for bad data. To show this (in a mock presentation to a customer), one participant began his message with this classic scene from Spartacus:
Then he went on:
“You have no idea who is the real Spartacus is among your customers. Your data is just plain bad and you can't service these customers effectively. It’s critical that you upgrade and simplify your systems.”
Now there’s one that will stand out against the competition.
Challenge yourself by asking, “How will I be remembered?” They likely won't sign on the dotted line right after you finish your PowerPoint presentation. That message of influence must persist longer than the 60 minute meeting that you have with that customer, team member, or boss. As your listener is flooded with all sorts of information for the rest of the day, how will your message be remembered so that they buy off on your message and take action?
That’s awesome.
I used to run an executive briefing program, where one of the leading challenges was how to help our collection of presentations standout from the other collections of presentations a customer would hear when they went on their annual “vendor tour” and had multiple days of briefings with multiple companies. Stories and relevant movie clips were always tools I recommended.
But one question – how do you convince people to take the extra time it sometimes takes to do that work? For a lot of folks, they stick to the death by bulletpoint approach because it’s, for lack of a better term, a stable technology. They don’t have to go looking for a good clip (and potentially get distracted), they don’t have to do the technical testing to make sure it runs and plays every time, etc.
Outstanding!
The goal of all communication: written, spoken or visual is the same.
We want the recipient(s), as quickly as possible, to ‘Get It!’.
I’m sure, when the prospect saw and heard this presentation, they ‘Got It!’