Many companies still rely on the “presentation” as a sales tool. But a couple recent studies may indicate a major problem with this approach. A University of Maryland study of undergraduates found that after a lecture by a well known professor, NONE of the students could answer the question, “What was the lecture you just heard about? In another study, Nobel Laureate, Carl Wieman quizzed his students about a key fact in his lecture presented just 15 minutes earlier. Only 10 percent remembered it.
So now you’re saying, but these are hung over, drugged-out students, and, of course, you’re not speaking from personal experience. It’s well known that college students have these characteristics.
However, in another experiment, at the University of British Columbia in a physics course on electromagnetic waves, one group of students was taught by standard lecture, while a second group was broken into smaller groups and asked to work on the problems in an interactive problem solving session. The first group scored 41% on the material, while the second group scored 74%.
College students are not business prospects. But the takeaway is that no one wants to listen, or will remember your 25 slide presentation. Occasionally we get roped into giving a presentation, and there are specific things you can do to give a great presentation. But instead, what if we worked with smaller groups and individuals on problem solving?
Sales, the next time you ask marketing for a presentation, ask why you need it. Marketing, the next time you provide a presentation, ask what other tool or skill set you should have provided to sales.
Do great things!
Lee Stocking
Prairie Sky Group
Making Sales Cry With Qualified Leads
lee.stocking@gmail.com
651-357-0110 (Cell 24×7)