How Reagan Would Sell Your Software
With politics top-of-mind this month, ISVs can learn persuasive techniques from the former president and improve the impact of their sales presentations.
By Steve W. Martin
Nov. 13, 2006
Whether you're trying to close the next round of funding, win the big multi-million dollar account, or sway industry analysts, your corporate sales presentation is a key event in most every deal. It is the pivotal moment where you can communicate your advantages, gain momentum, and develop the personal relationships necessary to achieve your goal.
After reviewing hundreds of corporation presentations over the past four years, I can honestly say that they all are basically the same. You could almost take slides from one company's presentation and insert them in another, and no one would even notice.
They are all fact-based infomercials that approach customers with the same message: "We're the industry leader with a state-of-the-art solution who partners with our customers." The problem is all the competitors are making the exact same claims. As a result, nothing unique is communicated. Therefore, the real question to ask is, "How can you differentiate your corporate sales presentation?"
The answer to this question may be found by studying "The Great Communicator," former President Ronald Reagan.
Why Reagan?
In 2000, Ronald Reagan was ranked as the eighth-best President in U.S. history according to a survey of seventy-eight historians. It's not surprising that he was ranked behind national heroes like Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. However, the most surprising part of the survey is that he was ranked as the most underrated president of all time. Ultimately, what made this president so unique was his ability to communicate and persuade.
President Reagan had a natural ability to create rapport with a wide spectrum of people. He was able to obtain support from both major political parties and from people from all walks of life. Although his political enemies may have heartily disagreed with his agenda, they found it hard, if not impossible, to hate him personally. So, how would Ronald Reagan change your sales presentation? Here are a number of ways.
1. Reagan would add a great "cowcatcher."
Most people associate the term "cowcatcher" with the metal grill on the front of a locomotive. However, "cowcatcher" has an entirely different meaning in the entertainment industry. It's a show's opening moments in which the performers try to grab your attention and cause you to stop and look.
Ronald Reagan, the Hollywood star, knew the importance of a cowcatcher. Before and during his presidency, he wrote over six hundred radio addresses by himself, in his own handwriting. They were not the work of a team of speechwriters. Perhaps the most impressive part of every radio address was the opening cowcatcher, the first sentences of every program.
The best corporate sales presentations start with a great cowcatcher. A great cowcatcher engages the mind, appeals to the imagination, and helps the presenter gain credibility. For example, a company I worked for was the top-rated NASDAQ stock for a period of five years. In fact, during one two-year time frame, $32,000 worth of this company's stock grew to be worth $1,000,000. I always opened my presentations with a chart of the stock price and some facts about the stock's appreciation. The customers would be more than intrigued; they were downright fascinated and eager to learn more. Many would buy my company's stock that very day!
2. Reagan would use a captivating "hook."
Following the cowcatcher, you need a "hook." Now that the listeners' interest is piqued, you need to hook them on why they should use your product. Your best hook is to tell them stories. For example, lets take a look at how Reagan opened with a provocative cowcatcher and then hooked the audience with a story about baby seal hunts.
The stories we should use in the corporate sales presentation are about how customers are successfully using our products. Most corporate presentations include an obligatory slide that shows twenty or so logos of the major companies that use the salesperson's products. That's not what I am referring to here.
The sales presentation should include six to eight slides of how specific customers are using the products, the operational results that have been improved, and the financial impact on the bottom line. In addition, it should include a quote from a customer whose name and title the audience can identify with psychologically. For example, include a quote from your customer's CFO when presenting to a financial department. Finally, this section should have some eye-catching graphics that tie the whole story together. These could be pictures of your product at work, the person who provided the quote, or an example of the end result.
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After reviewing hundreds of corporation presentations over the past four years, I can honestly say that they all are basically the same. You could almost take slides from one company's presentation and insert them in another, and no one would even notice.
They are all fact-based infomercials that approach customers with the same message: "We're the industry leader with a state-of-the-art solution who partners with our customers." The problem is all the competitors are making the exact same claims. As a result, nothing unique is communicated. Therefore, the real question to ask is, "How can you differentiate your corporate sales presentation?"
The answer to this question may be found by studying "The Great Communicator," former President Ronald Reagan.
Why Reagan? In 2000, Ronald Reagan was ranked as the eighth-best President in U.S. history according to a survey of seventy-eight historians. It's not surprising that he was ranked behind national heroes like Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. However, the most surprising part of the survey is that he was ranked as the most underrated president of all time. Ultimately, what made this president so unique was his ability to communicate and persuade.
President Reagan had a natural ability to create rapport with a wide spectrum of people. He was able to obtain support from both major political parties and from people from all walks of life. Although his political enemies may have heartily disagreed with his agenda, they found it hard, if not impossible, to hate him personally. So, how would Ronald Reagan change your sales presentation? Here are a number of ways.
1. Reagan would add a great "cowcatcher."
Most people associate the term "cowcatcher" with the metal grill on the front of a locomotive. However, "cowcatcher" has an entirely different meaning in the entertainment industry. It's a show's opening moments in which the performers try to grab your attention and cause you to stop and look.
Ronald Reagan, the Hollywood star, knew the importance of a cowcatcher. Before and during his presidency, he wrote over six hundred radio addresses by himself, in his own handwriting. They were not the work of a team of speechwriters. Perhaps the most impressive part of every radio address was the opening cowcatcher, the first sentences of every program.
- "It has been said a baby sitter is a teenager acting like a parent while the parent is out acting like a teenager."
- "How much do you miss Dinosaurs? Would your life be richer if those giant pre-historic flying lizards occasionally settled on your front lawn?"
- "It sometimes seems that we can get more emotionally aroused over mistreatment of animals than we can if the victims are human."
The best corporate sales presentations start with a great cowcatcher. A great cowcatcher engages the mind, appeals to the imagination, and helps the presenter gain credibility. For example, a company I worked for was the top-rated NASDAQ stock for a period of five years. In fact, during one two-year time frame, $32,000 worth of this company's stock grew to be worth $1,000,000. I always opened my presentations with a chart of the stock price and some facts about the stock's appreciation. The customers would be more than intrigued; they were downright fascinated and eager to learn more. Many would buy my company's stock that very day!
2. Reagan would use a captivating "hook."
Following the cowcatcher, you need a "hook." Now that the listeners' interest is piqued, you need to hook them on why they should use your product. Your best hook is to tell them stories. For example, lets take a look at how Reagan opened with a provocative cowcatcher and then hooked the audience with a story about baby seal hunts.
- "It sometimes seems that we can get more emotionally aroused over mistreatment of animals than we can if the victims are human."
- "A few weeks ago a writer in the
The stories we should use in the corporate sales presentation are about how customers are successfully using our products. Most corporate presentations include an obligatory slide that shows twenty or so logos of the major companies that use the salesperson's products. That's not what I am referring to here.
The sales presentation should include six to eight slides of how specific customers are using the products, the operational results that have been improved, and the financial impact on the bottom line. In addition, it should include a quote from a customer whose name and title the audience can identify with psychologically. For example, include a quote from your customer's CFO when presenting to a financial department. Finally, this section should have some eye-catching graphics that tie the whole story together. These could be pictures of your product at work, the person who provided the quote, or an example of the end result.
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