“You have 3 minutes remaining” — In Touch #5
Welcome to the fifth edition of “In Touch”. As always, I would love to continue the conversation, so feel free to comment below this article, and let me know what you think.
Story of the Week: “You have 3 minutes remaining”
“Well, that’s the end of my presentation. Do you have any questions? I’m afraid you’ve only got three minutes before this meeting ends.”
This what a friend of mine (a serious and successful investor) heard from an Italian online entrepreneur, who pitched his product by speaking non-stop for 37 minutes. He really should have known what would happen. With a high risk of bringing the meeting to an abrupt end and with no rapport created with the potential investor and his team, there was no chance of this particular Zoom™ meeting ending well.
To impress clients in today’s technologically advanced world, we need to wow them, place them at the centre of what we do, and offer them enough time and attention to ensure we not only address any possible concerns but cultivate trust with them throughout our presentation.
The Italian spoke very quickly — probably in a desperate effort to regurgitate all the information he had in his head — and he lost all sense of time. When he eventually alerted my friend that, if he had any questions, there were only three more minutes remaining until the free Zoom™ meeting would be automatically turned off, it was far too late to save anything.
That’s right: he was hoping to benefit from a major investment but he hadn’t invested in the small fee for a licensed account that would have given him more time. Needless to say, my friend won’t be investing in that particular venture and I suspect that others will have the same reaction. Remember: “No-one will invest in you if you don’t invest in yourself”. Tweet this.
Words of Wisdom
The Greatest Question of all:
“Remember, asking questions is the secret of good conversation. I’m curious about everything, and if I’m at a cocktail party, I often ask my favourite question: ‘Why?’ If a man tells me he and his family are moving to another city: ‘Why?’ A woman is changing jobs: ‘Why?’ Someone roots for the Mets: ‘Why?’
On my television show, I probably use this word more than any other. It’s the greatest question ever asked and it always will be and it is certainly the surest way of keeping the conversation lively and interesting.”
“How to Talk to Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere: The Secrets of Good Communication” By Larry King (Crown Publications)
The Greatest Strength of all:
“My greatest strength as a consultant is to be ignorant and ask a few questions.”
Peter F. Drucker, Management consultant and writer
A Question to Ponder, dear Friends
When you present, do you rush to finish your pitch or are you confident that you have involved your audience in your presentation?
Comment below this post and let me know what you believe.
Announcements
- I am live every Monday at 10:25 EET sharing knowledge from books and online courses. Subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch past videos or join us, on LinkedIn, Facebook or YouTube, this coming Monday (29th of March, 2021) to watch our live-steam “Jump-start Monday”.
Best Regards,
Michael R. Virardi
www.michaelvirardi.com
