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Successful Engagement: Successful Engagement: How to Convince People to Use How to Convince People to Use

Your IdeasYour Ideas

Larry A. MarksChief Operating Officer, Senior Executive Vice PresidentRepublic Bank of Chicagolmarks@republicebank.com

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Sell Your IdeasSell Your Ideas

• Why do people buy…..anything?

• Is selling more about you or them?

• What are their goals?

• What are yours?

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Sell Your IdeasSell Your Ideas

• Ok, you understand the concept,

Sell me something.

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Sell Your IdeasSell Your Ideas

• A manager must deal with their ideas as though they are a doctor. Two primary functions: diagnosis then treatment

• The "vendor" approach focuses on the treatment. No diagnostic skills so can't ally themselves with the prospect's view.

• Any doctor can write any prescription. The key is not the ability to write the prescription, it is to determine the CORRECT prescription.

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Sell Your IdeasSell Your Ideas

• Planning for the “presentation”

should include:• Background on the “prospect” (boss, peer,

subordinate, client, friend, spouse, etc.)

• Background on the situation the prospect faces

• Background on the prospect’s needs

• A review of any special needs of the audience

• Keep asking yourself as you plan, “So what?” If you can’t answer it, neither will the prospect

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Sell Your IdeasSell Your Ideas

• Commonly missed issues• Political issues in the company or boss’s job

• Hidden agendas

• Different perspectives (you don’t see the big picture)

• Backstabbing, jealousy

• More backstabbing

• A bit more backstabbing

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Sell Your IdeasSell Your Ideas

• Consider what it will be like to sit and listen to this from the prospect’s point of view. If you don’t, it can be:• Confusing. They may not understand the point

• Repetitious. When you don’t plan, it’s easy to ramble

• Boring. The worst crime after dishonesty

• Hard to remember. Be distinctive

• Cold. One-way presentations (no interactivity) are not compelling

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Sell Your IdeasSell Your Ideas

• Your goals are:

• Be persuasive. Your ideas must be compelling and demand action

• Be memorable. A week later they must remember what you said and why you said it

• Create an emotional link. Show them that you care

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Sell Your IdeasSell Your Ideas

Better Decisions

Increased Revenues

Issue Resolution / change

Cost Reduction

Cost Avoidance

Increased Productivity

Management Support

Speed

Problem Avoidance

Public Recognition

Error Minimization

Reduce Losses

Public Image

Focus on Benefits – Idea Check List

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Sell Your IdeasSell Your Ideas• Objection Handling – objection avoidance

• Your goal is NOT to handle the objection, it is to get around it

• Success in objection handling is gaining permission to proceed

• Don’t confuse customer service with objection handling

• Don’t argue

• The power of an apology is massive

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Sell Your IdeasSell Your Ideas

• Verbal vs. Projected (PowerPoint) Presentations• When do I make a verbal presentation vs.

projected?

• When do you make your key points?

• How much material can you cover?

• What handouts/reminders should I have?

• What follow-up is appropriate?

• When do I discuss the budget? (people, $, time)

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Sell Your IdeasSell Your Ideas

• If you use a projected presentation (PowerPoint)• Figure 6 slides per hour – 1 slide every 10

minutes

• No more than 6 bullet points on a slide

• Use only one or at most two fonts

• Beware of “transitions”

• Use a dark color background and light color font

• See how hard it is to read red? Stay away from red

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Sell Your IdeasSell Your Ideas

Questions?Questions?

Larry A. Marks

Republic Bank of Chicago lmarks@republicebank.com