Jacco van der Kooij
June 16, 2015
In today’s B2B sales landscape, it’s widely known that buyer expectations are more consumer-like than ever, and an effective product pitch requires demos and dialog in lieu of a lecture. But what happens when what you’re selling isn’t a product at all, but rather, an idea? As a seasoned SaaS consultant, I have no problem articulating my advice, but to convey an idea truly and simply without diluting its potential, I need to show it. This makes a visually-focused approach imperative to my success.
#1 Visuals Can Captivate Any Audience
Effective consultative communication begins with finding a way to captivate your audience of many, some, or even just one. Visual aids work well across the board, as they can speak to a large group expecting to be entertained, or a smaller group where direct engagement is often preferred. And after all, it’s an age-old truth that seeing is believing.
The Prezi platform goes a step further than static images, however. Messaging is placed on one big canvas that I can navigate as I see fit, allowing me to guide a viewer’s attention with movement. Large audiences respond well to this method, as it keeps everyone’s minds and eyes on the same part of the narrative.
For smaller groups or one-to-one sessions, I present with Prezi on an iPad. This enables individuals to literally hold my idea in their hands and explore it at their own pace while I narrate. In these cases, giving weight to the typically intangible can make all the difference.
#2 Visuals Are Better Understood
While subject matter can sometimes get pretty complex, visuals work to simplify my ideas without dumbing them down. And, because they can say so much without any actual words, these assets also help bridge language barriers and encourage connections that might have otherwise been unlikely.
Prezi’s zoom and pan features complement the way our brains consume information by indicating which parts of a presentation are most important to remember. Whereas in a written document this might be like the equivalent of bold or underlined text, visual amplification is processed much quicker, and pacing keeps the viewer from feeling inundated by information or formatting.
#3 Visuals Set Clients Up For Success
Much like suddenly standing up in a conference room to illustrate part of a conversation on a whiteboard, consultations that are visually formatted are more memorable and better understood. And because Prezi essentially provides a whiteboard-like experience without the need to start from scratch each time the conversation is revisited, I can do something that sets me apart from my competition: I can create repeated quality.
Each time I revisit a prezi with a client, I improve on the content without losing the essence of its message, and then I can scale and share it as necessary. As clients watch me do this they feel empowered to make to make changes themselves, and as a consultant, that’s ultimately what you want: someone who has found success with your idea, as well as the confidence to build upon it themselves.
Jacco van der Kooij is a seasoned sales leader turned consultant. Today he helps companies revamp/jumpstart their sales departments, and his extensive client list ranges all the way from Amazon to Disney. You can check out his new book, Blueprints for a SaaS Sales Organization, here.
