16. Speech Breakdown: Phil M Jones' Keynote "Exactly What To Say"
Aug 13, 2019
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Phil M Jones, a renowned keynote speaker specializing in salesmanship, captivates with his insights on effective communication. He shares strategies to enhance audience interaction and the importance of clear, precise language in presentations. Discover how an engaging introduction can grab attention, why audience beliefs shape a presentation’s direction, and the power of asking the right questions. This conversation offers a treasure trove of techniques for mastering persuasion and crafting memorable talks that resonate with listeners.
Phil M. Jones underscores the transformative power of language in sales, emphasizing that carefully chosen words can significantly alter perceptions and outcomes.
Jones advocates for audience engagement through open-ended questions and physical presence, which foster rapport and encourage meaningful conversations.
Deep dives
The Power of Words in Sales
Phil M. Jones emphasizes the significance of language in sales, illustrating how a simple change in wording can alter perceptions drastically. By contrasting adjectives that describe stereotypical salespeople with those that characterize professional salespeople, he invites the audience to reflect on their own experiences and feelings about sales interactions. This approach sets the tone for his talk, suggesting that the words we choose can impact relationships and outcomes in sales. He highlights the importance of empathy and trustworthiness in communication, advocating that good salesmanship hinges on how we articulate our thoughts.
Effective Audience Engagement Techniques
Jones demonstrates the effectiveness of engaging his audience early in his presentation through simple yet impactful questions. By asking the audience to shout out descriptors for salespeople, he fosters participation while mitigating potential reluctance among attendees. This technique not only energizes the room but also establishes rapport, as audience members contribute to the conversation. His choice to join the audience physically enhances this engagement, as he breaks down the barrier between presenter and listeners, encouraging further participation.
The Importance of Open-Ended Conversations
Jones argues that effective conversations require open-ended questions that encourage dialogue rather than mere exchanges of pleasantries. He critiques typical conversational exchanges where responses are short and unengaging, proposing instead that discussions should flow like a game of tennis, with questions bouncing back and forth. This metaphor emphasizes that active listening and genuine curiosity about others' experiences foster better connections. By demonstrating this approach in real-time with audience members, he illustrates how meaningful conversations can lead to deeper understanding and rapport.
Reframing the Selling Process
Jones introduces techniques to minimize objections in sales conversations by using strategic questioning that leads the customer to affirm their need for a product. He shares anecdotes from his experience that highlight how leading questions can create a perceived necessity for additional items like footstools or fabric protection, enhancing the sales experience. By framing questions carefully, he demonstrates how to guide conversations toward affirmative outcomes without putting pressure on the customer. This method exemplifies a shift from the traditional pushy sales tactics to a more empathetic, consultative approach.
Speech breakdown time on episode 16 of The Presentation Boss Podcast! Your hosts Kate and Thomas are experienced not only as speakers, but as presentation coaches. They love finding the strengths and weaknesses in a presentation and explaining why they work or need to be considered. We're excited to bring you this speech breakdown of a Phil M Jones keynote.
Thomas lists Phil M Jones as one of his most admired presenters and this keynote on 'Exactly What to Say' just happens to be from a conference held in Brisbane. In this episode we learn exactly why he is paid a lot to speak at conferences and Kate and Thomas disagree on a few small tactics he utilises. This is a masterclass in audience interaction, professionalism on stage, pausing and careful word choice.
What You'll Learn
• How an introduction to your talk can boost credibility and pique interest
• What to expect from audience interaction depending where, when and how you prompt it
• Getting your audience to believe they have set the direction of the presentation
• Speaking from a space other than on stage
• The importance of asking specific questions to get exactly the response you want
• How powerful it can be to not act out hypothetical situations
• The headline theory of using PowerPoint visuals
• Ensuring the similarities between your audience and your anecdotes is understood
Mentioned In The Show
• Phil M Jones at Volkswagen in 2019 | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9ZJ9BzQfZ8
Resources and Links
• Email us! podcast@presentationboss.com.au
• The Presentation Boss Podcast: https://presentationboss.com.au/podcast/
• Presentation Boss on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/presentationboss/
• Presentation Boss on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/presentation-boss
• Kate on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-norris/
• Thomas on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-krafft/
Quotes From This Episode
• "Your audience will only interact as much as they trust and like you"
• "Collapse the divide between the speaker on the stage and the audience on the floor"
• "I really liked this example" "You know, I had an issue with it"
• "Again has us convincing ourselves of the answer"
• "It's a really good demonstration of how words can work on a slide"
• "Adds a little bit of lightness and a pattern break"
• "Really good that he's explicitly said.. rather than relying on the audience to maybe make the connection"
• "When he's asking the audience to think, he's giving them the time to think"
• "Demonstrating that he practices the words he used in the introduction"
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