Presenting in a hybrid world — Opening the meeting

OBJECTIVES

• Get your client focused, intrigued, and wanting to learn more.
• Show them very quickly that this meeting is about them and their challenges.
• Make it clear that they will gain helpful information by the end of the meeting.

TECHNIQUES

85% of executives say sales meetings are a waste of their time. Their biggest complaint is that the meetings are about you and your pitch, not about them and their business challenges. This is a pattern they see time and again, so they assume this meeting will be like all the others before you.

In the first few minutes, your client is forming their opinion of you and deciding if this meeting will be worth their time and mental energy. Your job is to break the pattern they expect and make the meeting engaging and all about THEM.

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A. Make a good first impression 


Your first imperative is to make a good first impression. Take the steps needed to look and sound your best to those in the room and to those attending virtually. ‍

1. Arrive extra early to set up. 


There will be many different room setups, some with very high-end systems. Plan on running into technical difficulties that will take time to troubleshoot. This is the best way to ensure your meeting will begin on time.

2. Select a seat that will work on camera 


Know the location of the camera in the room. Do not sit in front of a window since the backlight will cast you into shadow. Do not sit where there is distracting activity behind you, like people walking by or working

3. Direct your voice to the microphone.

Know the location of the microphone and direct your voice to that spot if there is only one. Multiple or 360-degree microphones will do a better job picking up your voice when your head is turned.

4. Make direct eye contact 


Go out of your way to engage the virtual attendees first, setting the expectation and communicating that they are just as important. Over-emphasize these people, especially at the beginning. Give them permission and encourage them to interject and fully participate as if they were in the room. Throughout the presentation, you will switch between looking at those in the room and looking at the camera to send a clear message that the virtual attendees are important to you.

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5. Stand to present only if the camera follows you

Test the motion and zoom capability of the camera in the room. Prioritize being able to be seen by virtual attendees over standing. If you stand, keep in mind that virtual attendees may not be able to see your gestures, like pointing to information on the slide.

B. Warm up and confirm time

1. Engage in pleasantries and chit - while everyone gets seated — make it about THEM, show interest in them.

2. Do a time check.

Confirm how much time you have or by when you need to be finished.

Example:

“I think you said you were good until 2 pm. Does that still work for you?”

This allows you to adjust if you need to, and it reminds your team how long you have. As importantly, this simple courtesy shows respect for the client and makes the meeting about THEM, not you.

3. Make introductions.

• Share briefly how each person will add value to the conversation and the client. Right out of the gate, you are describing how the client will benefit. Note that titles are of little importance to your client.
• Confirm who is on the call from the client's side, both so that they feel acknowledged and to inform your team. Greet virtual participants personally to be sure they feel included.

You have their attention and now you have 180 seconds to convince them to fully commit to this meeting. You want to show them very quickly that you are focused on them and their challenges, not on you and your solutions. And you want to make it clear that they will gain helpful information during this time together by applying the techniques in C, D, and E below.

C. Share the goal of the meeting

The goal of the meeting is what you want the client to take away. It is not what you want to get from the meeting but rather what the client needs from you to decide in your favor. Headline your goal. Keep it short and focused on their challenges and opportunities.

Example:

“We want to talk with you about a new approach to managing your portfolio based on the state of the markets, how this will benefit you, and where we see opportunities for you in the long run.”

D. Review the meeting flow

1. Share what you will be talking about today, in what order, and why they should care.

Tell them up front that you will ask for their input on the meeting flow. When they know you will soon be asking them a question, they are on full alert and actively listening.

Example:

“I’d like to start by sharing with you how we’ve structured today’s meeting, and then I will ask you for input to see if it’s in line with your expectations. We plan to start with…. moving on to…..and finishing with….”

2. Ask them for feedback immediately to see if they have any other expectations

Use an open-ended question that requires more than a yes or no response. Asking for their input shows your interest in them. Their response provides you with insight into what is on their mind and of greatest importance. 

Examples:

“How does that sound to you?”
“How does that align with what you wanted to cover today?”
“What’s the single most important thing you want to cover today?”

3. After they reply, it is often helpful to ask an open-ended question to invite them to elaborate.

Example:

“Tell me a little bit more about that.”

How they elaborate in most cases will be better articulated because they’ve now had more time to rethink and gain clarity. Once the client knows where they are going, they can relax and focus on you and your message.

E. Help them buy into their challenge

You cannot engage clients in solving challenges they are not feeling so you want to do something in these first few minutes to help them experience it.

1. Instead of asking a stale question like, “What are your challenges?” give them something to react to, something that anticipates how their business might be changing or dramatizes the challenge they may be facing. This creates a conversation starter.

Here are three ways to get the client to talk openly about their challenges. Choose one:

Option A Share what other clients are experiencing.

Example:

“One of the biggest challenges we hear from our clients is X. That is something we are very focused on. What are you seeing around this?”

Option B Offer a bold, thought-provoking observation. This can be an eye-opening statistic or something about the current state of their market.

Ask them to react:

“What are your thoughts about this?”

Option C Summarize what you know about their situation and ask for input.

Example:

“From the research we have done in anticipation of today’s meeting, we learned… and …and …How does that fit with what you are experiencing?”

2. Listen to their response. Clear your head of everything else. Do not rush them. It does not matter if they challenge, agree, or have not ever even thought about what you've shared. These are all positive responses because it gets them talking, thinking, and engaged.

3. Restate what they said in a slightly different way and check in with them to see if you got it right. By helping them buy in to their challenge, everyone benefits. They see this presentation is about them and that you genuinely want to hear from them. You learn more about their situation that will help you align what you do uniquely well with what they need. 

ADVANTAGES TO YOU

• You have their attention!
• You break the pattern clients expect of a presentation by making it about them, not you.
• You learn more about their situation that will help you direct and align the rest of the conversation. 
• You begin to build a relationship through conversation despite the barriers of a hybrid meeting.

ADVANTAGES TO THE CLIENT

• The client is pleasantly surprised that this meeting is not like all the others.
• They are intrigued and what to learn more.
• Consciously or unconsciously, they have decided to commit their mental energy to this meeting.

EXERCISES

The best way to prepare to open a hybrid presentation is to rehearse yourself and then practice with a colleague. Rehearsing is a valuable way to work out your anxiety and get comfortable with your content.

When you are comfortable with your content, you will come across naturally and confidently to the client. You will have the headspace to engage in dialogue with them because your content does not require your full attention. You will be able to ask questions, listen, rephrase, and ask follow-up questions with more ease and fluidity. How naturally and effectively you handle questions turns a good meeting into a great meeting! 


1. REHEARSE YOURSELF

Videotape yourself and assess your own performance. We are our own worst critics, so be sure to celebrate what you do well while you work on what you can do better. 


2. ROLE-PLAY WITH A COLLEAGUE

Role-play in full character and imagine people are in the room and on screen. Ask your colleague to take on the role of the client. Be specific about the feedback you want. Here are some ideas:

• Did you do a time check?
• Did you share what you want the client to take from the meeting?
• How well did you help them understand the meeting flow?
• Did they feel like the meeting was about them, not you?
• How genuinely interested did you seem to be in them?
• How well did you split your attention between the virtual attendees and those in the room?
• How was your energy level?
• How effectively did you engage them?
• By the end of your opening, how committed to the meeting are they?

RELATED LESSONS

Presenting in a Hybrid World (Five-part series)

Essentials of a Good Sales Meeting

Opening the Meeting

Communication Skills

Presence

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