"It's a complicated offering and we really can't get through it (sales presentation) in less than an hour."That's what I was recently told by a start-up technology company I was asked by a friend to meet with. My friend,
majority investor in this company, asked me to review their sales presentation - a 50+ slide presentation loaded with features and functionality.
Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, considered by many to be greatest American speech of all time, defining democracy and our purpose as a nation, took three minutes to deliver. Jesus, defining Christianity and purpose of man, delivered Sermon on Mount in less than 15 minutes. So, why would it ever take anything more than 30 minutes to describe a company, it's offering, and benefits to a prospective customer? That's 10 times longer than Lincoln used at Gettysburg!
In my business, we see an awful lot of presentations. Emphasis should be placed on awful. Companies spend way too much time bragging on themselves and extolling their greatness as opposed to focusing on meaningful ways they aid interests and alleviate concerns of their customer. Customers could care less about things you have, they want things you do. Customers buy benefits, not features. Features and functionality exist to support benefits you offer. Get to benefits first.
