I remember the first time I delivered a lunch and learn presentation to an A&E firm. I was so excited because I have an mechanical engineering degree, was hitting my stride in public speaking, and we had just released a very cool new product line was to become a market disrupter in the night surveillance space. I was going to kill this presentation. These smart people weren’t going to receive the typical sales presentation – they were going to hear about the specifications and features of the most amazing new technology from someone who could speak their language. I was going to change their world and they’d be talking about it for years!
Yeah, that didn’t happen.
I made a rookie mistake. I guess that’s ok because I was a rookie in the security industry. Unfortunately, many sales people and business development professionals make the same mistake throughout their career of calling on Architects, Engineers, and Security Consultants. The mistake: delivering a presentation that is based on specifications, features, and cool technology.
Don’t get me wrong. You have to provide technical data and deliver a presentation that is based practical information that can be used in a design. However, your audience cares more about doing the right thing for their customers (and your customers) than anything else. They want to make sure their clients receive the best solution that fits within their budget, and that includes more than the coolest technology.
How to fix this? Make sure at least a third of your presentation includes soft information. The implementation process, warranty information, case studies of other similar sites, stories about struggles and how your company fixed it (whether you’re an integrator or manufacturer doesn’t matter), and the outcome. This is not a sales pitch, but you sharing information about how you or your partners work together, and the treatment your clients receive from your team.
For more ideas about creating an effective A&E Business Development Program, click here.
