Why You Should Ignore That Whiteboard

When you’re giving sales presentations and training your salespeople to win at the game of selling, it pays to use the whiteboard. Discover 7 reasons to ignore whiteboard presenting…that could be holding you back. Let’s explore why you should ignore that glossy board hanging on the wall. Reason 1. “I’ll Stick With That!” Strange but true. One of the biggest reasons to ignore the whiteboard is because professionals are used to presenting with PowerPoint. It has often been said that presentations are the key link to connecting customer’s needs with a company’s solutions. If presenters rely on outdated presentation media, they risk losing customers. Reason 2. “I’ll Stay In Charge” Selling interactively requires a measure of guidance, control and release of control. A big differentiator between average and top sales professionals is a willingness and desire to expand the conversation. Conversations are two directional. No doubt, top professionals are in charge of the outcome. But they are also capable of guiding interactive discussion to arrive at the desired goal. Reason 3. “I’ll Lose Control” Any new skill must be reinforced several times before it can be mastered. Interacting with a live audience requires on-the-spot decision-making and responsiveness. As whiteboard skill grows stronger, this conce about loss of control evaporates. Reason 4. “I’ll Get Dirty” Who doesn’t want to look great and feel great in front of a client? Naturally, it’s important to impress clients with professionalism and poise. By using specific tips and techniques, it is entirely possible to sketch solutions at a whiteboard—without getting marker all over your suit, hands and face. Quick tip: keep the tops of markers off. The detailed activity of putting the marker tops on and off is where the most ink tends to get on clothes and hands. Reason 5. “I’ll Look Bad’ Building strong skills in whiteboard interaction is a key element of success. It requires step-by-step instruction, rehearsal and coaching. While many professionals worry about ‘looking bad’ the truth is, people are impressed when you solve problems and present ideas at the whiteboard. It shows a rare blend of positive characteristics: listening, interaction, and authentic communication. Instead of coming out with the short end of the stick, you come out ahead. Reason 6. “I’ll Show What I Don’t Know” There is little else that exposes ‘topic expertise’ as sketching at the whiteboard. As it turns out, it is a greater challenge to simplify complex ideas with a simple sketch. The secret here: practice ‘spontaneous’ whiteboard presentations. Rehearse the timing and sequence for each part, down to details of drawings and words. Plan this with precise detail, just as you plan the words and images in a PowerPoint presentation. Reason 7. “I’ll Come Out Worse’ What’s the competition doing? How can representatives and teams better understand where they stand compared to the competition? If your closest competitor is busy impressing clients with whiteboard pitches, it’s time to up your game. If they are asleep at the wheel, jump in and take the lead. Either way, you won’t come out worse, you’ll come out with a leading edge. It’s impossible to know all the reasons why you should ignore the whiteboard. Interested in building your whiteboard sales skills? Interactive skills are more important today than ever before. Whether you are ignoring this due to attitude, norms, image, product knowledge, competition, or some other reason, now is the time to update skills and get ahead.