How can you look like a pro selling with stories at the whiteboard? To achieve results, you’ll want to use whiteboards to increase interaction and get people talking. Learn the top 3 secrets to gain a competitive edge.

Top sales performers are selling more using whiteboard presentations. Are you ready to gain this skill and gain an almost unfair advantage?

Caution: this skill is not for the faint at heart. If you’d rather keep doing the same thing you did last quarter or last year, go ahead. But don’t come crying when your numbers plummet—and your teammates fly past you.

Seriously, I understand. It’s tough to revamp your script into a whiteboard sales story. Especially if your boss is breathing down your neck. And your sales director is demanding better numbers in this quarter.

But put all those external pressures aside for one minute. I want to share with you the top 3 secrets that will give you a terrific lead over your competition—both on your sales team and against other companies.

Whiteboard selling is built on set of principles and rules. If you know the rules, you will get ahead. If you race past these principles and try to wing it on your own, you won’t get too far. It’s your choice.

Here are the top secrets that professional sales presenters constantly rely on.

Write Like You Talk
The best script for selling in the field is one that sounds like you talk.

This doesn’t seem so hard, right. Wrong.

When you write out your script, there’s a natural tendency to get formal. You use big words. You write long sentences. We all do it. In fact, it’s tough to force yourself to write like you talk.

Here’s a tip my clients love: tape yourself. Talk with a colleague. Give your presentation. Tape yourself. Then, transcribe the tape. You’ll have your actual words, sentence structure and style.

When you do this, you’ll be shocked. You don’t talk the way you write. This is why it’s much easier to start with talking…and then build the field script based in your authentic style of speaking.

Show and Tell
Visual storytelling is a blend of showing and telling. There’s a specific tension between the two. Too much telling and you’ll bore your audience to tears. Too much showing…and you’ll lose them with examples, graphic clutter and information overwhelm.

What’s the right balance for your field script? Test it out. If you and I were sitting side-by-side, here’s what we’d do.

We’d do a series of whiteboard story telling sessions. Back to back. You’d show and tell one way. Then another way. I’d give you may candid, honest feedback.

And yes, you’d get mad. You’d fight against some of the things I say. No one loves hearing that his or her favorite example is long-winded. No one is too thrilled to find out that they are rambling—especially when they believe they’re being brief and concise.

But one thing is sure. Once we’d finished, you’d have a solid formula for showing and telling. And you’d be absolutely confident that this formula works. As the workout experts tell us: no pain, no gain.

Get Conversational
What do you do when in an intense conversation with a friend? You get emotional. You use your hands. You express feelings with your face and body language.

In short, you are yourself. You’re natural and animated. Now…contrast this with a formal, business presentation. Even at the whiteboard, many professionals aim for being overly formal.

But now you know the secret. Be more conversational. Weave your facts and data into your field script, like adding spices into a meal. Organize your message around stories. Use your conversational style to deepen the connection with clients and prospects.

By using these 3 secrets in your whiteboard selling stories, you’ll stand out in any crowd. How will you know? Your clients will pay attention. They’ll stay with you from beginning to end. And they’ll ask the all-important question, “What is our next step together?”

Author's Bio: 

Milly Sonneman is a recognized expert in visual language. She is the co-director of Presentation Storyboarding, a leading presentation training firm, and author of the popular guides: Beyond Words and Rainmaker Stories available on Amazon. Milly helps business professionals give winning presentations, through Email Marketing skills trainings at Presentation Storyboarding. You can find out more about our courses or contact Milly through our website at: http://www.presentationstoryboarding.com/