Mark Magnacca: So What?

 So What? Means so what, until they know how what you have that can benefit them. 

10 ways to apply: Heres-how-I-can-benefit-you thinking: 

if you can anticipate—and address—the So What Question that is always in your audience’s mind, you will be much more successful in business and in life.

Concentrate on what your audience needs to hear, as opposed to just what you want to say. 

Yes, salespeople should step outside of their comfort zone. But why? So what? Because it will make them more money, more social, more happy outside of work. Focus on the so what. 

Understand the needs of your audience first. This is critical.

Ask:

• For What? For what reason are you giving the presentation?
• So What? Why is this important to my audience?
• Now What? What do you want to have happen as a result of this presentation?

Make a grabber opening: 

“Do you know how so many investment salespeople come in and simply want to pitch their latest product? Well, what I do is entirely different. What I want to talk to you about today is what matters most to you and your clients: safety, guarantees, and income.” 

“To give you some background, my company was founded in 1858. The reason that’s important is because we have survived wars, recessions, earthquakes, and depressions, and have kept every promise we have made to our clients. This is an important thing to remember when making an investment that you want to last more than 30 years.” 

“We have over 5,000 employees worldwide, which is big enough to make us a serious player, but small enough to know who you are.” “Finally, we were recently named one of the best places to work in America. The reason this is important to you is because of the quality and experience of our service representatives, whose average tenure at our company is 12 years. What this means is that a real person will answer your phone call in less than 30 seconds, and they can usually answer your question the first time.”

“WRITE YOUR INJURIES IN DUST AND YOUR BENEFITS IN MARBLE.” —BEN FRANKLIN

A So What Benefit is defined as the benefit that is most important to your audience. 

If you can’t think of a So What Benefit, ask a member of your target audience to complete the following sentence: All I really care about is ___________.

Connect that so what benefit to emotion and you are golden.

Answer that:

The first thing you say: “Do you know how…?” [subtle pause that subconsciously tells people they will be hearing a special/atypical answer] followed with “Well, what I do is….”

When someone says, “How do you do that?,” you know you have struck a chord for something that is important and relevant to them. It’s also an invitation for you to tell them more about your product or service—either now or at a later date. 

The first part should be an undeniable truth.

Do you know how…? (Insert the primary concern.) Well, what I do is…. (Insert what you do to address the concern.)

How you know you are doing it right: 

Before they teed off, one of the business owners asked Frank: “So, what do you do?” 

Without missing a beat and appearing spontaneous, Frank said: “Do you know how most business owners have a CFO to help them manage their company’s money?” 

The business owner said, “Yes.” (By this point, the other businessman was listening in as well.) 

“Well, what I do is work as a personal CFO for my clients to help them make work optional.” 

“How do you do that?” 

Frank said, “I’ll be happy to tell you more about it after the round. For now, let’s enjoy the golf.” 

A management consultant’s answer: Do you know how important it is to choose the right words before you tell a friend an important piece of information? Well, what I do is help companies choose the right words to communicate what makes them unique to their customers.

Do you know how a good doctor can look at a little white line on your nails and tell you you’re iron deficient? Well, what I do is run those check-ups for businesses. 

If you don’t have a great answer to “What do you do for a living?,” you are missing a terrific opportunity

Now you can get information from the internet to customize your message - pulling articles, bios, anything you can find.

Nice ex.

Introduction Card—Neil Wood Today, we are fortunate to have with us an expert on the topic of creating a stream of income your clients can’t outlive. Neil brings a unique combination of success, both as a professional athlete and as a presenter within the investment industry. Neil understands the opportunities and challenges we face and has created a presentation that has been customized for our office called “Making Your Money Last a Lifetime.” Please join me in welcoming Neil Wood. 

“THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE RIGHT WORD AND ALMOST THE RIGHT WORD IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIGHTNING AND A LIGHTNING BUG.” —MARK TWAIN