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How Do I Keep A Meeting On Track? Pt 2

In the last post I discussed meeting with a client and keeping everyone focused on the subject at hand. Using some basic leadership skills by setting the tone of the meeting, along with reining in conversations were helpful (I hope) tips that can be implemented immediately, or as soon as your clients allow you back in their homes or offices after the pandemic is done. 

The same basic rules apply for larger group meetings. I have led meetings for groups that range from a half dozen people to crowds of over a hundred with no two talks being the same. Some were at networking events where each person stands up and gives a one minute commercial, which sounds easy, but can be much more difficult than you would think. Getting my message to the masses in under 60 seconds with a bit of humor is tough.

Then there are the talks that last anywhere from 15 to 40 minutes. To make it harder on myself I go without notes. That takes preparation and a lot of mental organization. There are times when you need a track to run on, mostly for compliance's sake, and that is when I recommend you use notes or a PowerPoint presentation.


I occasionally work with a benefits enrollment company, helping people in school systems or municipal governments with their dental, vision and other insurance plans. Believe me when I say that you haven't lived until you talk to 50 or 60 school teachers at 4pm when they have been putting up with horrible kids all day and are ready to go home. Yet they have been told to sit and listen to someone talk about a disability plan. As I look at these overworked and underpaid people, I hate it for them. Especially when I know they have heard this same talk annually for the last ten years. 

But since this presentation is part of the job I try my best to be as thoughtful as possible to them. I need to keep their attention for just about 15-20 minutes, so I use a bit of humor. Holding up the a copy of the book that has been distributed to each of them, I say, "Okay everyone, we're going to spend the next two hours going over each page." The look of sheer horror on their faces is priceless as I smile. "Come on, I wouldn't do that to you, but if you pay attention I promise I'll get you out of here in under 20 minutes." Now I have them!

That little trick has gotten some great reactions, but most importantly I get the crowd engaged. As I work my way through the dry material I ask, "Am I going to fast?" They shake their heads no. "Am I going fast enough?" They laugh and say, "NO!"

After one of these presentations the principal of the school said that I gave "the best insurance talk" they ever had and she was going to request me again for the next year. 

If you are going to be giving sales talks or presentations to groups, here are a few recommendations.

  • If it looks like you'll be giving talks on a regular basis and you aren't comfortable doing so, drop by your local Toastmasters group. Learning how to speak professionally in a "safe environment" will boost your confidence and help ...
  • Get yourself mentally organized. I try to group my talks into 2 or 3 segments, which keeps the speech in a working order that makes sense to the audience.
  • Use a PowerPoint projector. Like I mentioned earlier, if your material is important enough that you don't want to, or shouldn't, omit vital information, your audience will know what you are talking about by seeing it in front of them.
  • Set the agenda at the beginning of the talk. Let them know that you will be talking for a set amount of time and will take questions later. I will say something like, "I'm only taking easy questions today, but if you have a hard question ask me when we're done." That way the meeting won't get bogged down by one person with an issue.
I wish you success in your talks and if you have (easy) questions, drop me a note. 

Chris Castanes is a professional speaker who helps sales people succeed through workshops and humorous presentations. He's also the author of "You're Going To Be Great At This!", a humorous look at sales. For booking information, click here. He's also the president of Surf Financial Brokers selling life and disability insurance in several states.

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