TEAM Presentations for the Non Profit
Send Out TEAMS to Speak, Engage, and Generate Big Wins for your Non Profit
In the sales world, there is a sales process called “team selling.” This approach really reinforces the concept that “there is no “I” in “TEAM.” Team selling — or Team Presentations — is a methodology that all non profit organizations need to adopt. When an organization receives an invitation from a local group to make a presentation about the benefits to the community the organization makes, think TEAM. Whether it’s informational, friend or fund raising, the TEAM approach always makes success a surer bet.
Look around your board table and you’ll see some people who are GREAT at making presentations, speaking from the podium, and putting the audience at ease while informing them. Others around that table are GREAT “schmoozers” — excellent people-persons who can FRIEND raise very quickly and become quite engaging on a one-to-one basis. Join both types at the hip and send them out with a prepared script to tell your non profit organization’s story and you will reap many benefits.
Why should more non profit organizations employ a team approach to make presentations in the community? Well, let’s begin with the psychological approach to presentations since going as a team is a lot easier in a presentation than going solo. The two “experts” feed off each other throughout and after the presentation. Having two people or more creates more engagement with the audience. The odds of having success increase when the ratio of audience to a speaker is reduced. Take-aways, interaction, and feedback improve with four ears and four eyes representing your organization.
And let’s not forget the “mundane” aspect of team presentations. In a perfect world, there would be no SNAFU’s with equipment or logistics. Conflict resolution can be expedited with two people working on the resolution rather than one. The “show can go on,” even with ad-libbing, if the other team member is working on a fix to the SNAFU.
Another positive to team selling is that it helps to promote learning and cross-pollination of ideas among your non profit board members. Just the way one of your team members puts a little “spin” on a concept regarding your organization may bring an “Ah HAH” to the team member. Kind of like “Well I’ll be. I never thought of it that way.” We always learn from each other and that’s the beauty of teams. And the more the same teams go out “into the field” and make their presentations, the more fluid, the more confident, and the more professional they and your organization look.
The Ten rules of Effective Team Selling, by Allan Boressin, is directed more towards actual sales in the for profit arena. But many of his “rules” are very salient and easily transformed to the non profit team that will go out into the community. I won’t list all of his rules, but here are some good rules which I modified for non profit boards to consider:
Rule #1: Select Team Members Carefully: Make sure there is a good chemistry among those going out into the community.
Rule #2: There must be an “Orchestrator”: Someone has to be the lead person on the presentation and that has to be decided ahead of time to avoid any potential conflicts “on site.”
Rule #3: Stage a “Pre Briefing”: There has to be a pre-meeting briefing (we used to call it a “skull session”) to discuss the agenda for the meeting and develop the correct plan of action. This is a very important rule if the presentation will involve more than just information and will also involve “friend” or “fund” raising pleas, break out sessions for more informational presentations, and other ‘call to action’ pleas.
Rule #4: Hold a “De Briefing”: Discuss what worked and didn’t work, as well as the appropriate follow up by selected team members. It’s almost like the NFL reviewing video and making notes about trends and next steps. The more the team is talking and comparing notes, the stronger they get and the more professional the organization looks.
Rule #5: Keep It To A Minimum: Only bring those players who are absolutely necessary. Oh, sure, you’d love to have ALL board members attend, but many weekly community action group meetings aren’t designed to have EVERYONE attend. Just send in the first team.
Rule #6: Answer Questions Succinctly. Don’t say “boo boo” when “boo” will do.
Rule #7: Team Members Must Be On The Same Wavelength: Make sure everyone involved in this team approach knows not to contradict other team members, or to step on their sentences. De-briefings will resolve any potential problems, but on site is NOT the time to publicly air differences.
And here are a few more rules to remember when you’re sending out teams to represent your non profit: Be prepared to have your Belief Statement in writing (and know it by heart); Be prepared to have your LIFT Statement in writing (and know it by heart); KNOW the Vision, Mission, and Values of your Organization by heart; KNOW your “Presentation in a BOX” and every single component. And like any other TEAM requirement, TALK to each other in order to achieve the best for your non profit organization.
By Joseph John