Question

Topic: Career/Training

Presentation Style Interview For Internship? Help!

Posted by Anonymous on 2/18/2009 at 3:19 PM ET 500 Points
Ok, I graduated in December with a B.S. in Marketing and have finally secured an interview with an agency. As one of the finalists, I am responsible for giving a 15 minute presentation that, "will distinguish you and your desire for the position."

I have made an outline which includes an introduction about myself, why I am interested in working for an agency vs. corp., why account services vs. sales (I have 22 months b2b tech sales exp.), my qualifications (coursework and working knowledge of xyz, social media etc.) and my conclusion restating my interest with the company.

Any thought on how you would approach this presentation is greatly appreciated. ***They did not mention whether or not I would have access to visual aids. Should I prepare a PPoint anyway?

Thanks a lot!
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Frank Hurtte on 2/18/2009 at 6:02 PM Member
    I would have a PPT in my hip pocket, but would try to think of an other resourceful way to demonstrate your ability without PPT. Many organizations are getting turned off on the whole death by PowerPoint thing.
  • Posted on 2/18/2009 at 8:17 PM Accepted
    I would like to give you what I hope is a very different way of looking at this process. Very often, the different approach, if properly executed, will stand out from the crowd...because it is the right approach.

    It is a fairly certain bet that everyone of your competitors are going through the same process you are...wondering how to make the presentation, how they can make themselves look good, what form the presentation needs to take, what kind of impression they can make. This is the classic default thinking type of mistake that marketers and people in advertising make over and over again.

    Most people don't even know they make this mistake because the default of how to do something is so well ingrained. Most people cannot think in levels. It is like a computer defaulting to a Times New Roman font without thinking about it. People simply default to what they have always done. They do not stop and THINK about what they are doing in different ways and they do not take the time to challenge their own fairly shallow thinking.

    Selling a person is no different than selling a product. It doesn't matter if you are selling cars, clothes, toys, or condoms. It is never about the product. Never. Most marketers and sales people will focus on the features of the particular product they are trying to sell and think they are doing a great job when, in reality, they are making a tragic error. Nobody cares that a line of clothes comes in 17 sizes and 25 different styles, nobody cares that a line of cars can be bought in a varitey of colors, and it doesn't matter whether I have 5 years of graduate education as opposed to my competitor who only has 4 years.

    I have done a 10 mile swim in Boston Harbor on 3 occasions. Before I did this clearly insane thing the first time, I decided to buy a wet suit. Now, the question is what was I really buying? Was it a wet suit? Did it matter if it came in different colors? The answer is no. I was buying something that could keep me relatively warm in cold ocean water for between 4 and 5 hours. I was buyng warmth in the water, not a wetsuit. I did not care if it came in different colors, had racing stripes, or could give me a massage at the end of the swim (well, I might have gone for the massage), I needed to be warm. Period. An added feature is that you tend to be more buoyant with a wetsuit and can swim a little faster. But that did not matter to me. I wanted to avoid getting hyperthermic.

    We sell products and services most effectively when we focus on the BENEFITS they provide to our target audiences.

    Therefore, as much as you think this presentation is about you...think again. You need to find out what the company (client) wants, what are they looking for, what do they want to have you do and what value is it going to produce for the client (company). You need to find out about their pain and you need to tell them how hiring you is going to help them lessen the pain.

    Your presentation needs to be about them, not about you. It is about how your product (you) can provide them the benefits they need.

    Everyone you are competing against is going to come in with relatively the same credentials, experience, and level of intelligence. So, what is the difference?

    If I was doing the hiring, I would be more interested in determining how someone THINKS. I would want to see that thinking demonstrated in living color, and I would want to know what you thought you could bring to my table that could help me. I would need to see that you possess the ability to think beyond yourself and whatever happens to be right in front of your face.

    Begin with the end in mind. Picture yourself already having been hired and producing the results they want. And tell them how you are going to do it.

    Once you are approaching the presentation from this perspective, have a blast and do whatever a young creative mind can do to make the point.

    This presentation is NOT about you.

    Enjoy!

    George Wallace
    The Discovery Communications Group
    Salem, NH
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 2/18/2009 at 10:46 PM Member
    If you have the skills, Photoshop yourself into images of people at the agency working (perhaps these images are on their website?). The point is to show you're thinking as one of the team.

    Find out more about their recent clients. Who were they? What was their experience working with the agency? What was missing? The point is to show your ability to do research and present a cogent summary.

    Don't focus on your coursework. No doubt they'll reteach you the way things are done at the agency (which may contradict your formal education). Do focus on projects that you've worked on (especially those that you were excited to work on, even if you weren't the lead).
  • Posted by joshuacrumbaugh on 2/19/2009 at 10:57 AM Member
    You're a marketer now which means it's your job to figure out how gain client interest; today it's this firm tomorrow it's their clients and they want to know that you have the skills it takes to make this happen and this needs to show through in your presentation.

    I would start by going to their website, viewing their portfolio and while keeping your presentation completely unique try to get a grasp of their style and make sure whatever you do is in line with that. In other words don't be overly aggressive in your approach to sell them and the only way to know where that line is, is to get to know them ahead of time.

    In response to the PPT question you could always set up a mobile formatted website with a simple URL and put your presentation on there. It may be the same thing, but it shows that you are in touch with modern technology and shows that you can be an asset in that department. Especially since you already mentioned social.

    I hope this helps,
    Joshua D. Crumbaugh
    [Website address deleted by staff]
  • Posted by joshuacrumbaugh on 2/19/2009 at 11:15 AM Member
    Hey, one more thing... George up there was talking about sales and how you can't forget benefits,and although he is very much correct and many sales people can't get past features there is another even more important aspect which will close the deal more effectively.

    First of all features are great and should be used, but in brief while moving onto benefits.

    Benefits are even better and should have a good amount of emphasis put on them, but still they are nothing more than a precursor to the grand finale.

    THE IMPACT: The impact of a benefit is the true driving force behind emotion and it can quickly be found by asking one simple question:

    Whats So Great About That? WSGAT

    So when creating your presentation remember these things:

    FBI (Feature Benefit Impact) The holy trinity of sales

    WSGAT

    And Lastly if you don't remember anything else remember this because in my opinion it is the number 1 thing that most sales people forget.

    The person asking the questions is in control of the sale. It's like that quote..."People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."

    This is true employers want to see passion and feel rapport just as much as they want you to prove your knowledge.

    JC
  • Posted on 2/19/2009 at 1:35 PM Author
    I would like to thank everyone for taking time to assist me in preparing my presentation. Most notably, I would like to thank Mr. Wallace for your advice.

    Sincerely,

    Joshua
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