Joey was a friend who had a great personality and loved people.  Joey  was looking for a way to supplement his income and after some research he decided to work for Royal Prestige Dinnerware, a reputable company that has been around since the 50’s.  He obtained his set of dinnerware and he was ready to start finding leads and showing the merchandise.  I sat with Joey for several hours as he used me to practice his presentation and sharpen his skills.  He worked hard and I really thought Joey would do great.

Joey’s first real world experience was with the nice lady down the street. Joey  thought he had a really good chance because the women kept complaining abut her current dinnerware set.  So he began his presentation, knowing the initial sentences would be the toughest and once he could get passed them, it would be smooth sailing.  Well he did, and continued on, covering each piece in the set and going into detail about each. Detail after detail Joey was on a roll, he really thought he would make his first sale that day.  Then disaster! After about 20 minutes into his presentation, the woman started dozing.  Joey was devastated and the woman was embarrassed.  She apologized repeatedly and said she was tired and worked all day.  She said she was still interested and told Joey to reschedule.  Joey packed up, said he would give her a call and walked out the door discouraged and embarrassed. 

 What did Joey learn: Joe immediately realized that he was regurgitating the material in a monotone format, without intonation and interaction.  He memorized the material but did not come up with a way to deliver it in a refreshing and entertaining format.  He did not stop and include her in anyway, perhaps asking about her experiences with her pots.  As a result, it became monotonous and boring.  Joey learned from his mistakes and his next presentations were much more entertaining and successful.