BY SARAH BLUE, DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, MEDIAFLY @SarahBlue1028
As I stood in the security line at the City of Chicago Federal Courthouse, the predictable dread of jury duty hit me square in the face of my Monday morning reality. I was beyond frustrated that I had to reschedule the day’s prospect presentations that I worked so hard to get and prepare for. Anyone in sales knows that rescheduling meetings like this can have a real impact on momentum. Therefore, you can imagine my complete collapse that afternoon when I was selected as juror #14 on a federal criminal case slated to run the entire week.
Who would have ever thought that five days of dreaded jury duty, would leave me with some of my most valuable lessons in sales? Here are four of the biggest lessons I took with me:
GET YOUR AUDIENCE TO INVEST INTEREST BEFORE DOLLARS
As we entered the already full courtroom, it dawned on me that we the jurors were the only group of people in this room who didn’t have any skin in the game, yet were tasked with making a very fateful and serious decision. The judge immediately recognized that our randomly selected group of now very important decision makers were not exactly happy nor present in his room. On his own accord, he began to brilliantly address it:
“I know all of you have very busy schedules and it is a special kind of inconvenience to clear your lives to be here,” he said. “At this moment, you may be viewing this call of service as an unwelcomed civic duty, but I believe that if you allow yourself to be open to the process, you will find your time here tremendously educational and will see that it really is more of a civic honor to serve on a jury.”
With just two sentences he validated our reluctance, spoke to how we were feeling, and convinced us that our full attention would be rewarded with significant personal value. All of a sudden, no more dread. I was in.
The verdict: Pitching to a room full of busy people who hold singular levels of concern for what you’re proposing, is not unlike this very scenario. Immediately getting your audience to invest interest, as the judge so coolly did with us, will not only help secure their attention for the duration of your pitch but allow them to be more personally invested in finding value in what you are sharing with them.
UNDERSTAND WHO YOU ARE SPEAKING TO
Selecting 14 jurors from a collection of 60 people, shaped up to be a challenge in patience for everyone. Their method, albeit a tedious one, was likely one of the most important steps throughout the entire process.
We stood up one by one, answering two full pages of prepared questions into a microphone ranging from our jobs, who lives in our homes, shows we watched, and what news sources we relied on. One would think this is simply a formality with a few oddball questions, but both sets of counsel and the judge meticulously studied our posture and how we spoke. They took copious notes and occasionally made eye contact with each other when something stood out to them. The intensity of how they were listening became infectious, suddenly we were all at full attention.
The verdict: While putting your audience through such a rigorous process is not realistic in the business world, truly understanding who you are speaking to is crucial. Appreciating their day-to-day routines, empathizing with their challenges and gaining insight into who they are outside of their job descriptions will enable you to more effectively communicate how your offerings will bring them value.
USE EMOTION TO CONNECT
Before the opening remarks, the judge explained that we are not to base our decisions on the facts or evidence that would be presented, but rather if the prosecutor is able to prove to us, beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was in fact guilty.
That’s when I started to feel that the trial was one big competitive sales pitch and the judge was our steady commentator. I sat back and watched as the games began.
Right off the bat each attorney focused and spoke directly to the jury. They didn’t start with the facts, nor show us an arrest report. They started with the story about the life of a man named Antonio, who we were there to make a very fateful decision about. As the two opposing storylines developed they would pepper in facts and photos of evidence, but it was the emotion in their voices and the passion in their conviction that they used to connect us to their view.
The verdict: We hear that emotional intelligence (EQ) is the new IQ and I couldn’t agree more. For years, the word emotion was kept far from any business conversations or boardrooms, but I never understood why. People with a significant amount of EQ are exceptional communicators and can express themselves clearly. Those with a high EQ have been proven to be superior in gaining respect from others, having influence, enticing people to help them, managing difficult situations, keeping cool under pressure, and knowing how to say the “right” thing to get the right result.
ALWAYS BE PREPARED
This was a rather significant case, so it is safe to say that both teams were more than prepared. Both had their compelling stories, facts, a few surprises for each other, and were ready to win. How they executed from there was noteworthy and fascinating to watch.
The prosecutor’s trial notes were outlined on paper arranged in neat piles across the table. They had a laptop connected to the monitors on either side of the jury stand with all the evidence that they controlled for the case, filed on it. The defense team used a very slim laptop for their trial notes and other than a notepad and pen, their table was clear.
The prosecutors were tethered to their table during the trial. When they got on a roll and actually managed to move about the room, they would soon have to hustle back to their piles of paper to find their next point which caused them to literally pause and keep us waiting while they fumbled flipping pieces of paper over. What was even worse was the monitors projected their clicking up and down the file list on their laptop looking for the right evidence photo. Sadly, even when they had us hooked, these disrupted pauses gave the perception they were not in control and maybe their story was not as solid.
The defense, on the other hand, utilized their laptop to effortlessly be able to move about the room freely. Other than the occasional glance at notes housed on a discreet screen, their eyes were on us smoothly executing and fully communicating each point with uninterrupted conviction. I also noticed the defense would sharply turn to the prosecutor and request he pull up a certain piece of evidence. The defense then stood staring above the prosecutor while he once again, ran his cursor up and down the list trying to find the right file.
As we all sat watching him fumble, I thought to myself what a strategic move it was by the defense attorney. It reminded me of Jonathan Perlman from BuzzFeed who once said, “Content is king, but distribution is queen, and she wears the pants”.
The verdict: Part of being prepared is having your content organized and aligned on a platform that will support you to effortlessly deliver a presentation and stay on point even when you need to pivot. Having a flexible platform with an attractive and intuitive user interface will keep your audience engaged and connected to both the content you are showing as well as to the story you are telling them.
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