The five W’s of news writing – who, what, when, where, and why – guide the content of breaking stories on the Web, on TV, and in print. It’s a tried and true paradigm for a reporter to get to the heart of a story and make sure their bases are covered. As a player in a competitive field, the last thing a journalist wants is to forget to ask something important, only to find that a reporter at another paper got the scoop.
Like asking questions is for reporters, giving a presentation to clients about goods and services is standard fare for salespeople and business executives. And their clients may have “W” questions on their mind. They want to know the facts about the company but also their own stake in it and how they can benefit from its services. At every presentation, an introduction from the company about their background, history, and purpose is standard. Using the five W’s, you won’t leave out any of the important details that clients are curious about.
Table of Contents
Who Are You?
The answer to this question is your company’s origin, history, mission, goals, and achievements. You could go on and on, but make it short and snappy, covering just enough information to get them interested in the rest of your talk. Summarize everything in a nice, neat package – one that carries meaning and purpose with it, to show that you have character and that you’re real in what you do. Which brings to our next question…
What Do You Do?
This is your chance to get into the nitty gritty of your goods and services. Explain your unique contribution to your field and what sets you apart from your competitors. Delve more in-depth in this section to demonstrate how your service philosophy, methods and management contribute to an overall picture of quality and success. The number one thing clients will want to know is how you can provide solutions to their business needs.
When Are Your Services Needed?
Be clear about what your company does, as well as what you don’t do. You never want to say no to a customer, and to circumvent that from ever happening, make sure they know exactly the types of situations where your goods and services would benefit them. They’ll remember this and come to you when they have exactly that need that your niche business fits. Providing some examples of when you’ve had past successes with clients will make your case all the more convincing.
Where Can They Get More Information?
The meat of your presentation is the details about a specific product or service that you provide. So while you want to be thorough in your introduction, remember that it’s just the introduction and not the whole thing. Limit your intro to about 10 minutes. To fill in any gaps and satisfy the curious, give them further resources, like the link to your “About” web page or the contact number for customer care, where they can find the answers the additional questions they may have individually.
Why Should They Care?
Potential clients have heard it all before: “We’re a leader in our field,” and “Our team is made up of top professionals” are not even good enough anymore. Be as specific as possible when convincing your audience that what you have to offer them is the best they’ll find in the niche that you provide. Talk to them about what you know of their field – it will show that you really understand them and aren’t just trying to get customers from anywhere. Showing the strategic research you’ve done and applied to your solution model proves that you can play a key role in their success.
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