How to Customize Presentations & Content to Buyer Learning Styles

By @DanGalante

Former NYC Outside Sales Rep & Teacher

Learning Styles

• People learn differently and as result Marketing Collateral needs to reflect this.

• The three major learning styles are Kinesthetic, Auditory & Visual

• 65% of people are Visual Learners

Kinesthetic

• kinesthetic learner needs to be actively doing something while learning in order to truly "get" the materials.

• Often, those with a kinesthetic learning style are going to have a hard time learning during sedentary things like lectures or traditional presentations because the body does not make the connection that they are doing something when they're listening.

• Much of the time, they need to get up and move to put something into memory.

adulted.about.com

• Image via adulted.about.com

Strengths

• Here are just a few of those strengths.• Great hand-eye coordination• Quick reactions• Excellent motor memory (can duplicate

something after doing it once)• Excellent experimenters• Good at sports• Performs well in art and drama• High levels of energyadulted.about.com

Auditory

• An auditory learner will typically remember what the teacher says, and will be a helpful participant most of the time as long as the social strengths of this type of learner do not get in the way.

• People who tend to favor this type of learning are often the social butterflies of the classroom, and can be easily distracted by those around them.

adulted.about.com

• Image via digitalchalk.com

Strengths of Auditory Learners

Auditory learners will be some of the most engaged and responsive members of any type of classroom. Those with an auditory learning style like to speak and hear others speak in order to learn best, but they may have trouble staying engaged in a completely quiet room. Here are some strengths of this learning type followed by ways to keep these types of students focused in class:• Great at explaining ideas• Understanding subtle changes in tone in a person's voice• Writing responses to lectures• Oral exams• Story-telling• Solving difficult problems• Working in groups• Participating in discussions• Listening to directions

• adulted.about.com

Visual

• Basically, the visual learning style means that people need to see information to learn it, and this "seeing" takes many forms from spatial awareness, photographic memory, color/tone, brightness/contrast and other visual information.

• Naturally, a classroom or lecture hall is a very good place for a visual learner to learn.

• Presenters use overheads, the chalkboard, pictures, graphs, maps and many other visual items to entice a visual learner into knowledge.

adulted.about.com Image via trainingfolks.com

Strengths of Visual Learning

• Visual learners typically do really well in a modern classroom setting. After all, there are just so many visuals in classrooms -white boards, handouts, photos and more! These students have many strengths that can boost their performances in school. Here are just a few of the strengths of this learning type:

• Instinctively follows directions• Easily visualizes objects• Has a great sense of balance and alignment• Is an excellent organizer• Has a strong sense of color, and is very color-oriented• Can see the passage from a page in a book in his or her mind• Notices minute similarities and differences between objects and

people easily• Can envision imagery easily

Visual Learning Strategies for

• Color code your notes, vocabulary words, textbook• Be sure to read the diagrams, maps, and other visuals that go along

with text to help you remember it• Make to-do lists in an agenda• Study in solitude. You need to see things to remember them, and

often, noise will distract you.• Take notes during lectures to capitalize on your learning style• Sit near the front so you're better able to see everything• Use outlines and concept maps to organize your notes

adulted.about.com

Determining How Buyers learn

• Create a short survey asking how they learn best. • Ask them in person if possible How do you learn

best? • EX When learning how to use a new product

would you rather read a manual, watch a video or do you jump right in and start assembling the parts with out reading the directions?

• When learning new skill, what do you prefer, reading a book, listening to an audiobook, watching a video or live lecture, experimenting with a physical prototype?

Ways to differentiate a Presentation by learning style.

• 65 percent of people are learning which leaves 30 percent who are auditory learning with 5 percent Kinesthetic learners according to University of Alabama’s School of Medicine

• In a perfect world customer learning style data would be readily available but in many case you will not

• To be most effective it is best to create presentations that are differentiated for all three learning styles.

• For Visual learners have text and provide them with accompanying handouts in the form of graphic organizers.

• Make sure to have images videos and not just text. Use different font sizes and colors when appropriate.

Ways to differentiate a Presentation by learning style.

• For Auditory learners, repeat key points for emphasis, Include video and audio clips.

• Provide a video or audio summary of the presentation when relevant.

• For Kinesthetic learners, make sure that the presentation has exercises that require them to engage with others

• Have them complete a physical task that allows them to demonstrate what they have learned.

Creating Digital Content for the Learning Styles

Visual Learners

• Create Blogs,

• Whitepapers,

• EBooks

• physical books

• Videos

Auditory learners

• Audiobooks

• Audio summary

• Videos

Creating Digital Content for the Learning Styles

Kinestetic

• Have physical samples of the product that they can touch and play with

Creating Digital Content for all Learning styles

Blogs

• Include visuals, videos and audio recordings, podcasts, newsletters

• Create physical content like a magazine

Visual and Audio Content

• Include transcripts of the content

• Create and Use downloadable handouts for viewers and listeners to follow along

Creating Digital Content for all Learning styles

Product Samples

• Have appropriate physical and digital content to pair it up with

Books

• Have a digital companion for it such as a pdf version and web content

Article & Image Sources

Article

• adulted.about.com

• University of Alabama School of Medicine

Images

adulted.about.com

University of Alabama School of Medicine

Trainingfolks.com

Digitalchalk.com

About Dan

Dan is passionate about using Marketing to help businesses drive sales. Hubspot Certified in Inbound Marketing, Dan has worked on various marketing assignments including a Start Up, Political Campaign & a Digital Marketing Conference.

Prior to serving as a Classroom Teacher, Dan served customers as an Outside Sales & Marketing Rep in NYC. In this role, he taught & trained Dentists on the company's products & services using a consultative selling approach combined with direct marketing. He also supported the company's marketing efforts at industry trade shows.

He writes & publishes a business blog on the topics of Sales, Marketing & Social Media entitled Sales, Marketing & Social Media Today; which has grown to over 13,000 followers on LinkedIn & over 8,000 on Wordpress.

Dan is seeking a full time marketing role in Direct, Inbound, Digital, Content & Social Media Marketing. If your company is hiring for roles in these areas, contact him directly via a free LinkedIn Message or email him at Dan@DanGalante.com to set up interviews.

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