There’s nothing more discouraging for your sales reps than to reach the end of a sales presentation and hear, “I have to think it over and get back to you.”
In today’s competitive marketplace, your reps must make the biggest impact on prospects when they have the chance. That’s why it’s so important they feel confident delivering a convincing sales presentation.
Coach your salespeople to follow these 5 Critical Sales Presentation Guidelines and they’ll be giving presentations that close deals in no time.
1. Start by Listening
By nature, salespeople tend to be talkative and want to jump right into a pitch with the benefits of their product or service.
This isn’t in line with a customer-focused selling approach, however. To deliver a presentation that speaks to the buyer’s wants and needs, a salesperson must begin by asking questions and listening.
Encourage your reps to start each meeting by quickly introducing themselves. Then, they should ask each member of the buying committee to provide some information.
That might go a little something like this:
“Before we get started, I’d like to go around the room and have each of you tell me your name, your role at XYZ company, and why (adding your solution or switching to your solution) is important to you.”
Your salespeople can use this information to map out the decision-making unit, and determine each person’s wants and needs.
2. Quickly Identify Buyer Behavior Style – And Adapt to Match
Your salespeople likely have a small window to meet face-to-face with prospect and customers.
To make every moment count, they must quickly build trust and establish a connection. And the fastest, most effective way to do that is to determine a buyer’s behavior style (within the first 30 seconds of meeting) and adapt their communication approach to match.
The importance of this step in a sales presentation cannot be overstated.
Use this blog post to help your sales reps quickly identify buyer behavior style and adapt their presentation strategy to be most effective.
3. Encourage Feedback and Welcome Interruptions
There’s no better way to lose a prospect’s attention than to drone on through the bullet points of a slide deck.
Your sales reps should let the prospect or buying committee know upfront that questions are welcome. During the presentation, they should keep eye contact and watch out for body language and non-verbal communication that indicates someone in the audience is confused or bored.
By asking for feedback and receiving it, your reps will know when they’re in the right direction, and when they need to change course.
4. Get Creative and Be Memorable
Sales professionals should keep in mind that their presentations are taking time out of a prospect’s day.
They can stand out from the crowd and make a real impression by capturing and holding their audience’s attention.
This can be achieved by tailoring communication and case studies to match the behavior style of the buyer—and also by getting creative with the style of the presentation.
Here are some ways your sales reps can get creative with their sales presentations:
- Incorporate visual aids and/or physical props – Anything that allows an audience to use more than one sense will increase engagement and drive a point home.
- Make the most of storytelling – A well-timed and well-delivered story can help the prospect visualize how your solution will solve their challenge or make their life easier.
- Update the tired PowerPoint presentation – Use PowerPoint’s full suite of capabilities, like embedding videos, animations, audio, and more. (Or experiment with an alternative presentation tool like Prezi.)
- Leave something behind – Whether it’s a cool branded pen, fidget spinner, or something clever that relates to your offering, a souvenir can make your prospects think of your company after the presentation is over.
5. Keep it Short and to the Point
Everyone is busy, including your prospects and customers.
Coach your reps to tailor their presentations with the features, benefits, and case studies most relevant to the buyer.
(If your sales reps follow a front-loaded sales process like IMPACT Selling, they will have uncovered a prospect’s wants and needs early on to deliver the most effective sales presentation.)
When your salespeople get laser focused on what is most valuable to the buyer, they can position themselves as a strategic partner and build trust—two keys to succeeding in a competitive marketplace.
Conclusion
Bring these sales presentation tips to your next sales meeting and use it as an opportunity for your sales team to practice their presentation skills.
The Sales Negotiation Training program builds on these presentation fundamentals and gives sales reps the tips and tools to build value and not only sell more—but sell more at higher margin.
