Creating an Effective Sales Presentation

Creating an Effective Sales Presentation

Creating a winning sales presentation is more than an introduction, a lecture, a summary, and an end. Now more than ever your clients are savvy, know what they need, and expect nothing but the best from potential service providers. So before you make that presentation, there are a few things to keep in mind while you're preparing.
First, you must research thoroughly. You may think you know the important components of your prospect's business, but think again. Delve deep into the business to get an inside view of your prospects' daily lives and business issues. Discover what the prospect's goals, objectives, mission, and values are before you even create the first draft of your presentation. Find out what makes the prospect tick - and what issues they have. From this research, you'll be able to create a presentation that shows you've done your homework. On top of this, your presentation will answer the most important question your prospect has: what's in it for me?
Next, make sure that your presentation is interactive. Have you ever sat through a presentation that was "all talk"? Did the salesperson simply go from the beginning to the end without pause, without gaining input from the prospect? Are you one of those salespeople? Observe very carefully how your prospects are reacting to your presentations. Are they bored? Do they check their Blackberries or slip out to take important phone calls? If this is happening, or even if it's not, the key word for an effective presentation is interactivity. Be creative with your presentation by asking questions - and waiting for the response from your prospects. Use the information you've discovered in your research to formulate your questions. Then, use the prospects' answers to move forward. It may be helpful to remember the AIDA method for sales presentations: get the prospect's attention, create interest with useful information, create desire by offering something they need, and ask for immediate action.
In technical terms, your presentation should engage your prospects without distracting them from what you're saying. For this reason, slides or visuals should be kept to a minimum of words. Use the key words and actions from your presentation and talk through the rest. In addition, consider using graphics in your presentation, especially if you are using an application like Power Point.

But be careful with graphics. They should be professional and appropriate, and should create a "memory" in the prospect's mind. Avoid using "silly" graphics, clip art drawings, or graphics that move and make sounds. Instead, use professionally produced photographs that relate specifically to the information you're talking about on each slide or page.

You can find images like this in Power Point's Clip Art gallery under photographs. Or, you can visit websites like istockphoto (istockphoto.com), where you can search for graphics using the terms and words from your presentation.
In your presentation, focus on the customer. Explain how you are going to solve their problems with your product or service. Use the benefits of your product or service to make a direct connection with the prospect and answer the "what's in it for me?" question. In relation to focusing on the customer, create an agenda, explain it, and stick to it. There's nothing worse than a lack of respect for your prospect's time.

Finally, take the time to practice for every presentation you make. Your skills increase with every single presentation, but the information will always be different if you're following the steps we've discussed. Practice your presentation in front of a mirror, with a colleague, or even in front of a video camera. You'll be able to see where your strengths are - and what opportunities you can use to improve your presentation and your delivery techniques.

Remember to avoid an unprofessional appearance, boring lectures, a failure to create rapport with the prospect through your research, and TMI (too much information). If you employ these tactics when you plan every sales presentation, you'll be well on track for closing the sale every time.

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