Some salespeople will tell you that they don’t have a set presentation, that they don’t like presentations, or even that they choose not to have a presentation because “just talking” to the prospect is better. While these things may suit some salespeople and clients, for the majority, it is important to have an excellent sales presentation. If you develop a presentation you are proud of, you can easily tweak it to suit specific prospective customers, reducing your stress levels, amount of time wasted, and increasing your chances of closing the sale. Plus, once you have a basic presentation that works, you can practice it, and the more you practice, the more confident and successful your sales pitch will be.
With all that in mind, below are some tips for improving your sales presentation:
- Give context about the industry. If you can give the client context about how your company is on the cutting edge of whatever trends are happening in your industry, or how your company will help them make strides towards the future of their industry, you make it even more attractive to work with you.
- Find their pain point – and tell that story. Show that you understand their issues and “pain points” and then you are in a strong position to share what they can gain from working with you. Making sure they feel understood – and making it clear that you understand their issues and have helped solve their exact problem before will instill a sense of confidence and comfort in working with you.
- Show them proof of the results. Give them evidence that what you are offering isn’t too good to be true. Offering proof of your success – or other companies’ successes due to your partnership allows them to see that you are the “real deal” and will be able to help them instead of making empty promises just to close a sale.
- Short, sweet, and visual. Make sure your presentation is short and to the point. You don’t need excess time or wordiness in the sales presentation, as it just makes the presentation boring and hard to remember. You can improve retention and attention by replacing words with visuals (infographics, pictures, charts) and by keeping your presentation length to just under 10 minutes.
- Let the prospect interrupt and give feedback. Allowing the prospect to interrupt your presentation will give you invaluable information about their needs, and about where you could change and improve your presentation. Asking for feedback after the presentation also allows a shy prospect the opportunity to ask questions or tell you what they need to know.
The most important key to a successful sales presentation is finding out the magical combination of techniques and elements that works for you, your industry, and your ideal or typical prospects.