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What is a truly effective sales presentation? I would define it
as one that generates a call to action that eventually leads to
a sale. Is there an underlying theme, across all products and
their respective target audiences, on how to deliver this
presentation? The answer is a definitive yes. This article tells
you how.
Let me bring you back in time to a famous Greek philosopher
called Socrates (469-399BC). Socrates despite his foundational
place in the history of ideas actually wrote nothing. Socrates
himself radically and skeptically claimed to know nothing at all
except that he knew nothing!
So what is the relevance of this in creating and delivering
truly effective customer presentations? Knowing that he knew
nothing, Socrates spent his life asking questions?
Say for example he was meeting a prospect, who did not actually
understand why they might need a product or service that he was
selling. He would ask them questions about what they did, how
they did it, and what their needs and desires were. Through the
answers, they gave; he would lead them to an understanding of
why they would need what he had to offer.
The key here was that he did not at any stage tell them what he
had, what he could do. The reason being, to use his original
assertion, was that he did not actually know if the customer
needed or wanted what it was that he had.
Know what your customer wants So not knowing what customers
really want, why do scores of sales people and business owners,
deliver presentations about their abilities every day?
Even scarier, is the fact that these people probably spent days,
weeks or even months, preparing what they believed to be truly
effective presentations.
So what is the secret of creating this presentation then? The
key is to be unique in what you present. To be unique, you must
be completely relevant to the person, to whom the presentation
is being made. You must address their issues, concerns and
desires, as they see them.
Your presentation is in effect the presentation of a business
case. This can only be prepared when you have all of the
relevant answers to your questions. I recommend that you create
a questionnaire that allows you to reiterate back to the
prospect, in their words, their answers to the following
questions.
What is their key problem or burning desire (obviously this
needs to be something you can help with) If this problem was
solved, or their desire fulfilled - what would they now be
enabled to do (Ensure they do not limit themselves in what they
can do - keeping pushing and questioning until you get their
ultimate goal.
How do they put a value on this new capability? What happens if
they don't do it? When do they need to do this by - when will
they have ownership? Why have they not been able to do this
themselves, or with someone else's help in the past? Only when
all of their answers to these questions have been presented, do
you then go on to explain why you are best suited to help them
with your product or service.
You will then outline an implementation plan, or set of actions
that need to be completed, with a time frame, to get them to
their ultimate goal.
Earn the right to present your offering Remember, most business
owners or senior managers know their own business better than
you, so earn the right to propose your offerings, by finding out
if there is something that you can truly do to help them, obtain
their business imperatives.
That will be a truly effective presentation.
About the author:
Need sales and marketing help? Contact Peter Lawless, of 3R Sales and Marketing. For more
articles like this, visit 3R's
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