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Guest post by: Sophie Robertson Become an Author

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How to Present your Ideas to Buyers

How you present yourself and your ideas to a potential buyer will depend on the venue, occasion and number of people you're presenting to. There are also some differences between presenting to one and presenting to a panel/group.

Some tips that apply regardless of the number of people you are in front of:

1. Gather some knowledge prior to meeting with your client. This shows your interest but also saves you valuable time at the meeting where you can use the time to hone in on their pain/needs. (Step one in the Consultative Selling Process)
2. If possible invite your client out for a coffee. Being on neutral ground creates a more equal footing. Most clients will appreciate getting out of the office.
3. First impressions count. As they say you only get one chance at making a first impression and the first 30 seconds are the most critical. So present at your physical best. Dress like the professional you are. Polish your shoes; this is an often overlooked factor in many well dressed people. When you sell a service your presentation becomes the packaging of that service.
4. Arrive 10-15 minutes early for an appointment; this gives you time to relax and gather your thoughts rather than arriving in a whirlwind. It will convey the impression that you are in control.
5. As you're selling a service it's important you become totally adept at speaking the language of your service; what I call your sales vocabulary. Like learning to master a foreign language, you need to master your sales language i.e. which features will provide the benefits each client needs. If it's not clear to you, you will not be able to make it clear to your audience.
6. Know what your end goal is, so you can steer the conversation and not drift off on some irrelevant tangent. If you don't know your destination you're less likely to get there.

When presenting in front of a group/panel there are some additional things to be mindful of:

• a) Know beforehand who will be there and what their stake is e.g. will the panel consist of HR, finance, middle managers etc? This will enable you to prepare your presentation to include a segment for each buyer. Depending on who they are, they will buy for different reasons and you need to make sure you don't leave any out.
• b) Decide on a presentation style appropriate to engage your buyers. If you decide on Powerpoint use it in an interesting way. Do not put all your information on the slides and merely read them aloud! This will guarantee you losing your audience.
• c) Include storytelling in your presentations to connect with your buyers. People relate to stories more than fact and figures, so ensure you have both.
• d) Cater for different types of people i.e. the visual, the auditory and the kinaesthetic. So ensure your presentation has information delivered in all three dominant sensory perception modes.
• e) Maintain eye contact, ask and answer questions to ensure you have the whole group engaged.
• f) If possible you can include an experiential element to your presentation. E.g. if you are proposing an ongoing process you can use an interactive exercise with your panel members to show why things have to happen in order or in increments. This will make your presentation memorable and integrate your point so 'the penny drops'.
• g) Rehearse your presentation out loud and in your mind. Get used to hearing what your voice sounds like. This enlists the help of your unconscious mind so you will be less nervous; your unconscious mind will think you've done it before and just do it again with ease.
• h) Get your timing right; if you are allocated one hour, stick to your timing and allow some time for questions at the end.
• i) Ensure you know the next step in the decision making process and follow up.

To be successful you have to be committed to constantly improving your sales, communication and presentation skills. This aspect of personal and professional growth is also what will keep the job interesting and fresh for you!

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