THE SALES PRESENTATION THE BOTTOM LINE IS SELLING
THE SALES PRESENTATION THE BOTTOM LINE IS SELLING
A successful selling situation--especially when selling to a decision team in a company--is based on the salesperson's ability to communicate. However, few salespeople are successful at selling "off-the-cuff." Your best salespeople prepare, rehearse, analyze, prepare and rehearse. The more "tools" that you provide for them, the better job they can do in selling systems, products, programs and services.
While you will rarely use a complete company/product presentation in a specific sales situation, it is wise to have one, which discusses all of the features and benefits, as well as the salient selling points. And, it should ask for the order.
It sounds simple, but these facts are often left at the office when there's selling to be done. One of the major problems is that most professional sales training still stresses one-on-one selling. But in today's selling environment, for systems as well as other products/services, a team presentation to a group of decision-makers is required.
This is not to say that one-on-one selling does not take place today. But for organizations to be successful in specific market segments, they have to sell to more than just the buyer who calls or sends an email and places small orders. There's more at stake in high-volume organizational sales, and more people participate in the decision making process.
The only way to ensure that your sales presentation is successful is to prepare. Define and address your prospect's wants and needs. Organize your presentation, use effective visual aids, and have a prepared presentation team.
Before the Presentation
Even before you consider the form and substance of your presentation, decide precisely what you want your audience to do when you are through. What action do you want them to take? By knowing this, you can be more convincing.
* First, write down your objectives in a clear, concise
manner.
* Keep the objectives in front of you when you are
preparing the information and materials to be used in
the presentation.
* Determine exactly who the decision-maker is in the group
You are addressing. Analyze his or her needs,
Objectives and interests. Tailor your presentation to
the real decision-maker.
Preparing Your People
When you're making a presentation, it is not necessary to overwhelm the prospect with people. Keep the presentation team to a minimum. If specialists are needed, have them prepared to come in and answer specific questions. Don't bring them in "just in case."
Keep your statements brief and to the point. Don't go off on a tangent. And when you're not in the spotlight, don't interrupt.
Not everyone in your organization has the same presentation capabilities. Perhaps he or she was hired for other talents or abilities. If a person isn't the best for the presentation, then don't use them. After all, you're out to win a sale, not a popularity contest within your own organization.
Know your audience. Find out as much as you can about the individuals' likes, dislikes and attitudes. Continually monitor your presentation and its acceptance with your audience. If you are putting them to sleep, change your game plan and strategy.
Keep the presentation upbeat and moving briskly.
In preparing your presentation, you are often up against a deadline, get the wheels moving as quickly as possible. Develop a presentation schedule and list the materials you'll need to ensure that all of the items come together--before the deadline.
Presentation Hints
When you're making a presentation before any sized group, it's only natural to be a little nervous. Be assured, your confidence will increase as the presentation goes along.
Follow the basic rules of good public speaking.
* Stand erect, speak clearly and loudly enough to be heard
in all areas of the room.
* Introduce yourself and the members of your sales
presentation team at the outset.
* Shift positions during your presentation, but don't rock
or pace.
* Use visual words and physical descriptions as well as
your visuals during the presentation.
* Speak directly to your audience, shifting your eyes
every five or ten seconds. Continually make eye
contact.
* Use your hands and arms only slightly, and then only for
emphasis. Concentrate most of your energy into your
facial and vocal expressions.
* Concentrate on your audience's body language and make
certain you keep them interested. If people seem
restless or it is apparent that you are losing their
attention, change your pace or skip to a more
interesting portion of the presentation.
* Don't worry about mistakes. They will happen no matter
how many times you have made the presentation. Just
don't amplify the mistakes to your audience. Often they
will go unnoticed.
Rehearse
The best way to give a successful presentation is to have a full rehearsal with all of your participants. When you schedule your rehearsal, make certain that you have enough time prior to the presentation to correct any problems or shortcomings that arise during the rehearsal.
The rehearsal is your chance to spot and correct flaws. Treat the presentation as the show itself. Without this important step, problems and shortcomings will often go unnoticed, and the minor flaws may keep you from winning.
During the rehearsal, check your timing. Lean toward presenting your information at a quick pace. People will seldom have the nerve to ask you to speed up because you're dull, but they will ask you to slow down because they find you and your information interesting.
Make certain that all of your slides, charts, video segments, and other audio-visual materials agree with the verbal information that is being presented. And be as visual as possible. Use only key words and allow the visuals to provide your audience with an outline of the message. People learn 11 percent through what they hear and 83 percent through what they see. They retain 20 percent of what they hear, 30 percent of what they see, and 50 percent of what they see and hear.
The final checkout is simply an extension of your rehearsal. Do this an hour or so before your actual presentation. Make certain the room is set up and the equipment is working properly.
When you make a presentation, your audience wants to see what is being discussed. Good, creative presentations can help accomplish this. And at the same time, they can help curb your rising management, marketing and sales costs when you take into consideration the time, people and equipment involved. All of these are important to firms in today’s global market, especially when there are multiple buying influences involved.
#######
THE SALES PRESENTATION THE BOTTOM LINE IS SELLING - To learn more about this author, visit Andy Marken's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
Selling is hard work, even in the virtual world of the Internet. It requires strong motivation, personal pride, perseverance, flexibility, energy, discipline, and focus. Above all, it requires communicating and being able to read/understand the prospects' attitudes and needs, whether they are real or perceived.
A successful selling situation--especially when selling to a decision team in a company--is based on the salesperson's ability to communicate. However, few salespeople are successful at selling "off-the-cuff." Your best salespeople prepare, rehearse, analyze, prepare and rehearse. The more "tools" that you provide for them, the better job they can do in selling systems, products, programs and services.
While you will rarely use a complete company/product presentation in a specific sales situation, it is wise to have one, which discusses all of the features and benefits, as well as the salient selling points. And, it should ask for the order.
It sounds simple, but these facts are often left at the office when there's selling to be done. One of the major problems is that most professional sales training still stresses one-on-one selling. But in today's selling environment, for systems as well as other products/services, a team presentation to a group of decision-makers is required.
This is not to say that one-on-one selling does not take place today. But for organizations to be successful in specific market segments, they have to sell to more than just the buyer who calls or sends an email and places small orders. There's more at stake in high-volume organizational sales, and more people participate in the decision making process.
The only way to ensure that your sales presentation is successful is to prepare. Define and address your prospect's wants and needs. Organize your presentation, use effective visual aids, and have a prepared presentation team.
Before the Presentation
Even before you consider the form and substance of your presentation, decide precisely what you want your audience to do when you are through. What action do you want them to take? By knowing this, you can be more convincing.
* First, write down your objectives in a clear, concise
manner.
* Keep the objectives in front of you when you are
preparing the information and materials to be used in
the presentation.
* Determine exactly who the decision-maker is in the group
You are addressing. Analyze his or her needs,
Objectives and interests. Tailor your presentation to
the real decision-maker.
Preparing Your People
When you're making a presentation, it is not necessary to overwhelm the prospect with people. Keep the presentation team to a minimum. If specialists are needed, have them prepared to come in and answer specific questions. Don't bring them in "just in case."
Keep your statements brief and to the point. Don't go off on a tangent. And when you're not in the spotlight, don't interrupt.
Not everyone in your organization has the same presentation capabilities. Perhaps he or she was hired for other talents or abilities. If a person isn't the best for the presentation, then don't use them. After all, you're out to win a sale, not a popularity contest within your own organization.
Know your audience. Find out as much as you can about the individuals' likes, dislikes and attitudes. Continually monitor your presentation and its acceptance with your audience. If you are putting them to sleep, change your game plan and strategy.
Keep the presentation upbeat and moving briskly.
In preparing your presentation, you are often up against a deadline, get the wheels moving as quickly as possible. Develop a presentation schedule and list the materials you'll need to ensure that all of the items come together--before the deadline.
Presentation Hints
When you're making a presentation before any sized group, it's only natural to be a little nervous. Be assured, your confidence will increase as the presentation goes along.
Follow the basic rules of good public speaking.
* Stand erect, speak clearly and loudly enough to be heard
in all areas of the room.
* Introduce yourself and the members of your sales
presentation team at the outset.
* Shift positions during your presentation, but don't rock
or pace.
* Use visual words and physical descriptions as well as
your visuals during the presentation.
* Speak directly to your audience, shifting your eyes
every five or ten seconds. Continually make eye
contact.
* Use your hands and arms only slightly, and then only for
emphasis. Concentrate most of your energy into your
facial and vocal expressions.
* Concentrate on your audience's body language and make
certain you keep them interested. If people seem
restless or it is apparent that you are losing their
attention, change your pace or skip to a more
interesting portion of the presentation.
* Don't worry about mistakes. They will happen no matter
how many times you have made the presentation. Just
don't amplify the mistakes to your audience. Often they
will go unnoticed.
Rehearse
The best way to give a successful presentation is to have a full rehearsal with all of your participants. When you schedule your rehearsal, make certain that you have enough time prior to the presentation to correct any problems or shortcomings that arise during the rehearsal.
The rehearsal is your chance to spot and correct flaws. Treat the presentation as the show itself. Without this important step, problems and shortcomings will often go unnoticed, and the minor flaws may keep you from winning.
During the rehearsal, check your timing. Lean toward presenting your information at a quick pace. People will seldom have the nerve to ask you to speed up because you're dull, but they will ask you to slow down because they find you and your information interesting.
Make certain that all of your slides, charts, video segments, and other audio-visual materials agree with the verbal information that is being presented. And be as visual as possible. Use only key words and allow the visuals to provide your audience with an outline of the message. People learn 11 percent through what they hear and 83 percent through what they see. They retain 20 percent of what they hear, 30 percent of what they see, and 50 percent of what they see and hear.
The final checkout is simply an extension of your rehearsal. Do this an hour or so before your actual presentation. Make certain the room is set up and the equipment is working properly.
When you make a presentation, your audience wants to see what is being discussed. Good, creative presentations can help accomplish this. And at the same time, they can help curb your rising management, marketing and sales costs when you take into consideration the time, people and equipment involved. All of these are important to firms in today’s global market, especially when there are multiple buying influences involved.
#######
THE SALES PRESENTATION THE BOTTOM LINE IS SELLING - To learn more about this author, visit Andy Marken's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 | |
 |
No article feedback found. |
| |
Leave Your Feedback |
 | |
| |||
Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
|||
Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
|||
Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
|||
George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
|||
David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
|||
John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
|||
John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
|||
Staging DivaDebra Gould, aka The Staging Diva®, is President of Six Elements Inc., an internationally recognized home staging company. Inspired by many requests from aspiring home stagers wanting to start similar businesses, Gould created the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. Gould has trained over 1000 Staging Diva Graduates worldwide to start staging businesses. Buying decorating and selling six of her own homes in four years lead to an interest in real estate staging which she turned into a career with the launch of sixelements.com in 2002. Since then she has staged hundreds of homes in addition to teaching home staging training. Gould is the author of several home staging resources including a series of popular ebooks made up of a Design Guide, Color Guide and Portfolio Guide. For more information about Debra Gould visit stagingdiva.com. - Visit Staging Diva's Website |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
 | |
|  |
Subscribe to Andy's articles
 | |
|
|  |
 | |
|
| |
 | |||||||
|
 | ||
|
||
 |
||
|
||
|
| ||
 |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
|
|
 |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
 |
"Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"
Click Here To Learn More |
|
|
|
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
|
|
 Basic SEO Guide Strategic Plan Business Financing Making Life Work Business Owner Guide |
|
 | ||
 |
Top 50 Blogs For Startups
Top Blogs To Watch In 2008 | |
 |
Top 50 Franchising Blogs
Top 50 Franchising Blogs | |
| ||
 | ||||
| ||||
|
| ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
|
Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
|
|
|
