Dispelling the Myths about Sales Presentations
Dispelling the Myths about Sales Presentations
Salespeople are Good Presenters.
Because many salespeople are personable and good one-on-one communicators, it is believed that they are automatically good presenters. This couldn't be further from the truth. Though some people are naturally good presenters, most people don't have the knowledge or training required for effective presentations. There is a science in planning and organizing an effective presentation. To gain the trust and develop the chemistry that earns business requires delivery skills that are not taught in school or in sales skills training.
Often, salespeople are sent into important presentations with canned presentations. Though the graphics are often impressive, they are typically not prepared by someone in sales, and are not crafted to speak to the individual prospects that will make up the audience. Is it any wonder that many salespeople don't use these presentations, and when they do, they tend to be boring and miss the prospect's hot buttons?
Salespeople and their support staffs have the potential to be great presenters, but they need a methodology, practice, feedback and coaching. The TAP (The Art of Presentation) Blueprint gives the salesperson the ability to take canned presentations and successfully tailor them for his prospect. To be successful the presenter must present from the audience's point of view, "what's in it for them" (client-centered). We say it, but do our salespeople present it?
Myth #2
The Facts Speak for Themselves.
Separate studies done by Stanford University and Wharton have shown that the facts represent only 7% of how audiences are persuaded. How something is presented and who presents it makes up the other 93% of the persuasive process. These studies showed if your presentation is organized and delivered well, your personal and your company's creditability increases and your point or proposal has an increasing chance of being accepted.
The old adage in the legal profession, "the facts speak for themselves", doesn't hold true in court now days, nor does it hold true in closing business. Having the fastest, easiest to use, least costly solution doesn't automatically win you the business. The facts need to be right, but how you say something is critical in the persuasive process. TAP gives you the skills to say it more effectively.
Myth #3
Winning Presentations Are Expensive.
In 1992 a small document management company, less than $7 million per year, retained me to help them win an opportunity at a major financial company in Los Angeles. The competition was IBM and CSC. With four weeks to prepare I made sure I met the decision-makers and influencers, asked a lot of questions, and planned out my proposal and my presentation. Not being aware of PowerPoint or similar tools at that time, I did the presentation on flip chart paper. Imagine my surprise and dismay when I found out our competitors used multimedia computer projection for their presentations.
To make a long story short, I won it for my client. The next week we took the key players to lunch and asked why my client was chosen since our competitors used high-tech computer presentations and I did ours on butcher paper. They commented, "You addressed our needs and concerns far better than your competitors. Your presentation was better organized and you communicated with us, while your competitors seemed to talk to their presentation."
Certainly the use of modern multimedia tools can add impact to your presentation and today I am a committed user of PowerPoint. However, the most valuable tool you have in your tool kit is the ability to understand the prospects needs and effectively communicate how you will meet them.
Myth #4
Sales Presentations Are Not Necessary.
A study at the University of Minnesota proved that giving a sales presentation for a proposal increased the success rate by 43%. Additionally, the study proved that you could receive 23% more for the same proposal using a formal sales presentation. Every day, graduates of TAP prove that a well prepared and delivered presentation wins more business.
By giving a presentation of your proposal, you create more value for your offering and create a deeper and more persuasive effect on the audience. UCLA showed in a study that people are persuaded only 7% by the words in a presentation, 38% by the verbal presentation, and 55% by the visual presentation. This is contributed to the amount of sensory perception the brain dedicates to vision. With this information doesn't it make sense to take full advantage of the natural, physiological gateway to a person's decision-making process?
Myth #5
Solution Selling Alone Will Increase Sales.
The bottom line is that the salesperson needs to understand whom the decision-makers and influencers are, theirs and the company's objectives, issues, needs, pain and how the decision will be made. To make a winning presentation requires this information. When salespeople know their sales process culminates with a sales presentation (with appropriate follow up), they understand the importance of the solution selling process and will use it more successfully. Solution selling is implemented in the planning process (The Pyramid of Persuasion) and the presentation organization (The Blueprint) and TAP literally funnels the decision makers to YES.
Call (505) 466-2933 or email samsanders@theartofpersuasion.com to check scheduling availability for a TAP worskshop for your company. www.theartofpersuasion.com
Dispelling the Myths about Sales Presentations - To learn more about this author, visit Sam Sanders's Website.
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Myth #1
Salespeople are Good Presenters.
Because many salespeople are personable and good one-on-one communicators, it is believed that they are automatically good presenters. This couldn't be further from the truth. Though some people are naturally good presenters, most people don't have the knowledge or training required for effective presentations. There is a science in planning and organizing an effective presentation. To gain the trust and develop the chemistry that earns business requires delivery skills that are not taught in school or in sales skills training.
Often, salespeople are sent into important presentations with canned presentations. Though the graphics are often impressive, they are typically not prepared by someone in sales, and are not crafted to speak to the individual prospects that will make up the audience. Is it any wonder that many salespeople don't use these presentations, and when they do, they tend to be boring and miss the prospect's hot buttons?
Salespeople and their support staffs have the potential to be great presenters, but they need a methodology, practice, feedback and coaching. The TAP (The Art of Presentation) Blueprint gives the salesperson the ability to take canned presentations and successfully tailor them for his prospect. To be successful the presenter must present from the audience's point of view, "what's in it for them" (client-centered). We say it, but do our salespeople present it?
Myth #2
The Facts Speak for Themselves.
Separate studies done by Stanford University and Wharton have shown that the facts represent only 7% of how audiences are persuaded. How something is presented and who presents it makes up the other 93% of the persuasive process. These studies showed if your presentation is organized and delivered well, your personal and your company's creditability increases and your point or proposal has an increasing chance of being accepted.
The old adage in the legal profession, "the facts speak for themselves", doesn't hold true in court now days, nor does it hold true in closing business. Having the fastest, easiest to use, least costly solution doesn't automatically win you the business. The facts need to be right, but how you say something is critical in the persuasive process. TAP gives you the skills to say it more effectively.
Myth #3
Winning Presentations Are Expensive.
In 1992 a small document management company, less than $7 million per year, retained me to help them win an opportunity at a major financial company in Los Angeles. The competition was IBM and CSC. With four weeks to prepare I made sure I met the decision-makers and influencers, asked a lot of questions, and planned out my proposal and my presentation. Not being aware of PowerPoint or similar tools at that time, I did the presentation on flip chart paper. Imagine my surprise and dismay when I found out our competitors used multimedia computer projection for their presentations.
To make a long story short, I won it for my client. The next week we took the key players to lunch and asked why my client was chosen since our competitors used high-tech computer presentations and I did ours on butcher paper. They commented, "You addressed our needs and concerns far better than your competitors. Your presentation was better organized and you communicated with us, while your competitors seemed to talk to their presentation."
Certainly the use of modern multimedia tools can add impact to your presentation and today I am a committed user of PowerPoint. However, the most valuable tool you have in your tool kit is the ability to understand the prospects needs and effectively communicate how you will meet them.
Myth #4
Sales Presentations Are Not Necessary.
A study at the University of Minnesota proved that giving a sales presentation for a proposal increased the success rate by 43%. Additionally, the study proved that you could receive 23% more for the same proposal using a formal sales presentation. Every day, graduates of TAP prove that a well prepared and delivered presentation wins more business.
By giving a presentation of your proposal, you create more value for your offering and create a deeper and more persuasive effect on the audience. UCLA showed in a study that people are persuaded only 7% by the words in a presentation, 38% by the verbal presentation, and 55% by the visual presentation. This is contributed to the amount of sensory perception the brain dedicates to vision. With this information doesn't it make sense to take full advantage of the natural, physiological gateway to a person's decision-making process?
Myth #5
Solution Selling Alone Will Increase Sales.
The bottom line is that the salesperson needs to understand whom the decision-makers and influencers are, theirs and the company's objectives, issues, needs, pain and how the decision will be made. To make a winning presentation requires this information. When salespeople know their sales process culminates with a sales presentation (with appropriate follow up), they understand the importance of the solution selling process and will use it more successfully. Solution selling is implemented in the planning process (The Pyramid of Persuasion) and the presentation organization (The Blueprint) and TAP literally funnels the decision makers to YES.
Call (505) 466-2933 or email samsanders@theartofpersuasion.com to check scheduling availability for a TAP worskshop for your company. www.theartofpersuasion.com
Dispelling the Myths about Sales Presentations - To learn more about this author, visit Sam Sanders's Website.
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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