The Sales Presentation a Proven Key to Beating the Big Guys
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Free Download - The Winning Sales Presentation By Sam Sanders |
1.)
The Quest:
A $30 million per year computer storage company had an opportunity to compete for a $2.5 million contract. The competition was the big guys, including IBM, EMC, Hitachi and Clarion, all multibillion-dollar firms. The small company was one of the five finalists who were asked to present their solution. The salesperson had done an excellent job in getting his company this far, but the challenge was how to standout above this crowd and win the business.
The Plan of Attack:
The sales team consisted of the salesperson, the regional manager, and the VP of Sales. All trained in TAP. They knew the prospect's decision-makers and their specific needs and issues and used this information to craft their presentation. They agreed that the salesperson, who had brought them this far, would handle the opening of the presentation. The regional manager, who was technically strong, would handle the technological solutions and future technology. The VP of Sales would present the company's background information, before the summary and close.
Preparation for Battle:
The week before, the team had one meeting to layout the presentation and to rehearse each team member's role. Interestingly, each person was in a different part of the country and met at the Marriott Hotel at the Philadelphia Airport the evening before to rehearse their presentation.
The rehearsal was done several times that evening and the finishing touches were made. The team gave feedback to each other, which honed delivery skills for the real presentation. This included making sure that features were turned into benefits and benefits to solutions. Attention was given to the actual words and phrases used, because they understood that these details in the presentation and style would directly affect how persuasive their presentation was. And most importantly, they made sure that evidence and proof were given to back up the benefits and solutions.
Executing the Plan:
The next day their presentation went like clockwork with an enthusiastic response from the audience. All the vendors were given 1.5 hours to present. Because of Tap's blueprint and their rehearsal, they were one of the few vendors to actually complete their presentation in the allotted time, a definite advantage in getting their important points across and agreed to by the prospect.
The salesperson handled the opening and addressed the needs and issues. As he presented, he gained the prospect's agreement that the issues and needs were being met and solved. The regional manager, who was technically strong, handled the technological solutions and future technology. He gained agreement the technical needs were being met. The VP of Sales presented the company's background information at the end of the presentation in order to allow the audience to understand that information in light of what they had presented. Too many companies begin with their background, but your history is not what they came to hear.
The summary of the key points and conclusion were presented by the salesperson to make sure the audience remembered the most important parts of the pitch they spent so much effort on. TAP gave this team a blueprint to organize their presentation and to significantly impress upon the audience the important points of why their solution and company were the best decision.
Victory:
Despite being up against the super companies, this small company was able to persuade the prospect to use their services. Why? Because they clearly demonstrated that they understood what the needs were and that they could meet them. With a well-organized and well delivered presentation based on the TAP blueprint, they conveyed what the prospect needed to hear, and made it clear how far they were willing to go to impress them. While the other groups may have had just as good of a solution, they didn't communicate it as well as the smaller company.
The next week when they went back for the recap with the prospect, people came out of their offices and congratulated them on their great presentation and winning the business. One person commented that their presentation "blew the competition away".
2.)
But we never did business with you before!
A recent TAP graduate was hired by a professional and technical services company to gain a foothold in the New England area for their IT offerings. He learned that a major insurance and financial services company was going to reduce the number of firms they did business with for these services from 109 to 4. His firm was not one of the 109. The value of these service contracts exceeded $50 million per year.
The financial firm was ready for bids and he was able to get on the bidder list. The selection process would be in two phases. During the first phase, proposals would be reviewed with a selection of 8 vendors to go into the second phase. The second phase consisted of the formal presentation and an additional question and answer session. He convinced his company to invest their resources in preparing a proposal to meet the specifications, with particular attention to the important issues and differentiators they could bring. He promised his company that if they would spend the money to do a great proposal, which would him gain entrance to the final beauty contest, he would put together a presentation that would win the business.
He made the final 8 vendors and prepared his presentation. Taking the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the prospect's needs and those of the individual decision-makers, he put together a presentation to address and satisfy them. Using the TAP Blueprint, he laid out the presentation and the different roles that would be played in persuading the prospect.
In doing major presentations, it is important to show corporate depth in satisfying the prospect's needs. To accomplish this, he chose to have two key people join him in the presentation. He handled the opening, discussed the agenda and raised the issues of greatest concern to the prospect. The VP of IT Services of his firm presented how they could satisfy the issues of reducing cost, manager's time, and improve the overall level of IT services. The manager of Business Development gave a short demonstration of a proprietary software package that would allow them to more effectively manage the contracted IT services. The salesperson summarized the key points, asked directly whether the prospects thought his company could satisfy these needs and was substantial enough to be responsive to their changing environment. They agreed and that did it! The strength of their presentation opened the door for millions of dollars of business and closed the door on the competition.
After they were selected, his VP asked their key decision-maker why he chose their company. He expected the answer to be about quality and depth of service or ISO 9000 compliance. He was surprised by the response, "We have never done business with you, you have little presence in New England, but your presentation was so damn good and compelling we had to choose you."
The Art of Presentation is a Sales Presentation Training program that is proven to increase sales. Adopted by many companies, including IBM, as part of their basic sales training. Available as an on-site customized, to your needs and marketplace, or as a self-paced video/DVD based training program.
Contact: Sam Sanders (505) 466-2933
sam@theartofpersuasion.com
Or go directly to www.thearatofpersuasion.com
The Sales Presentation a Proven Key to Beating the Big Guys - To learn more about this author, visit Sam Sanders'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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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 a best-selling author, top-rated speaker and thought leader on sales development. He 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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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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