Sales Presentations Require A More Focussed Approach

Sales presentations are different from other types of presentations. When you present internally to company associates, the audience has to tolerate you. When you present externally to sales prospects, the audience can go and talk to the competition. To be most effective with a prospect, you need to focus the company pitch and present motivating visuals.

Focus the Company Pitch

Many of the suggestions here do not occur for reasons of politics and ego. But you will close more sales when you follow this advice.

Tell prospects only a few things about your company

Don't spend the first 20 minutes of your 40-minute presentation detailing your company's history. You will lose the buyer's involvment in the first five minutes.

• Eliminate the boring details from your company's overview.
• Ask, "Do you need more information about my company now?". Don't be disappointed when your audience says no.

Have only a few of your company representatives attend a meeting

Many companies bring so many people to the prospect meeting that they outnumber the prospects three to one. Worse, every company representative adds his or her two-cents worth. The prospect rarely has an opportunity to talk.

• Reduce the number of company people in the audience.
• Tell them to be quiet unless asked to speak.

Have your company representatives discuss the prospect's need before the call

People have told me that they have been on sales calls and didn't know who in the audience was from their company.

• Meet to get to know each other and plan a strategy for the call.
• At the very least, meet on the morning of the call before you walk into the prospect's office.

Pitch to the customer, not to your manager

Many sales representatives pitch their presentations to their manager, not the customer.

• Trust the sales representatives to choose the right information to share.

Start the presentation with the prospect's needs

Start with at least three screens that list the prospect's present situation and future needs. This sends the message that you cared enough to do some homework. You consider their needs the most important and the first thing to discuss.

• Present the prospect's needs as you understand them.
• Ask questions and discuss those needs.

Make Visuals That Motivate.

The visuals for a sales presentation have to be clear, relevant, and intersting.

Make a short version of the presentation to leave behind

Recently someone told me that he left 110 pages of screens at a prospect's sites. Who has time to sort through so many pages?

• Only give the prospect information he or she can use. Give meeeting participants visuals they can use to explain your product to people who did not attend.
• Index your visuals. This makes it easy for the prospect to find information in your materials.

Show easy-to-follow comparison charts

Help the prospect decide in your favor. You can't just show screen after screen and assume that your prospect is mentally compiling an accurate comparison of your product against the competition.

• Make feature and/or benefit comparison charts and explain them.
• Educate prospects about the product if necessary. You want them to be able to explain your product's benefits to others.

Make the screen attractive

Here's the abbreviated Wow!Review that you can do on your sales presentation.

• Does the presentation start by discussing my prospect?
• Do I have the prospect's name on my screen?
• Do I only have short phrases, not full sentences, on all screens?
• Have I changed the pace by not using solely bulleted phrases on all charts?
• Do the colors fit the prospect's environment?
• Do I have more than one major point on my charts?
• Do I put more than one chart on a page? If it's essential, do I build those charts?
• Do I frequently list the benefits for the prospect?

Your prospects want you to make it easy for them to decide. To succeed, speak to their needs and present only essential information.

Remember: Your manager may think you should deliver a 150-screen, hour long presentation, but customers don't.

Presentation Magazine, January 1997

Copyright © 2000, Wilder Presentations