In today’s Sales Insight blog post, I’d like to look at the topic of strong sales presentation and suggest some golden rules for you to follow.
Use the 80:20 ratio
In my experience, too many sales people are underprepared for a sales presentation and default to focusing too much on the features and benefits of the product or service they’re selling. Or, they talk incessantly about the great attributes of their own business.
My first crucial bit of advice is to focus on your customer’s challenges and share with them insights into their own business before you talk about how your solution could help them.
In fact, I believe that spending 80% of your time talking about the customer’s business and 20% about your own is the right balance.
The key to doing this successfully is understanding your customer’s challenges and what they’re trying to, ultimately, achieve.
Highlight the value you can bring
Secondly, highlight the potential value you can bring to a customer. This goes beyond talking about features and benefits and focuses on the impact your solution could have on the customer’s business.
To do this at a world-class level you need to collaborate with the customer on understanding what the measurable economic value that you can bring to their business is, helping them to do a return on investment calculation. This will speed up their ability to make a favourable decision.
Do your homework
Thirdly, never present to someone whose criteria for making a decision is unknown to you. You will potentially end up presenting elements that are of no interest to the customer.
All sales people have experience turning up for a sales presentation and finding a whole host of mystery guests in the room. Make sure you limit the chance of this happening by finding out in advance who’s attending.
Why not also ask for a conversation with each attendee beforehand to understand what they care about so you can position your presentation appropriately?
Keep things short and to the point
Finally, never present anything you wouldn’t be willing to sit through yourself. Most presentations are dull and uninspiring – keep yours short and to the point to keep people engaged.
Turn it into a conversation and, if you can, open with a “James Bond moment” with an interesting vignette before the main presentation is delivered.
Don’t forget, if you would like any information on this or any other area of sales please contact me on steve@salestrong.co.uk.
Found this helpful? Discover our time management tips for increased sales here.
