What are the eight ingredients for a successful sales presentation to your customer or client? By this we do not mean a checklist of things that need to be ready on the day. In our presentation skills courses, we look at what needs to be done by the salesperson, in sales process, well in advance of the presentation actually taking place. In this article we have summarised those points into the eight ingredients for a successful sales presentation.
Many sales people present too early in the buying process. In a recent poll of sales enablement professionals, presenting too early in the buying process was one of the major failure points of most salespeople. This type of approach can have a harmful effect on the sale because the salesperson is presenting before the customer fully understands their own needs, and before the sales person understands their needs as well. This makes it a matter of luck as to whether the sales presentation matches the customer’s real needs, or not.
Making a sales presentation is one of the most crucial components of the sales process. If we’re going to get the sales presentation right, that means we need to get the timing right. So when should you present? To answer this question, let’s take a look at the eight ingredients that already need to be in place for a successful sales presentation:
- Be clear on what your goal is for the presentation. This may sound basic, but many sales people present because they are asked to. Being clear on your presentation goal, helps make sure that you get the outcome that you want. The outcome that you want should be a decision from your customer. Maybe not at the presentation itself, but your presentation goal should aim to contribute towards your customer making their decision.
- Ensure you know the decision making criteria of each member of the decision making unit – only then can your presentation match what they are looking for.
- Be able to clearly articulate the value that you are creating by uncovering two things: firstly, the pain of not buying your solution, and secondly what can be gained by buying your solution.
- Have your ROI calculations validated with the customer. Ensure the figures are robust in the face of challenge and scrutiny. Ensure that you have access to supporting documentation, in case you are challenged.
- Ensure you know where your customer thinks you are weak. This gives you an opportunity to get the issues out into the open and deal with them.
- Have a detailed understanding of how your competitors will propose their solution. Customers derive an enormous amount of value from sales people who can help them to better understand the different options available to them.
- Ensure that you have valid and relevant case studies. This allows you to deal with any objections and pre-empt any risk-based issues that might arise.
- Be clear on how you would implement solution. It may be early on in the process, demonstrating an effective implementation plan will provide your customer with reassurance.
These are the things that you should ensure that you have in place, before you even think about presenting to your customer. Many of them sound like common-sense. But unfortunately they are not common-practice. Presenting too early in the sales process, is presenting before you have all of these eight ingredients in place.
In the next blog article we will look at a list of things to make sure your presentation ready on the day.
