| Effective Sales Presentation | | | | and therefore, effectively? |
| Giving effective sales presentations can be | | | | A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words |
| challenging, but also very rewarding. Mastering this | | | | As cliché as this expression may be, it is |
| skill can mean the difference between a mediocre | | | | true. The consensus more and more each day |
| career in sales, and that of a sales super star. For | | | | among those who study learning and |
| non-sales professionals, knowing how to give | | | | communication, is the notion that people think in |
| effective sales presentations can be a huge boon | | | | images, not words. The ancient languages of the |
| to your career. Although you may not be paid on | | | | world were generally pictograms, and the concept |
| a commission basis that is tied to the purchase | | | | of logic conveyed through syntax was a relatively |
| price of a product, or the fee of a service, in | | | | late, and some may argue counter-intuitive, |
| many ways, sales presentations are a part of our | | | | development in the evolution of written language. |
| every day life, whether we know it or not. In | | | | As such, people are much more responsive to |
| other words, we all have to "sell" - whether we | | | | thought provoking, relevant images than we are |
| are selling our position or viewpoint, our | | | | towards a "sea of text", whether it's being |
| information and expertise, or simply ourselves. | | | | projected on a screen in the conference room, or |
| Whichever of these may be the case, the better | | | | presented on a web page. If you have the choice |
| we do that, i.e. the more effective our sales | | | | between showing and telling, choose to show. You |
| presentation is, the better we are perceived and | | | | will create much more effective sales |
| the more rewarded we will be - on the job, and | | | | presentations with this in mind. |
| everywhere else too. | | | | Pull, Don't Push... |
| What is an Effective Sales Presentation Anyway? | | | | Many salespeople are trained, or somehow |
| So what exactly defines an effective sales | | | | programmed, that they have to push in order to |
| presentation? Well, frankly, there is no one | | | | get results. The problem with that is, no one likes |
| answer to that question. The only thing that really | | | | a pushy sales person, no matter how great the |
| counts is that you convey your message | | | | product or service may be. Being pushy usually |
| effectively, without losing the attention of your | | | | just equates to pushing your prospects away, |
| audience or prospects at any point in the process. | | | | literally. |
| In other words, your prospects will "get" your | | | | To create an effective sales presentation, focus |
| point, and they will not have nodded off or lost | | | | on solving a problem or providing a benefit for |
| interest at any point in the sales presentation. If | | | | your prospects. Illustrate how your solution does |
| you can accomplish this much, you are off to a | | | | this, and even better, provide good, useful |
| great start, but this is not the complete picture | | | | information in your sales presentation. In doing so, |
| yet either. | | | | you will build immediate credibility and trust, and |
| Influence V. Information | | | | with any luck, your prospects will also like you. |
| The point of all sales presentations is to influence | | | | These qualities are all very powerful ingredients in |
| your prospects to take a desired action, | | | | creating effective sales presentations that inspire |
| regardless of whether you want them to literally | | | | action on the part of your prospects. |
| buy something - or just to "buy-off" on it. So, the | | | | An Experience is Worth a Thousand Pictures |
| art of giving an effective sales presentation should | | | | One of the surest ways to make your message |
| not be thought of as a quest to be the most | | | | stick and have a lasting influence on your |
| informative person on the planet about your | | | | prospects is to engage them directly during your |
| subject or product. If you take this approach, | | | | sales presentation. In other words, pull them into |
| which more closely resembles a lecture than a | | | | your presentation, so that they are taking an |
| sales presentation, there is a good chance that | | | | active role in the process, instead of pushing the |
| won't have a positive influence on your prospects, | | | | presentation on them. If it is possible, allow your |
| and likely the abundance of information you rain | | | | prospects to experience a product, rather than |
| down on them will fall on ears deafened by | | | | just passively observing while you "demonstrate" |
| boredom. | | | | it. |
| So, rather than putting a huge effort into | | | | If you are doing a sales presentation on Italian |
| "sounding smart", think about how to make your | | | | glass tile, put samples in your prospects hands. If |
| presentation interesting, and convey how your | | | | it is vacuums, turn a machine on and let the |
| product or subject can solve a problem for your | | | | prospect try it out. This is much more interesting, |
| prospects. In other words, what's in it for them? | | | | and takes the old concept of "show and tell" to a |
| What are the benefits (not just the features) and | | | | whole new level in creating dynamic, memorable, |
| how can you convey those benefits succinctly, | | | | effective sales presentations. |