How to make a winning sales presentation - part two

Matt Lynch is national sales director of LYNKA Promotional Products. John Lynch is president of LYNKA.

A professionally prepared, well delivered sales presentation has more direct impact on your sales result than any other tool in your arsenal. So it's critical that you get it right.

In our last column, we introduced our six-step approach to sales presentations beginning with advanced research and preparing for the presentation. Now, we focus on the presentation itself - steps three through six.

Once you have done your research and have a professionally prepared presentation, you are ready for the face-to-face part of the process. Most salespeople agree that this is the most exciting part of selling.

It should go without saying that the first step of your meeting is to be on time. If you want to make a bad first impression, then show up late. How are you going to convince the client that you - and therefore your company - are professional and reliable if you are unable to keep an appointment? Don't blow it before you walk in the door.

Step 3: The introduction/warm-up

Your goal during the introduction phase is to break the ice, and put your prospect at ease. You want to relax him, but still probe for information about the company, the current situation and unmet needs. During this phase, you want the prospect to do most of the talking. Intelligent, open-ended questions can let him tell you about his past successes and failures, crucial information about his company or industry, as well his personal interests and hobbies.

Step 4: The presentation

It is important that you don't lecture the client, but solicit feedback from him during the process. The presentation must address the client's needs. While a product or service has key "features," what the client is buying is the "benefits." Here are some key tips:

- Be excited about your product or service. If you're not, the client certainly won't be.

- Make what you have to say interesting. Nothing is worse than a dry, serious presentation. Inject some humor whenever possible.

- Make the introduction short. Don't dwell on your company's history and background.

- Establish credibility by using testimonials from satisfied customers.

- Adapt your sales presentation to your prospect. For example, if you work for a travel agency, you might provide different types of information to a company looking for business travel than a company looking for a sales-retreat weekend.

- Spontaneously weave into your presentation those facts and tidbits you learned during the warm-up stage. "In our conversation earlier, you mentioned your company has 200 sales reps. Well, we have a product that is perfectly catered for such a large sales force..."

- Make it interactive by asking the client questions and soliciting feedback throughout the presentation. You should address his concerns and objections when he raises them.

Finally, practice makes perfect. If you don't have much experience, do a few practice runs with someone in your organization, and ask him for brutally honest feedback.

Step 5: The trial close

As difficult as it is to believe, many sales don't occur because the salesperson does not come right out and ask for the sale. It is a very rare customer who will close for you, so familiarize yourself with the different buying signals that some customers may give you:

- Asking about availability such as "How long does it take?" or "When can it be ready?"

- Asking specific questions about rates, prices and quantity discounts.

- Asking about quality guarantees or warranties.

- Making statements about problems with your competition; they might be seeking reassurance that these problems won't occur with you. (But remember, never badmouth your competition.)

- Requesting samples or test-use periods.

There are hundreds of books written on closing techniques, such as the "assumptive close," the "either/or close" and the "direct request for the order." The trial close is a way of asking if there are any issues that have not been covered in order to earn the prospect's business. If so, then you can address them now; if not, then you can recommend some solutions to meet his current needs. Learn to understand the client's buying signals and realize that some people take longer than others to make a decision.

Step 6: Follow up

You've made the sale. Now it's time to deliver. To the extent that you are involved, make sure your company executes this first order perfectly. And if something does go wrong, how you handle the problem and the solution will often determine whether this client becomes a loyal, long-term customer, or an ex-client.

You should immediately follow up with a thank-you letter - personalize this and let the client know that you are available anytime to answer his concerns. After the sale is when the relationship really starts, so get after-sale actions right.