I want a consistent sales presentation that actually sells
Mark Krial's product is people.
He sells and rents them. Tech people who help others fix or understand their technical and computer stuff better. His company, Virginia-based Cornell Technical Services, has served thousands of people since its inception in 1991. His sales presentation is technical and detailed, because he is solving intricate business and computer problems for Fortune 1,000 companies (hard to bluff those boys).
His sales team must: have lots of product knowledge, have top sales skills, be on top of a competitive market, and serve some of the most sophisticated customers in the world tough sale.
After reading my weekly column for two years he finally called and asked (begged) for help. "If I were a sales Santa Claus and could make all your problems disappear, what would you like me to do?" I challenged.
"Revise my sales presentation and categorize it into three segments to meet my prospects' needs, show me how to overcome all the sales objections we face. You know ... objections about price, we don't think we need you, we're happy with our present source, etc. stuff I hear all the time. Then show me how to close more sales, automate my sales force for better data collection and follow-up, collect my testimonials and put them in a progressive format for all to see, and train my people to make better, more consistent sales presentations."
"Waiter, check please!" I quipped. "You want me to make their mortgage payments, too?" We laughed. (If you can make 'em laugh, you can make 'em buy.)
"Mark, there's a one-word answer to make all your sales dreams come true," I teased. "Retirement?" he offered in desperation. "No, but it will get you there faster." "What?" he demanded.
"Multimedia," I said. "What?" he said in a puzzled broken tone. "Multimedia will do everything you asked on one CD."
"You're kidding, right?" Mark challenged.
"Multimedia is a lot of things but it isn't a joke and it certainly isn't cheap but it works. If you want a consistent sales presentation, the ability to have three different presentations in the same laptop, testimonials on video, objections overcome, sales closed, and a sales training program, multimedia can do it all on one CD.
"Sign me up," he shouted.
"Not so fast," I said. "The first thing you do when you decide to use multimedia as a sales tool and a sales training supplement is to make a blueprint the plan to tell you exactly what you want inside and what you want it to do."
"I have to plan?" he groaned.
"No," I said. "You just have to know what results to expect from your sales team and work backward to get to achievement."
On the technical side, I was joined by his partner Alan Siek. We began the "storyboard" process. It became evident as we got into it that there were more needs than we originally thought. What's new?
We decided to make a day of planning to outline everything and then narrow it down to the reality of what would be initially included, and a structured plan to add more month by month. Start with a strong core and expand as we see the reality of its use in the real world ... the reality of the sale taking place.
Multimedia or not, the reality of the sale in your market determines the way you eat. No sale no food. The difference between you and those rotten no-goodnicks you wish were dead (your competition) are the presentations made by your salespeople, combined with the prospect's perception of your credibility and viability in meeting his needs.
"The reason we want a multimedia presentation system," said Krial, "is that I want the quality of my company, and the capabilities we offer to prospects and customers in need, to be shown in a consistent and compelling manner, no matter what the capability of my salesperson is.
"I know we are the best in the country. It's not fair to my prospects that they don't know that as well. With multimedia, I can take the variable of the salesperson and strengthen their ability to communicate in a way that leads to a solution that works ... and a sale!"
When Mark Krial and Alan Seik get done with their multimedia sales presentation tool, there's one group of people I would not want to be their competition.
How's your sales presentation doing?
Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of "The Sales Bible," and "Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Pricless." President of North Carolina-based Buy Gitomer, he gives seminars, runs annual sales meetings, and conducts training programs on selling and customer service. He can be e-mailed at salesman@gitomer.com
