Six steps to a winning presentation
Matt Lynch is national sales director of LYNKA Promotional Products. John Lynch is president of LYNKA.
Do you have a professional sales presentation? Or like many sales reps, do you just wing it - combining your instincts, vast knowledge and superior selling skills?
After all the work (and luck) it takes to get an audience with an important buyer, you usually have only one chance. If you succeed, you open the door to a new client, a new relationship and a new stream of revenues. A good first meeting - with a professionally prepared and delivered presentation - is your next step on the road to sales excellence.
Every business is different, but everyone can benefit from a professionally prepared presentation. It may be entirely oral, but it will have more impact if you use some of the multimedia tools at your disposal. PowerPoint, overhead slides or even a simple flip chart allow your message to be shown, not just heard. A standardized presentation not only ensures that your company's message gets conveyed to your client, but also serves as a great training tool for your salespeople.
Our proven six-step approach to a winning presentation begins with research and ends with responsible and coordinated follow-up:
1. Advanced research
2. Preparing the presentation
3. The introduction/warm-up
4. The presentation
5. The trial close
6. Follow-up
Now we'll discuss the pre-presentation activities, and next time, we'll cover the presentation itself.
Step 1: Advanced research
One of the most important parts of the sales presentation occurs long before you ever walk through the door. It's called the information-gathering or research phase of the meeting. Once you decide that you want to make a presentation to a particular customer, find out as much as you can about this client before your first meeting.
Find out how old the company is, which products or services it offers, how many offices it has in the country and how many workers it employs. Find out if the firm is a leader in its field or just a small player and if it is international or local. Depending on what you are trying to sell, try to learn about its sales force, its marketing methods and its future development plans. Simply, find out as much as you can.
Where to learn all this? If you have a sales support or research person, you're all set. If not, you probably don't have too much time to spare. What you can do, however, is check the company's website, and use a search engine to find recent articles in the press. In general, you should be reading the business press regularly (WBJ, Puls Biznesu, Businessman) to learn what's happening in the market.
One of the best sources of information is the company itself. Call before your meeting - even before your first conversation with your contact person - and talk to the secretary. Tell her that you have a meeting and would like to learn a little about the company. Maybe she can send you a few brochures or marketing material. You'll be surprised to find that making friends with the secretary or assistant to the boss can bring you a wealth of knowledge and valuable goodwill.
A few days before your meeting, you should ask the client a few key questions: "So that I may better prepare for our meeting, I have a few quick questions. Do you have any particular needs for (our products and services) at this time? Also, would it be useful to invite anyone else from your company to the meeting or will it be just the two of us?"
And regardless of how much research you've done, there is one thing you must do: show up 15-20 minutes early at your meeting and learn as much as you can immediately before the meeting begins. Read things on the wall and ask the receptionist a few questions.
Now you are ready to prepare for the meeting.
Step 2: Preparing the presentation
Do you have a formal presentation? A PowerPoint or flip-chart version? If not, it's high time to prepare one. It needs to be professional and will likely be a product of your sales and marketing department. If your company doesn't have an official one, then create your own.
There are many theories on sales presentations, but one thing is universal - it needs to be interesting. And the best way to keep a client interested is to show him what's in it for him. Here are five key elements to make your presentation most effective:
- Keep your introduction short. Don't go on for too long about the history of the company and the owners. Instead, focus on establishing credibility right at the beginning. Use some testimonials and include the logos of well-known clients.
- Talk about the client. Use the client's logos, products and images throughout presentation. Show that you have thought about him and his business. Do your best to customize your presentation to his specific business.
- Focus on specific benefits for this client. Remember the differences between features and benefits. Put everything in terms of how it benefits the client.
- Remember your USPs - unique selling propositions. Don't get lost in the crowd. You have lots of competitors, and to most buyers, you all look the same. Highlight the elements of your offer that make you stand out.
- Be prepared with samples, brochures and testimonials. Have your support materials with you and be well organized. You won't look very professional if you start rummaging through your bag or binder during the presentation.
Remember, your presentation doesn't have to be slick, just informative and interesting.
Research shows that the message you give is 50% body language, 40% how you sound and only 10% what you say. A great presenter and plain materials beats super materials and a boring presenter every time.
