By the time your sales reps are making a presentation, your prospects have already been through a journey spanning many work-hours. They’ve probably reviewed your website in some detail and explored your high-quality marketing collateral. They’re also aware of their other options – and they’ve made a decision to give your brand a hearing, potentially before any of the others. The sales presentation is where it all comes together – or falls apart!
Continuous Improvement Applies to Your Sales Presentations, Too
When it comes to presentations, it’s absolutely essential that every member of your sales team be on the same page. Just as important, however, is this: Ensuring that your presentation always reflects the latest information and best practices.
In B2B and many B2C situations, a consultative selling approach is the best way to use the time that your busy prospect has granted you. With the right techniques, building bridges with a client and gathering data for your presentation can be done in the same moment.
This process begins with your team developing a deep understanding of the prospect’s business. Only this understanding gives them the opportunity to identify important opportunities “on the fly” during a meeting, remaining flexible and focused.
Of course, that’s only the beginning. To keep your sales presentation sharp, try these tactics:
Develop Rapport
Rapport is one of the crucial aspects of selling, yet it’s often overlooked. You develop rapport by finding commonalities – news and shared interests that help humanize your brand. While rapport-building is spontaneous, it is possible to design a pre-sale process for researching your prospect’s company, potentially uncovering key details.
Ask Good Questions
How do you know if a question is good? If you’re driving too hard toward the sale, you might miss valuable detours along the way. Questions should focus on the customer and give them plenty of opportunities to describe needs in greater detail. This generally means going for open-ended questions that can elicit detailed answers, not just a “yes or no.”
Listen Actively & Take Notes
Prospects value the opportunity to discuss their challenges and opportunities, but they won’t let their guard down unless they believe the sales team is truly interested in a mutually-beneficial arrangement. Learning to listen attentively is one of the best ways to show anyone you value their time – and taking notes will provide you with a wealth of information.
Leadership presence, preparation, and the ability to focus prospects’ attention are all important for sales pros. But … even all those traits won’t reach their potential without the backing of a good presentation! Stay focused on continuous improvement in your sales presentation, just as you would in other aspects of your business. Your close rate will soon reflect the difference!