Sure-Fire Way #2: No structure

What process do you use when developing a sales presentation? Do you use the quickest method possible or one that is designed to align with the mindset of your audience? Maybe you do a little of both.

Have you ever been sitting through a presentation and you find yourself wondering where the presenter is going with all this? Do you ever wish they’d get to the point or get to the part where they tell you what you are supposed to do with all this information?

Why is structure important in a sales presentation? People need and want structure, especially during an information exchange, so their brains can focus on what is really important. In order for your buyer to comprehend and say yes to you, you need to structure your presentation in a way to help them do just that. If the audience is thinking about ANYTHING other than the content of your presentation, you are blowing it! You have not addressed their unspoken concerns.

Their mind is busy, wondering:

• How long this will take?
• When will they cover they topic I’m MOST interested in?
• Will I get all my questions answered?
• Should I interrupt now or just wait and see if they cover them?

The list could go on and on. The sooner you anticipate and address these concerns the sooner you will capture the full attention of your audience and engage their brains. They will be in the moment with you, focusing on your words, content and the information you are sharing.

Let your audience know up front how many points you will be making or what the flow of your presentation is. Every presentation should be put together in a logical way…not just a random selection of slides you think your audience will enjoy. Telling your audience you will be making three main points at the beginning of your presentation will allow them to relax. They will say to themselves, “Three points? I can handle that!”

Once they know what you are trying to accomplish, why and how, the audience must be aware of where you are in your presentation and where you are going next, at all times. If they slip away even for a moment it’s hard to get them back. If you have three main points to make, let them know where you are by saying, “Point number two is…” Do not keep saying “and another thing…” or “another point I want to make is…” If they get lost they give up trying to follow you and all you get is an audience who looks like they are listening, but they won’t be able to say “yes” at the end of the presentation because they didn’t listen to half of it.

Best Practice on Structure:

• Take the time before you develop your presentation to think about what’s important to your audience
• Start your presentation in an unpredictable way that captures their attention and draws them into the moment
• Before you jump into the content of your presentation, answer their unspoken questions. Tell them all the things YOU would want to know if you were in their shoes. What you will cover, what benefit there is to them, how long it will take, how you will share the information, what you expect of them during and after the presentation, when you will address questions and what you will ask of them at the conclusion of the presentation
• During your presentation keep them with you at all times…don’t lose them by plowing through slide after slide. Make transitional statements, like, “We are now going into the third and final section of the presentation on how to have a successful implementation.”  After this topic is addressed I’ll take questions and then wrap things up with next steps.” So, let’s talk about implementation…”
• Be aware during of the audience’s needs your presentation and change direction if needed.

Following these simple rules will allow your buyer to really comprehend the content of your presentation and leave the presentation with a clear picture of how you can help solve their business problem. They will know what they are saying yes to!

For Sure-Fire Way #3 - tune in tomorrow!

Sure-Fire Way #1: Too Much Data

How many times have you been ready to make a purchase and when shopping find yourself totally overwhelmed with too many choices? You leave the store empty handed because you became confused and distracted by too much information and too many alternatives.

Most sellers think the more compelling evidence, statistics, research, and comprehensive findings they can cram into a sales presentation, the better. In reality, that type of information can actually do more harm than good. Every person has a saturation point for new information and it varies from person to person. Any new information requires a certain amount of focus to comprehend and is taxing on the brain. Once a person’s ability to focus, listen intently, apply and retain new information reaches a certain limit, their brain shuts down for a while to rest.

Don’t kid yourself; during that time most people will be nodding their head as if in agreement, but not really listening at all. Not until something compelling sparks their interest will their brain re-engage and focus again on what the presenter is saying. Some sellers use too much data to cover up the fact that the product or service they are selling really lacks substance. They think they can mask it with so much data that the data alone will sell their product. Savvy buyers are sensitive to this practice and become wary when a seller tries to overwhelm them with data and research instead of focusing on the prospect’s critical business issues and how to solve them.

Best Practice on Data:

• Less is more…leave them wanting and asking for more information
• Relevant data to a specific client’s needs is best…it’s not about YOU and what you think is great…it about the customer. How does the data help THEM?
• One size does NOT fit all. Stop sharing the same busy slides full of data in every presentation. Yes, it’s easy to reuse the same presentation on every buyer, but every encounter with a new prospect or buyer provides a unique opportunity to create something special just for them. They will see that you are addressing their unique situation and this will be a big differentiator for you

Sure-Fire Way #2… tune in tomorrrow!

Sales presentations can become the most under planned, habitual, robotic aspects of a seller’s job. Sellers do the same ole’ things in presentations over and over again, with no real thought as to why they are doing them that way.

A sales presentation is one of the most exciting and perfect opportunities to shine and to differentiate yourself from all those other sellers! It’s an opportunity to win. It can be an opportunity to securely anchor your relationship with a buyer and put up an impenetrable barrier against the competition, or it can be an opportunity to swoop in and take a deal away from an embedded competitor. This does not happen by accident! It does not happen by slapping together a few PowerPoint slides and reading them to your audience. It doesn’t happen by sharing the same positioning document and overview of your company over and over again.

It happens, thoughtfully. It happens with purpose. It happens with planning. Effective presentation development starts with a plan.

Every aspect of each presentation should be approached with thoughtful actions….meaning you need to understand why you do the things you do every step of the way. Test yourself by asking, why am I doing this? What value does it bring? What purpose does it serve? If you can’t come up with a good answer, chances are you shouldn’t do it. We all get caught up doing things without processing what the real value (if any) there is to the client or how it helps us accomplish our goals.

Approach every aspect of your next presentation by testing the things you are doing with this assessment:

• Will this capture my buyer’s attention and stimulate their interest?
• Will this differentiate me and set me apart from the competition?
• Will this allow me to demonstrate my capability knowledge and build credibility?
• Will this help compel the buyer make a buying decision?

Break out of that old rut and start owning your sales presentations. Give purpose-driven presentations that help the buyer see how you can help them solve their unique problems. Know exactly why you are giving the sales presentation the way you are…and in doing so, you will differentiate yourself by the way you sell!

It’s impossible to overstate the importance of communicating effectively in sales presentations. Prospects aren’t just buying product. They’re also buying YOU. Or, if your presentation skills aren’t as good as your rivals’, they’re NOT buying you. Today sellers are giving buyers more reasons NOT to buy from them than TO buy from them.

In many cases you only get ONE opportunity to give a winning presentation.

A sales presentation is an audition. Buyers tell us they want three things from sellers; “Don’t waste my time, understand my situation, and solve my problem.” You succeed when you provide a solution-driven presentation that accomplishes those three things. Problem is, there are dozens of ways you can fail to communicate in a way that captures their attention and clearly communicates how your solutions can empower them to solve their most critical business problems.

Our SolutionSpeak presenter, Helen Talmadge, focuses on seven classic presentation mistakes that even seasoned veterans often make. And she’ll reveal communication strategies that enhance your sales messages so they resonate more powerfully than your competitors’.

“The seven deadly sins salespeople make in presentations:

1. Inability to answer these three questions before you present: To whom am I presenting? Not just name and title, but what role they play in this opportunity. Where am I in the sales process? On the first call or is this the last presentation to close the deal and what do I want to accomplish? Have a clearly defined goal of what you want to occur as a result of this presentation.
2. Failure to capture your audience in a targeted, relevant way. (Title slides and introductions don’t count as capturing them) Tell a story, show a video clip, use a visual aid or make a bold statement. This is your opportunity to get their attention and differentiate yourself from the competition.
3. Not connecting with your audience by answering their unspoken questions. Buyers have so many things running through their mind before your presentation it’s hard for them to focus or buy in to what you are saying if you don’t use some audience connection tools, like letting them know what’s in it for them, right away.
4. Using too much content and too many facts, figures and research that you think are powerful and persuasive can actually HURT your presentation. Buyers have a saturation point with too much information. When they are overwhelmed it’s hard to say “yes” because they aren’t sure what they are saying “yes’ to. Less really is more.
5. Missing the payoff at the end of the presentation. End your presentation on a high note that will give the buyer chills. Do not end it by asking, “Are there any questions.“ Put the bookend on your presentation by paying off the capture.
6. Lack of clearly defined action. Buyers can’t move to the next step in the sales process with you if they aren’t asked to. Have a plan of action after the presentation and ask them to take the next steps with you.
7. Not adding value and credibility to your presentation by reading all the slides. You provide no value if all you do is read slides and ask a few questions. You don’t need to show up at all, just email the deck to them. Buyers want to do business with sellers who can be a valuable resource from them, show them how valuable you are by using flip charts and clear descriptive language instead of 49 PowerPoint slides full of text.

To learn more about improving your sales presentations and the SolutionSpeak training program offered by Sales Performance Internation, watch the following webinars:

The Seven Deadly Sins of Sales Presentations

Three Questions to Ask Before Giving A Sales Presentation