Today, many of our sales presentations are provided online – especially within the manufacturers’ world. Unfortunately, most sales people seem to deliver the same presentation in the same tone as they do in a personal presentation. That’s sort of like driving a truck and a motorcycle with the same technique. Both get you from point A to point B, but the vehicles are completely different and need to be driven differently. If you don’t, your trip could be dire.
The primary difference between webinars and in-person sales presentations is the attention span of the audience. Grabbing their attention is hard in both formats, but holding it is much harder online than in person. You have to stimulate their curiosity and visual appetite much more online. Here are a few ideas:
· Build stories and hold the plot to yourself.
· Use polls and other tools that your webinar service should provide (I use GoToWebinar).
· Jump off the PowerPoint every now and then. Show a document or video, jump to Twitter or LinkedIn to illustrate your testimonials, demonstrate your product, navigate your website, etc.
· If applicable, give them control of the meeting and let them show you something on their screen: “Can you show me a drawing of your perimeter while we’re on line together?”
Online presentations don’t have to be an unfortunate necessity. In fact, you can make them entertaining and engaging with the right preparation and techniques.
