I've watched, delivered, or created thousands of sales presentations, and have evaluated the success rate on most to all of them. Whether an integrator trying to win a project, a manufacturer trying to impress and integrator, and either of them presenting to an A&E firm or consultant, most sales presentations could improve. Maybe it's the advent of PowerPoint, maybe it's the free access to information, or maybe I'm just getting old, but for some reasons we don't perform as well at sales presentations as we used to.
I've have found there to be three key ingredients to every successful sales presentation (this is assuming variables such as speaking ability, preparation, etc. are kept equal).
- Write the presentation before building the Power Point.
No doubt about it - building the ppt before writing the presentation is the most common flaw in sales presentations. A ppt should support the story, not be the story. Write your presentation first, and then build the ppt to help you deliver the message. If you're given a ppt by marketing, then understand the flow of the presentation and practice without the ppt. Remember… you are a presenter, not a reader.
- Make the presentation about the audience, not you or your company.
I once watched a competitor give a demo in Yuma, AZ at which he kept referencing his client at the Port of Seattle. How much do US Marines in the desert care about a seaport in a very wet environment?
No matter how general the presentation is supposed to be, your audience wants to know what's in it for them. Start the presentation with a list of things you know about them and their situation. Get them engaged - ask if you're accurate and what else they'd recommend adding. Get the two-way discussion rolling from the beginning.
- Tell stories.
When a decision is being made to take you to the next step of the sales cycle, your audience better remember you. People don't remember specifications… we remember stories. If your widget operates at a gazillion Hz and only pulls 1/2 an amp, you'd better come up with a story about how that helped someone who is similar to your audience. No matter how technical your audience, they will remember stories over specifications every time.
So, what do you think?
What have you seen really take a sales presentation over the top?
One last note - get a little crazy and deliver one of your presentations without PowerPoint… you'll be amazed at the attention you'll draw.
