Elements of a Great Sales Presentation 10 Chapter

10 Chapter

Main Topics The Tree of Business Life: Presentation The Purpose of the Presentation Three Essential Steps within the Presentation The Sales Presentation Mix Visual Aids Help Tell the Story Dramatization Improves Your Chances Demonstrations Prove It Technology Can Help! The Sales Presentation Goal Model

Main Topics, cont... The Ideal Presentation Be Prepared for Presentation Difficulties

The Tree of Business Life: Presentation Guided by The Golden Rule: Create elements of the presentation which appeal to the buyer’s senses and lead to improved understanding Liven up your talk with drama and a demonstration Use technology to help make your message clear Be professional about competition You will see that ethical service builds true relationships T T T Ethical Service T T T T T T T T Builds T r u e Relationships T C I

Exhibit 10-1: The Presentation is the Heart of the Sale An effective approach allows a smooth transition into discussing your product’s features, advantages, and benefits

The Purpose of the Presentation Your main goal is to sell your product to your customer – to help Purpose of the presentation Knowledge Beliefs Desire/Need Attitude Conviction

Exhibit 10-2: The Five Purposes of the Presentation

Three Essential Steps Within the Presentation Fully discuss the features, advantages, and benefits of your product Present your marketing plan How to resell (for reseller) How to use (for consumer and industrial user) Explain your business proposition What’s in it for your customer?

Exhibit 10-3: Three Essential Steps Within the Presentation

Exhibit 10-4: Salespeople Use These FABs in Their Presentations Features, Advantages, and Benefits of Bix Buckwheat Pancake Mix Features Advantages Benefits Product 1. Traditional “farmhouse” recipe, with freshest ingredients; fortified with vitamins A, B, C, and D; no preservatives 2. User needs only to add water, stir, and cook 1. Great tasting, fluffy and light; highly nutritious 2. Quick and easy to prepare 1. Provides an appealing item; expands breakfast menu; increases breakfast business 2. Requires minimal kitchen time and labor

Exhibit 10-4: Salespeople Use These FABs in Their Presentations, cont… Features, Advantages, and Benefits of Bix Buckwheat Pancake Mix Features Advantages Benefits Marketing Plan 3. Just in time delivery; weekly as needed 4. Local distribution center 5. An experienced sales representative to serve account 3. No need to store large quantities 4. Additional orders can be filled quickly 5. Knowledge and background in food-service industry 3. Requires minimal inventory space; keeps inventory costs low 4. Prevents out-of-stock situations 5. Provides assistance for meeting changing needs and solving business problems

Exhibit 10-4: Salespeople Use These FABs in Their Presentations, cont… Features, Advantages, and Benefits of Bix Buckwheat Pancake Mix Features Advantages Benefits Business Proposition 6. Quantity discounts 7. Extended payment plans 6. Reduces costs 7. Reduces interest costs 6. Increases your profits 7. Increases your profits

Exhibit 10-5: The Sales Presentation Mix

Persuasive Communication Sell Sequence = FAB + trial close To be a persuasive communicator: Use logical reasoning Persuade through suggestion Have a sense of fun Personalize relationships Build trust Be aware of your body language – always smile! Control the presentation – questions rechannel an off-course presentation Use diplomacy – choose your battles Consider the Paul Harvey dialogue (conversation style) Use words as selling tools (simile, metaphor, analogy) Use parables and storytelling to illustrate a point Major premise Minor premise Conclusion Suggestive propositions Prestige suggestions Autosuggestion (Visualization) Direct suggestion (Only suggests, does not “tell”) Indirect suggestion Counter suggestion

Persuasive Communication, cont… Seven factors of good communication Use questions Be empathetic Keep the message simple Create mutual trust Listen Have a positive attitude and enthusiasm Be believable

Exhibit 10-5: The Sales Presentation Mix, cont…

Participation Questions Product use: appeals to senses Visuals (to be discussed) Demonstrations (to be discussed) Skip video Video Help

Exhibit 10-5: The Sales Presentation Mix, cont…

Proof Past sales help predict the future The guarantee Testimonials Company proof results Independent research results Restatement of the benefit before proving it Proof source and relevant facts or figures about the product Expansion of the benefit Skip video Video Help

Exhibit 10-6: Proof Statements Help Prove What You Say

Exhibit 10-5: The Sales Presentation Mix, cont…

Visual Aids Increase retention Reinforce the message Reduce misunderstanding Create a unique and lasting impression Show the buyer that you are a professional

Visual Aids, cont… Some common visual aids are: The product Charts and graphs illustrating features and advantages Photographs and mock-ups Equipment Sales manuals and catalogs Order forms Letters of testimony A copy of the guarantee Flip-boards and posters Sample advertisements

Visual Aids, cont… Appeal to the prospect’s vision with the intent of producing mental images of the product’s: Features Advantages Benefits

Exhibit 10-5: The Sales Presentation Mix, cont…

Dramatization Dramatics refers to talking or presenting the product in a striking, showy, or extravagant manner Dramatics should be incorporated only when you are 100 percent sure they will work effectively One of the best methods of developing ideas for dramatizations is to watch television commercials Dramatic presentations set you apart from the many salespeople that buyers see each day

Dramatization, cont… Dramatization improves your chances of success

Exhibit 10-5: The Sales Presentation Mix, cont…

Demonstration A successful demonstration Lets the prospect do something simple Lets the prospect work an important feature Lets the prospect do something routine or frequently repeated Has the prospect answer questions throughout the demonstration (feedback)

Exhibit 10-8: Seven Points to Remember About Demonstrations

Putting It All Together Reasons for Using Visual Aids, Dramatization, and Demonstration, and Participation: Capture attention and interest Create two-way communication Involve the prospect through participation Afford a more complete, clear explanation of products Increase a salesperson’s persuasive powers by obtaining positive commitments on a product’s single feature, advantage, or benefit People receive 87 percent of their information on the outside world through their eyes and only 13 percent through the other four senses The addition of participation is much more persuasive than dramatization alone

Technology Can Help! Can provide excellent presentation methods Multimedia computers can: Present video clips Play sound bites Show beautifully illustrated graphics Be connected to projection equipment

Exhibit 10-10: The Sales Presentation Goal Model

The Ideal Presentation Your approach technique quickly captures your prospect’s interest and immediately finds signals that the prospect has a need for your product and is ready to listen The ideal prospect Is friendly, polite, relaxed, listens Says “yes” and enthusiastically thanks you Several weeks later you receive a copy of customer’s letter sent to your company’s president glowing with praise for you Sometimes it happens but many times there are difficulties

Be Prepared for Presentation Difficulties How to handle interruptions Is the interruption personal or confidential? Offer to leave the room Regroup your thoughts Should you discuss the competition? Do not refer to a competitor unless absolutely necessary Acknowledge your competitor only briefly Make a detailed comparison of your product and the competition’s product when necessary

Be Prepared for Presentation Difficulties, cont... Be professional always Where the presentation takes place: Could be anywhere

The Golden Rule You want to do to others what you would have them do to you

Summary of Major Selling Issues The sales presentation is a persuasive vocal and visual explanation of a proposition Four common methods of presentation are memorized, formula, need-satisfaction, and problem-solution Consider the elements of the presentation mix that will be used for each prospect Use persuasive communication techniques, methods to develop prospect participation, proof statements, visual aids, dramatization, and demonstrations

Summary of Major Selling Issues, cont… Persuasive communication techniques help to uncover needs, to communicate effectively, and to pull the prospect into the conversation Visuals must be properly designed to illustrate the features, advantages, and benefits of your products through graphics, dramatization, and demonstration Careful attention to development and rehearsal of the presentation is needed to ensure that it occurs smoothly and naturally

Summary of Major Selling Issues, cont… The presentation is the heart of the sale Acquire or create materials that convey your message and convince others to believe it Exhibits, facts, statistics, examples, analogies, testimonials, and samples should be part of your repertoire

Video Help The video should start automatically. If it does not, you must move the mouse to the middle of the screen. When a hand icon appears the video is ready. Click once anywhere on the screen to start video. Click once during playback to pause/unpause video. Press the space bar twice to stop video and continue presentation. When video is over, click the next arrow to continue presentation. Video One Video Two