How to Create and Give a Sales Presentation
Creating and preparing an effective sales presentation takes planning and skill. This module will take you through the steps necessary for a successful presentation from the preparation phase to the often-forgotten critique stage.
This article is part of the Business Builders series. Business Builders are comprehensive, self-paced training modules designed to walk you through the step-by-step procedures of marketing, managing, promoting, and growing your business. Each module concentrates on a unique training topic or task. Completion of these modules will enable you to master the operational areas most important to your company's growth and well-being.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Creating and preparing an effective sales presentation takes plenty of planning and a whole lot of skill. Frequently sales professionals or others involved in the sales process do not adequately prepare for the delivery of the presentation — they just let it happen. This module will take you through the steps necessary for a successful presentation — from the all too important preparation phase to the often-forgotten critique stage.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What You Should Know Before Getting Started
Preparation
·  Know What You are Selling
·  Know Your Competition
·  Know the Customer
·  Know the Market
Developing the Body of Your Presentation
First Impressions
Anticipating Objections
The Sales Delivery
Presentation Aids
Post Presentation
Resources
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE GETTING STARTED
What is a Sales Presentation?
This is a direct and fairly simple question that many sales people may not be able to answer. Each sales professional has their own perception of what a presentation is and how it is constructed. One definition could be, "A complete sales package that is given to a prospect for the purpose of getting him to commit to purchase a product or service."
The sales presentation should begin long before a sales person meets a prospect. Successful sales people break down their presentations into usable components, with each part becoming an important element in making a successful sale. This doesn't happen by magic. It takes preparation, and the more prepared the sales person is, the greater the chance of success.
Woodrow Wilson was once asked how long it took to prepare for a ten minute speech and his reply was, "Two weeks." He was then asked how long it took to prepare a speech lasting one hour and he said, "One week." When asked how long it would take to prepare a speech lasting two hours he said, "I'm ready now." Obviously President Wilson preferred longer speeches. Your preparation and attitude will come through immediately to a savvy prospect. The better you know your subject matter and the more prepared you are, the more comfortable you will be during the presentation and the more effective and exciting your selling will become.
The basis for your presentation should be the prospect's needs and how you intend to solve them. In Presentations Plus, author David A. Peoples says, before preparing a presentation you must ask yourself, "Why are you making this presentation?"
PREPARATION
The first part of the preparation phase is getting organized. You must organize your presentation and materials ahead of time. Make a list of what you need in the way of information and gather what you need, leaving nothing to chance.
The second part of the preparation is a complete and thorough knowledge of:
·  What is being sold
·  The competition
·  The customer
·  The market
Fact-finding and organizing information into a logical order is critical here.
Know What You are Selling
Successful sales professionals know their product or service inside and out. They constantly try to learn more, further their education with new product information and ask questions. They don't rely on buzz words or "razzle-dazzle." They become familiar enough with their product or service as if it were a part of their body.
When you are presenting your information to a prospect, you must assume they don't know anything about what you are selling. Your prospect will let you know that he is familiar with the points you are trying to make.
Following are some tips on learning about what you are selling:
·  State the history of the product or service. If your company has made technical advances on the product, note what they are and include them in your presentation. This adds credibility not only to your presentation but also to what you are trying to sell. These advances could be in product development, manufacturing, shipping or new packaging techniques. The better prepared you are on the products and services of your company, the better your presentation will be. Thorough product knowledge will give you the confidence to go after the larger and more difficult prospects. The more you know about what you are selling, the better able you will be to impart this information on your prospects.
·  Detail the history of the company. Perhaps your company started out in a two car garage with 2 people and has grown to an organization with several employees. Prospective customers like to see growth. It gives the impression of success and stability. If the company is being run by second or third generations of the original founders, all the better. This establishes that the company has roots and the owners care about the daily operation of the company and the employees. Don't be afraid to talk about company values and how they were handed down from generation to generation. This promotes a feeling of warmth, trust and security.
Know Your Competition
You can have a great amount of knowledge about your company and products, but that's only half the battle. The other half is gaining as much information as possible about the competition. This will go a long way in answering questions and objections from the prospect. In order to give a meaningful presentation, you will have to know who and what you are up against.
·  Learn what type of literature they use to advertise their product or service. Do they use full color brochures? Video tapes? Give-aways? Special discounts?
·  Identify your competitions' strengths and weaknesses. The prospect can be a good source of this information. Often, the prospect will tell you what he likes or dislikes about the products or services he is using.
·  Find out how often the competition works his territory. On what days does he call on the prospect? Does he make face-to-face calls? Does he rely on the telephone exclusively?
Dissect the competition's products and compile a list of all the strengths and weaknesses you have discovered. Compare what you are selling to what the competition is selling. When the prospect brings up specific points about the competition's product or services, you will be ready with an answer that might get you the sale.
There are many sales people who feel that a presentation restricts them rather than helps them. Nevertheless, to be successful you have to plan and present. The better prepared you are, the more successful you will be in selling. A well planned, structured and complete presentation will give you more flexibility in handling objections and a greater percentage of sales closed.
If the client wants to know about long-term stability of your company, you will be prepared to discuss that. If he wants to know about the success of your services and products, you will be prepared to discuss that, as well. If he is interested in price and results, you will be able to show him how your products or services offer value and how they can satisfy his needs.
By being secure in your facts, you will be able to anticipate questions and answer them before they are asked. Confidence in yourself and your abilities as a sales person will increase, and this will show in your presentation. You will make a favorable impression on your prospect, and he in turn, will want to do business with you. He will feel secure with you as a sales person and when a prospect feels secure, they buy!
Another advantage of a well-planned presentation is that you will not forget to talk about the important facts of your products or services. Many a sales person who did not have a well-planned presentation often remembered what he forgot to tell the prospect long after his meeting with the prospect. Also, when the presentation is ad-lib, there is no real structure and it can appear that you are bouncing all over the place, repeating facts and adding to the prospect's confusion. A well-planned presentation turns prospects into customers.
Know Your Customer
Become acquainted with every aspect of your customer's business. Get to know how long he has been in business, what his main products or services are, who his big clients are and how successful he has been in meeting their needs. Also, it would be very helpful to learn if your competition has been selling to him. If the competition is in there already, it is extremely important for you to know everything about his product or service. You will be able to compare what you are selling to the competition's product and perhaps show the benefits of what you are selling to the prospect. But to do that you must know the customer.
Know the Market
If you learn about the market that your prospect is selling into, you can better determine how you can help him achieve his goals. This will be a very important selling point for you.
DEVELOPING THE BODY OF YOUR PRESENTATION
Now, you are ready to create a rough outline of your presentation. Sales presentations typically include an introduction, definition of the project or need, a discussion of the approach, benefits of your product/service, and the cost associated with doing the work.
Step 1. Prepare an introduction which discusses the nature of your prospect's need. In this part of your presentation you should indicate how your presentation is organized. It will be to your advantage to keep the message warm and tailored to the prospect but at the same time convey that you have a thorough understanding of your prospect's need. Do not use overly solicitous statements such as "We are truly grateful for the opportunity to propose…" These statements immediately impact the leverage that you have with the prospect — he becomes the superior, you the subordinate. Remember, this presentation must present you as the expert — one who your prospective client is fortunate enough to hire to satisfy his needs.
If you are a management consultant, your introduction may start:
"Over the past 20 years, Management Inc. has assisted over a hundred companies in improving their productivity. Like these companies, Trailer Courier Service is looking to streamline operations and eliminate wasteful functions. In the following proposal, we'll discuss our approach to achieve higher productivity, identify benefits associated with these higher efficiencies, and…"
Discuss the current situation or your understanding of the client's problem or need. This is really the problem identification section. Make sure you are very clear on what the needs of your client are. Identifying the problem or opportunity up front lays the groundwork for the rest of the presentation.
For instance, if you are a daycare center soliciting corporate accounts, your introduction may begin, "In the past decade a trend has evolved where more and more mothers are returning to the workforce. However, not much has changed to provide these mothers with reliable and affordable child care. When Mom can't rely on suitable care for her child, your organization can't rely on Mom…"
Identify the current opportunity or problem. Make sure you understand the situation clearly. Can you expand on the definition, demonstrating how you may add further value to the organization?
Step 2. Next, introduce the objectives and scope of work that your prospect can expect. Describe what you will do and give an accurate time-frame for delivery or completion of key items. Be aggressive, but realistic. This is not the time to make promises on which you can't deliver. Your prospect will be suspicious. He wants someone he can rely on, someone he can trust. This may be the first contact with this prospect, but your intent is to make him a long-term customer. And if you're fortunate enough to land the assignment, you'll gain the trust and respect of your client by under-promising and over-delivering.
If you are a catering service, your objectives and scope would be, "To provide high quality foods and service at a reasonable price for the Jones wedding on September 18. Key tasks would include:
1.  Planning the menu June 6
2.  Ordering the food and supplies August 12
3.  Arranging for flowers September 1 (etc.)
Define your objectives and scope.
Next, list the basic steps of your approach.
Step 3. Now it's time to fill in the details of your approach. Make sure you provide enough detail so that the prospect can understand it clearly, but keep it broad enough so that it doesn't inadvertently narrow his options or disclose your recommendations. For instance, if the prospect is looking to overhaul his accounting system, describe the process you'll use in evaluating the best system, but don't offer any preliminary suggestions at this time. He may have already investigated the option and discarded it for reasons unknown to you or, worse still, take the suggestion and do it himself.