When you work in sales — particularly if you work on commission — landing the client is essential. There’s often plenty of schmoozing, wining, and dining to get on the client’s good side, but ultimately, it comes down to value proposition. If you have something the clients need, they’ll buy it from you.
Establishing that value proposition usually comes down to the presentation. If you can build a good business presentation, you’ll have no problem landing the sale. Here are a few tips for helping you do just that.
Use the right visuals
The way you present your ideas is very important. Consider your audience and then determine whether it’s best to use a PowerPoint presentation, a packet of information, a video, or another tactic.
Consider the background when giving your presentation. Send subliminal messages with photo canvas prints containing your business logo, name, and motto. This makes your presentation look much more professional while helping to imprint your brand.
The final handout and deliverables are also essential to landing the sale. Sometimes, clients need to discuss your presentation with their partners, or they simply need some time to think it over. You want to send them home with a packet of information that highlights the most important parts of your presentation so that they have all the facts in their hands.
Use 2 pocket folders to hand them the information. They should be branded with your company logo and name so that they’re easily recognized and located. The two-pocket design is handy because one side can include basic information about your company and you as a salesman. Put your business card in there for easy access when they’re ready to close the deal. The other side can include presentation details that are easily drawn up when needed.
Tell a story
Presentations can be dull if you don’t add a little personality and human connection. A good story will help create a real connection between you and your audience members.
“Telling personal stories will make you more likable, trustworthy, and interesting,” Leslie Belknap, a marketing director, told Inc.com. “In addition, facts and stats typically stimulate only two areas of the human brain, but stories can activate up to seven, and trigger emotional responses within listeners.”
Use these stories during the entire presentation, making the most important messages more meaningful because they’re attached to emotion. This will make your words more memorable and influential so that you’re more likely to land the sale.
Get to the point
When attending a sales pitch, individuals want to get to the nitty gritty quickly. They don’t want to listen to you drone on and on when your point is clearly made.
Kelley Robertson, a business consultant, shared her experience in Small Business article in The Balance:
“I remember talking to a salesperson who rambled at great length about his product,” she said. “After viewing his product and learning how much it would cost, I was prepared to move ahead with my purchase. Unfortunately, he continued talking and he almost talked himself out of the sale. Make sure you know what key points you want to discuss and practice verbalizing them before you meet with your prospect.”
This experience is not unique. If you talk too much without getting to the meat of the presentation in a timely manner, you’re more likely to lose the sale than you are to gain it.
These three steps are simple, but they’re ultimately extremely meaningful in generating more sales. Stay focused on what’s important, and you’ll become a very successful sales person as a result.
