Creating Sales Presentations That Sell

by AlexAnndra Ontra

Sitting through a painful PowerPoint presentation with slide-after-slide-after-slide of sophomoric clip art and cumbersome sentences disguised as bullet points has become the norm in today’s business world.  It’s a crutch at meetings, a security blanket for the sales and marketing professional and sometimes a sleeping pill for the audience, which usually is a perspective client.  Yes, it may tell a story or outline a solution, but does a presentation really close a deal?  The answer is, it sure could help.

Even though the goal for any presentation is to enhance the sales cycle, almost every salesperson will admit that a real sale can only be achieved through a two-sided dialogue.  The client (buyer, prospect) participates, asks questions, raises objections and offers valuable information about a business need.  The sales person then responds and explains how their product or service solves the prospect’s need.  A compelling sales presentation should be both a great ice breaker, and the foundation of communication between a company and its clients.

The problem is that the sale and the delivery medium are on different planes. The sale is relevant.  The sale is interactive.  The sale is dynamic.  Yet, companies continue to rely on stale presentation technology that is the opposite – it is static, flat and unsophisticated.  What successful sales forces require is a presentation technology that mimics the sales process, and can be used to not only break the ice, but impact and enhance the overall sales cycle.

A look at the elements of a successful sale will demonstrate how presentation technology can be better used to support the sales cycle.

The sell must be relevant.  It’s Sales Management 101.  Talk to your buyer on their terms.  Present information that is relevant to them.  But even when properly researched, prepared and pre-qualified, it is nearly impossible to predict every question that may arise during the meeting.  That’s when having a complete library of presentation slides with company and product information at ones fingertips will provide an immediate advantage.  Keeping an up-to-date slide library gives the sales force the ability to answer questions at the most critical time – when the prospect asks.  Not a day later.  It means never having to say, “I’ll get back to you on that.” 

Maintaining a library of slides, readily accessible, also gives the presenter the ability to talk intelligently and accurately about any topic that may arise during the course of a meeting –even one that was not prepared for .  This means a presenter will never getting caught off guard.  It lends credibility to the presenter, makes best use of the prospect’s time and reduces the amount of follow-up required to close the sale. It also allows a sales person to suggest different offerings, making cross selling easier and more efficient.

The sell must be interactive.  What you deem a logical flow of information, is not necessarily the same as that of the prospect.  Everyone’s thought process is different.  Yet, a typical linear slide show forces one person’s logic onto everyone else.  And if the prospect is not following, then they are not listening and ultimately, not buying.  The sale should be a conversation between people. To present in a rigid, linear sequence is counter-intuitive. Rather, the presentation slides should follow and enhance the conversation.  To make a presentation more interactive, sales people should be able to present slides that address the prospect’s concerns as they are raised.  Using an interactive presentation technology that includes links to various topics (slides) will not only empower an interactive discussion; it will increase the productivity of the meeting.

The sell must educational.  Tell them something they don’t already know.

The sell must engage and even entertain.  In this digital age, with such easy access to video and picture files, why not use them to sell a product or service?  Rich media enhances presentation in two ways.  First, it entertains, breaks up the monotony of the meeting and adds a little spice. Second, it evokes emotion.  And, emotion is an incredibly powerful sales tool. Today’s presentation technologies can accommodate a wealth of rich media, so use it to enhance the process and close the deal.

Its important to remember that in the fast-paced and dynamic world of business communication, the medium you choose can either support or detract from your message. Using antiquated presentation technology will merely serve to undermine a progressive product, service and or company.  On the other hand, utilizing cutting-edge presentation technology will not only help deliver high-impact presentations, it will ultimately drives sales.