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What makes a good sales presentation? Many salespeople get the idea that if they are able to dump everything they know about the product onto the client they have made a good presentation. They try to entice clients with the product hoping they'll see their need as a result of the presentation. They feel that if they have good product knowledge, are able to keep control of the conversation, and give the client every possible bit of information they'll get the sale... right? Wrong.

Financial institutions have strategies and plans for almost every part of the business. They have marketing plans, IT infrastructure plans, plans for how much risk they will tolerate, and plans for what they will do if a disaster strikes. Most of these plans are very detailed and well thought out. Unfortunately, when it comes to the sales plan - the plan on how their teams will cross-sell products and services to existing clients - many financial institutions are woefully unprepared.

Success leaves clues
 
It’s a simple concept really, if you want to be successful in any endeavor just look for people or organizations that are already successful and do what they do!
 

Watching the Olympic Games coverage and the in-depth analysis provided in slow motion by sports physiologists got me thinking about sales process and the variance in results we see between individuals playing the same game. The sports analogy for sales has been used so often because it really does fit. In both pursuits the difference in results comes down to preparation and desire. Preparation is technique, practice, and effort. Desire is that attitude or drive to win.

I don't know of a financial institution that doesn't need more new business. Everyone is looking to increase their client base and expand upon the number of products per client with the goal being enhanced profitability.

I was in a branch recently speaking with a group of investment people. I asked what sales goals they were working on that week.

Reciprocity is a universal principle of influence. As a social construct, people feel obliged to give back to others the form of behaviour, gift, or service that they have received first. Friends invite you over to their house for dinner and you feel obligated to return the favour. Someone drops off a small gift to your office at Christmas and you feel the need to run out and get them something.

As technology becomes more and more prevalent in our society, financial institutions have gone through an interesting phenomenon. They used to see the client all of the time because they HAD to come into the branch to accomplish everything. Well now they don’t and the result is that many 

I don't know of a financial institution that doesn't need more new business. Everyone is looking to increase their client base and expand upon the number of products per client with the goal being enhanced profitability.