Presentation Overload
What makes a good sales presentation? Too many salespeople feel that they are only selling when they are able to dump everything they know about the product onto the client in an effort to “educate” them or “persuade” them. They feel that as long as 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. Our own experience as consumers tells us this is not true however. How many times have you mentally checked out on a sales presentation where you KNEW you were not going to be buying but the salesperson kept on talking?
We have often heard the statement "Products are just solutions to peoples' problems.” People buy things for what they will do for them, not for the product itself. How does this apply to our presentations? Well if the client has not acknowledged the need/problem that we think they have then how are we going to show them that our product and its features meets those needs? If we are doing all the talking how are we going to know what they care about?
Our job gets infinitely easier if we do a better job in the discovery process. If you want to know what to focus your presentation on - ask them! "What's the single biggest financial concern you can see coming toward you in the next 3-5 years?" "What about 15 years from now?” “How are you feeling about your ability to pay off your debt?” or “What financial matters keep you awake at night?"
Focus on questions. In sales conversations the person asking the questions has the control. Why? The average person can speak at 125 -150 words per minute but can think at 500 - 600 words per minute. So while you are talking on and on they can listen and think of lots of other things: objections, criticism, doubts, fears, and difficulties. What happens when a sales professional asks a good open-ended question? It has an interesting psychological effect. It is not possible for the client to answer without diverting their whole attention to the question. Not only do we maintain the control and flow of the sales process by asking good questions, we actually learn all about the client's needs, wants, and motivations. Now we can present with a focus on them and how the product fits their needs. That means you are using considerably less words and it gives you a better chance of being successful.
How does the client feel about being asked lots of good questions about their needs? It feels like it is all about them, not all about you, and that makes it easier for them to say yes to whatever you have presented!