Did you ever find yourself in a situation where you were presenting to the prospect, and you noticed that they were losing interest and looking in other directions or, worse, checking out their phone? There is a high chance that you followed a process that derailed the entire presentation. You’ve got to ensure that your pitch is engaging and leveraging the best sales presentation techniques.
When building a compelling and engaging sales presentation, the only thing that works is no one-size-fits-all sales deck. Every sales presentation delivered to a prospect should be personalized and tailored just for them. Audiences quickly get bored viewing a monotonous slide deck, especially when you are clueless about their challenges or pain points. While there are no hard and fast rules for closing more sales and growing your ROI, there are proven, foolproof sales presentation tips that can improve your chances of making the sale at the end of the day.
Sales presentations can undoubtedly seem intimidating initially the first few times you participate in them, but once you get the hang of them and create a thorough, efficient process, you can sail through them a lot more swiftly and successfully. So, read on for some excellent sales presentation tips to win prospects and close more deals faster.
Part 1 – Building a Powerful Sales Presentation
1. Do the Deep Work:
A compelling sales presentation is deep work; it starts long before the actual presentation and requires you to research the company or the prospect. The first and most crucial step is to learn more about who your prospect is and the challenges they currently face; then, use that information to show how you can help solve those challenges. Understanding their current issues/challenges will provide insights into opportunities to sell your product or service. But the deep discovery must come before the presentation.
Your CRM platform is the best place to start, as it will help you close deals. Gather all the preliminary information about your prospect, like their industry, customer journeys, buying behavior, etc. Their case history and client information will help you learn more about the products or services they use most and how well your company serves them. Let them know that you have done your work and taken the time to understand what matters the most to them to get a sense of their motivation and priorities.
3. Show the Prospect Their Pain and the Glimpse of the Gain:
The actual value is perceived in contrast between before and after. This is sales in a nutshell. Let’s say the prospect is at Point A, and they want to get to point B; so for them to get from Point A to point B, they need to see you as the bridge that will get them from one place to the other. Dive deeper into their pain before you can show them their gain.
Quantifying the problem is the key, as the prospect’s logical brain can justify the decision. Once you have pulled them down, you need to make them believe you are the solution to their challenges. Show them the gain your product brings by providing proof of the value you can offer. For instance, “We work with Company Z in a space that had similar challenges like you, but then they achieved these results.”
Conclusion:
Bridge where they are to where they want to go.
Part 2 – Preparing and Delivering a Compelling Presentation
1. Include Vivid Imagery:
Stunning visual elements, bold fonts, high-quality images, and bright colors are potent tools for capturing the audience’s attention. Since the largest part of the human brain is dedicated to processing visual data or information, people quickly respond to vivid imagery. Combining visuals with text will enhance understanding and retention.
2. Stick to the 9-Minute Period:
Research studies found that successful deals use 9.1-minute sales deck presentations. In contrast, the lost deals involve sales deck presentations of 11.4 minutes, on average, during the introductory sales meeting. So, carefully plan and split your presentation into chapters that fit that nine-minute window.
3. Incorporate Quantitative Data:
Prospects consistently rely on hard data and statistics while making decisions. So, providing persuasive data will instantly boost your credibility and improve your probability of closing a deal with them. It is easy to make bold claims, but having the data or testimonials to back them up will drive the nail in the coffin. So, include a mix of different mediums and focuses in your presentation, like video testimonials, detailed case studies, and numbers.
4. Keep it Conversational:
A good presentation is a two-way exchange. Make your sales presentation sound more like a back-and-forth conversation or a two-way dialogue. Ask open-ended questions and build rapport with the audience, which helps them build trust. For this, follow the 60-second rule, i.e., never speak without interruption or entertain a question for more than a minute. Don’t bombard the audience with information and too many benefits/features; focus on value, pick one or two significant features that best fit their needs, and cover them in your presentation.
Pro Tip:
Get constant feedback from your prospect at every key point in the presentation. The “feedback loops” are an essential sales presentation technique you can adopt and will go a long way in helping you engage your prospect. Ask questions like:
- Does that make sense?
- Am I missing out on any of your key challenges?
- Have I addressed all your major concerns?
5. Conclude with a Clear CTA:
No presentation is ever complete without a clear call to action, and a sales pitch is no exception. You can ask your prospect to submit a query/feedback, make a purchase, sign up for an email list, or do anything else that seems appropriate. Rather than giving them more time to think, involving the audience in some action is always better.
Putting it All Together
Now that you know what it takes to build a winning sales presentation, start implementing these tips, and we’re sure your close rate will significantly improve. Don’t forget the significance of professionally crafted sales presentation templates that you can use to perfect your pitch.
