Sales Presentations For Dummies. Julie M. Hansen

These are points you need to become familiar with in order to build and deliver a persuasive case to today’s busy prospects.

      

Watch out! This icon focuses on things that you can do to make your prospect question your credibility or cause you to lose valuable attention.

      

This icon directs you to free supplemental information at www.dummies.com/extras/salespresentations.com.

      Beyond the Book

      You can find some free articles online that expand on some of the concepts in the book, like the power of your opening to influence the sale, seven tips for storytelling success, and how to gamify your sales presentation. You can find links to the articles on the parts page and on the Extras page at www.dummies.com/extras/salespresentations.

      In addition to the material in the print or e-book you’re reading right now, this book also comes with some access-anywhere goodies on the web. Check out the free Cheat Sheet at www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/salespresentations for helpful tools like the performance tool checklist, props checklist, a list of opening hooks to get you started, and how to remember the difference between features, benefits, and value. Print them and keep them handy for when you’re working on an opportunity.

      Where to Go from Here

      Ready to get started? Jump in! The great thing about For Dummies books is that you can begin at any point and not feel like you missed a day at school. This book isn’t linear – so feel free to focus on a subject that you need some expertise on right away. If you have a new sales presentation opportunity, find out what you need to know to get started in Chapter 1. Tired of competing with your prospect’s smartphone for attention? Find effective new ways to keep him engaged in Chapter 14. Need help coming up with a killer opening? Check out Chapter 5. If you have a product demonstration next week, check out Chapter 18. Have a web presentation coming up? Get right to it in Chapter 17. Want to leverage the power of storytelling in your presentation? Find innovative tips in Chapter 12.

      This book is chockfull of techniques and ideas. I suggest you try a few at a time and add as you go. Keep this book handy so you can check out new ideas and continue to grow your presentation tool kit.

      Part I

      Getting Started with Sales Presentations

      

When creating a sales presentation, you have a lot to keep track of, including what tools to use and when. The Cheat Sheet at www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/salespresentations has some handy checklists that you can print for each presentation that you give to ensure that you don’t forget anything important.

In this part …

      ✔ Understand what an effective presentation is and what you need to do to make sure your presentation is successful.

      ✔ Know all that goes into planning a persuasive presentation that makes a compelling case for your product or service.

      ✔ Identify the challenges of presenting today and turn them into opportunities.

      ✔ Uncover your prospect’s business challenge and the impact it’s having on his organization.

      ✔ Discover prospect insights and find out how to apply them for a competitive advantage.

      ✔ Build your presentation on a solid value proposition to differentiate your solution and build credibility.

      ✔ Tailor your message to resonate with different decision makers, stakeholders, and influencers.

Chapter 1

      Embracing the Future of Sales Presentations

In This Chapter

      ▶ Comprehending today’s requirements for an effective presentation

      ▶ Putting together a presentation that persuades

      ▶ Taking the steps to prepare for your presentation

      ▶ Handling today’s presentation challenges

      ▶ Adapting for special types of sales presentations

      Way back in the 1980s, salespeople didn’t have to compete with smartphones and tablets for their prospect’s attention. Rarely more than one or two decision makers were involved, and buyers had much less access to information on your product or service. You certainly didn’t do virtual presentations or demonstrations. In the second decade of the 21st century, technology continues to change and so do your prospects. Yet when it comes to sales presentations, too many salespeople are still using tools and techniques from the ’80s. At least they’ve dropped the leg warmers.

      Today’s selling environment requires a whole different approach to your presentation. To give a presentation that persuades today’s busy prospects, stands out from your competition, and is remembered when buying decisions are made, you need to start carrying some tools from the present in your presentation kit.

      This chapter serves as your jumping-off point into sales presentations of the 21st century. Here you discover the requirements for an effective presentation that resonates with today’s decision makers. I introduce a persuasive structure that makes a compelling case for your product or service. You can see why paying attention to your voice, your body, and how you use your surroundings pays off. You also can discover what tools are winning the war for attention. And finally, I explain what adjustments you need to make in special presentations like team selling and web presentations.

      Understanding What an Effective Presentation Can Do

      An effective presentation in the past typically meant closing the sale. In today’s more complex market, a successful presentation can be more like a play in football; it advances the sale. No matter how you spell success, all sales presentations today must meet the following requirements in order to be successful.

Tailoring to meet your prospect’s needs

      One size doesn’t fit all. Today’s prospects want to do business with salespeople who have a clear understanding of their needs, their challenges, and their goals. Tailoring your presentation to fit your prospect’s unique needs and establishing a customized value proposition is the price of entry in today’s competitive market.

      It requires discovering how the problem is impacting your prospect’s business and how he’s currently addressing that problem. Tailoring for today’s well-informed prospect often means delivering insights by recognizing areas of improvement or identifying gaps that can shed new light on your prospect’s business and tie back to your solution. Tailoring forms the basis of a customer-focused presentation that allows you to show your prospect how you can meet his needs better than your competition. With the commoditization of many products and services, this kind of laser-sharp focus is what will separate you from the competition and turn you into a preferred solution.

      

Today’s presentations must be structured around value, and answer one or both of the following two questions that are in every prospect’s mind:

      ✔ Why buy? Many prospects are hesitant or afraid to change. Selling against the status quo is a much different strategy than the next question.

      ✔ Why buy from you? Making a case for