While it is tempting to include as many benefits and examples as possible, less is more when it comes to effective sales presentations.
The more examples and slides that you have (regardless of your intentions or the content), the more your audience perceives mixed messages. Mixed messages are less compelling, less believable and dilute your value.
In our experience, mixed messages are born from vague beginnings. If your presentation has mixed messages, get back on track and re-focus your communication by clearing up an ambiguous purpose, an unknown target audience, uncertain roles, and/or fuzzy success criteria.
For example, one recent company presentation that we audited declared that the company’s purpose was to “improve lives.” Then on the next slide, they claimed that they are all about “innovation.” Then later in the pitch they showed examples of “saving clients money” through efficiencies. By the middle of the presentation, audience questions were flying about how the company balanced innovation and costs and how they measured improved lives.
Unfortunately the sales meeting was about winning a big deal and had little to do with improving lives or creating efficiencies. The company’s opportunity to win was clouded and lost by their lack of focus.
Before your next pitch, make sure that you are crystal clear about the core message that will resonate with your target audience.
