We’ve all been there. You’ve got mere hours before your sales presentation and you are unprepared. Either there was a last minute request to fill in for a sick colleague, or life got in the way of your well-planned prep schedule, or you just plain procrastinated. It doesn’t matter now why. You’ve got to be ready and you can’t hold back time.
Here are a few suggestions from our sales presentation training expert on how to manage this crisis with aplomb:
- Take a deep breath. You can do this!
- Think carefully about your audience. What do they care about? How much do they know about the topic? And what is your goal with this group?
- Then consider how you might re-purpose tried-and-true content and old slides BUT only if you commit to reviewing them carefully as you tweak them for this particular audience. Make sure your titles are still appropriate, that your data is accurate and relevant, that the messages will resonate and apply, and that there are no references to a previous customer.
- Rehearse your open and close. This will be the compelling message you want to convey. Make your statements strong and simple and memorable.
- Take another deep breath to calm yourself and, now that your content is set, think about your delivery. Keep in mind all the basics…get familiar with the venue and equipment you’ll need, establish eye contact, keep on the move rather than stick to one spot, use gestures as appropriate to emphasize important points, modulate your voice, pace yourself to include pauses and stand tall to show your confidence.
Step up to the podium and relax. No matter how stressed you were moments ago, this is the time to show you know your stuff. Your audience won’t know how quickly you put this presentation together if you are confident, deliver a compelling message, and demonstrate that you are in tune with what they have come to learn from you.
Learn more at: http://www.lsaglobal.com/sales-communication-sales-presentation-training/
