The stakes for you are huge; you will need to put into practice all you learned in your sales presentation training; but first and foremost you need to consider your audience.
The temptation is to start writing your sales presentation on your computer or in your head. You know how good your solution is and you are well practiced at describing it. You can just imagine heads nodding. You can visualize the applause and their verbal agreement to take action in your favor. But wait a minute—this is not about you. A successful sales presentation has to be about your audience. Here’s what we mean…
Once you have set the date for your presentation, your very first step is to learn all you can about your audience. Why are they there? What would they hope to learn from you? What concerns do they have that you can address? What roles do they play in their organization? What kind of influence do they wield?
Follow sales presentation training best practices and:
- Do the research.
Assemble your sales team and ask their help in studying the client organization. You will want to know all you can about their industry, their market, their history, and their competitors. Who would welcome your solution and what do they stand to gain? On the other hand, are there some people who may feel threatened by your involvement or approach? Why is the company interested now? What is on the horizon? What gives this problem priority? Be sure you have a clear idea of how the company would view success…and for that matter how the company would view failure.
Beyond gathering information on the company level, find out about individuals in the audience…what team members will attend, what would spell success or failure to them, what are their specific interests and ambitions. Use your contacts at the company and your overall network to learn what you can about those in the audience who will be the decision makers. It is helpful to know more than their titles and their roles. Try to discover their working styles and their personalities. Know the key stakeholders and adapt your communication style to theirs. - Have a plan
Now it’s time to prepare your sales presentation. Design your presentation around what you know the audience is interested in learning and doing. Make it simple, concise and compelling. The shorter, the better. Begin strong, make big points, end with a bang and then entertain questions. If there is interest in the details, be prepared to provide them. But don’t waste valuable time in digging too deep until you are sure that’s where your audience wants to go. - Practice
Get on your feet and practice…in front of a mirror or in front of your team. Welcome feedback, positive or negative. Thick skin now will allow you to make your message even more powerful when you deliver it.
