While many salespeople put forth great effort into mastering the art of presenting, a few key myths can hold people back from closing the sale. Below I\u2019ve identified three common misconceptions about sales presentations and how to avoid them in order to close more business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. <\/strong>The goal of a sales call is to make a presentation.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This myth is a fundamental flaw in many salespeople\u2019s process. It\u2019s easy to see why; presentations are such a key part of the selling cycle, that it feels natural they should be the focus of our attention. While seemingly logical, salespeople need to remember that the goal of a sales call is to make a sale, not a presentation. Some sales calls may not require a presentation, and giving one could cause damage to your chances of closing the deal. A more successful tactic is to only give presentations for the \u201ckill.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead of focusing on laying the groundwork for a presentation, think of the entire sales process as an opportunity to interview and qualify your client. We have a Sandler Rule, \u201cThe best presentation you will ever give, the prospect will never see.\u201d That means if you do your job as a salesperson, the prospect may buy before you have a chance to present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. <\/strong>Presentations are repeatable, and each target should receive the same approach.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Practice makes perfect, right? While true, familiarity also breeds complacency. As soon as you get complacent and begin \u201cgoing through the motions\u201d when presenting to your clients, you\u2019ll start to lose sales. It\u2019s very important that you personalize your approach to each client or prospect. The same way you may change the sales language you utilize, clothes you wear to a meeting, or solution you recommend, you should change the style in which you present. Always mirror your client or prospect. If you customize your key points to fit each client\u2019s needs, you\u2019ll make great progress towards a conversion and ultimately improve your relationship with your clients. If you have done appropriate discovery, you should only present solutions to pains you have uncovered, that fit the prospect\u2019s budget and only give presentations consistent with the prospect\u2019s decision-making process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most importantly, you don\u2019t have to finish your presentation! If the sale is already won or lost, stop selling or presenting and close the sale or close the file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. <\/strong>Presentations are unnecessary if you know each other well.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Just because you\u2019re familiar with your prospect or they are familiar with you, doesn\u2019t mean you shouldn\u2019t do discovery or proceed with your presentation of your solutions. Utilize questioning strategies that you would implement with someone you\u2019ve never met. Making assumptions about someone\u2019s pains or challenges can cost you another meeting or even the sale, so treat every opportunity like a new one. The prospect needs to know that you are taking this opportunity seriously and that you understand their situation. Additionally, even though they may know or trust you, they may still need to understand the details of the solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n People buy from those that they like, but don\u2019t let that stop you from running an effective and efficient sales call. Relevant presentations are a great way to demonstrate value to consumers and allow them to get to know you and your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most salespeople understand the importance of sales presentations, but if you wait until after the presentation to qualify your prospect, you put too much pressure on yourself and the buyer. No matter how hard you work on perfecting your pitch, if you go into it with misconceptions about the prospects pain, budget, and decision-making process, you\u2019ll already be behind the eight ball. By understanding that presentations have their place after qualification, you\u2019ll be on a path to success in no time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n