Your power point is ready. You’ve got your “meeting suit” on. You’ve rehearsed a hundred times and you’re ready to go. It’s time to give your presentation to the potential clients. This presentation is one of the most talked about aspects of selling. However, this can only be executed properly once several other factors have fallen into place. Think of a hunting party. The scout goes in advance of the hunting party looking around for game. It is the scout’s job to track down where the herd or game is. However, the hunter is the one who makes the final approach, assuring all is in order, and pulls the trigger. In sales, you might find yourself in both roles.
Research Is Key
Research of your client is vital. This research may include qualifying (asking questions of your clients) or familiarizing each other with the industry, competitors, or specific needs of the company. It is vital that the hunter becomes very familiar with the game he is pursuing. With the salesman, it is equally as vital that you familiarize yourself with the client you are pursuing. You don’t want to show up to the right place with the wrong ammo.
Prepare Based On Your Research
Once your research is conducted, you can start to prepare your pitch to the prospect. This is similar to a hunter preparing his strategy for catching his game. He has familiarized himself with the patterns and routines of the prey, now he can use what resources he has to devise a plan to move in for the kill. So a good salesman takes what he has prepared, and moves in to make his presentation. It’s almost like stalking the game, your presentation should slowly be inching you toward the moment you can close the sale.
Pull The Trigger on Your Presentation
The presentation is your opportunity to pull the trigger. You have a lot of work to do before you are ready to pull the trigger. Often in sales we focus so much on the presentation, but that is only a by-product of all the preparation that has come. Remember, the point of the presentation is to get your sights ready so you can pull the trigger. You will never get that shot unless you have done your research and your preparation. A good presentation leads you to the point where you can close the sale. Pull the trigger.
Make Sure You Don’t Miss
While it can only happen once the preparation has been made, the actual presentation is, of course, very important. But sometimes, presentations go awry. It is important to return to your process and thoroughly evaluate it. Find out what information you missed and design questions to answer it. There are many tips to keep your presentation natural, flowing, and relevant.
This analogy is a powerful tool to keep in mind for your overall approach. Learning to operate with the precision of a trained hunter will distinguish you from those who are firing their shots blindly into the space hoping to hit something. For more information about winning sales techniques, check out our excellent book, The Sandler Rules. Learn more about how to apply these principles from Sandler Training Solutions.