2 Tips to Tweak Your Presentation and Score the Sale

BY Kathy Crosett
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Your biggest possible sales score of the year has come down to this – the presentation you’re giving tomorrow. What steps can you take to make sure you impress the prospect and move to the closing stage? Check out these tips from Emily Stanford at Salesforce who has collected a few suggestions from industry experts.

Personalize Your Presentation

If you’ve been using the same slide deck for months, it’s time for a refresh. The folks sitting around the conference table at your prospect’s office probably spend part of every day viewing someone’s slide deck. Some of these people may even take the opportunity to bliss out during your presentation and think about what they’ll be doing for the weekend. Don't give them an excuse to slack. Address this issue by taking the time to customize your slides before you get into the room. Make sure the slides reflect details you’ve learned about the prospect. People tend to pay closer attention when the details they see are about themselves or their company.

Before you begin talking, review what you’ll be covering and ask the key decision makers in the room to state their priorities. Based on their answers, make sure to address their points. After you’ve done so, pause your presentation and ask how what you’ve just said fits with their needs or their process.

Ask More Questions

When it’s your turn to get up in front of an audience, it’s easy to think it’s all about you. For example, if you wear the right outfit, the client will say yes. If you show the slide that reflects a big jump in sales after the prospect buys your product, they’ll say yes. Those details might be true but a better strategy is to continuously engage key audience members. During the course of your presentation, ask detailed questions. Make it clear that you've been listening during your previous meetings and conversations. Direct your questions to a specific team member who has buying power. Engaging the prospect in a question and answer session encourages them to really think about how your product and service can help them. They’ll start to feel more comfortable with you and with what you’re selling.

Check out additional tips collected by Stanford and adjust your sales presentation style until it starts producing the results you want – more sales.


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