3 Effective Presentation Skills

BY Rachel Cagle
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Think of the most memorable sales presentation you’ve ever witnessed. What effective presentation skills were the speaker using? They probably were not using a slide show purely made up of text stating the bare facts of the product being sold. No, they were most likely using an engaging story to communicate how the presenter’s company and the prospect work together to overcome the prospect’s problems. Clemence Lepers of PPTPOP offers the breakdown of effective presentation skills so you can give prospects what they want in a pitch. Here are a few of Lepers' pointers.

Effective Presentation Skills

Create an Engaging Cover Slide

Having effective presentation skills means being able to put together an engaging cover slide. This first slide needs to do two things. One: Give a glimpse of your product and the result it can bring about for the prospect’s company. If you tease the prospect with a desired solution of theirs, they will be more eager to hear your proposal of how to reach achieve this goal. Two: Briefly introduce your company and why it’s properly suited to help with this specific need of your prospect's. Keep in mind, though, prospects often decide how carefully they will listen to a pitch within the first 30 seconds of the presentation, according to Lepers. So, keep the information you're presenting concise, but make sure it foreshadows what's to come enough to grab the prospect's attention and keep it.

Tell a Story

The most successful presentations are 65% stories,” says Lepers. The ability to tell good stories is one of the most effective presentation skills since stories are more engaging than lectures. So, begin your presentation with the prologue of how your company came to be the experts of this line of products. Next comes the journey. What have you done with this power you've earned? Give examples of awards your company has won, your recommendations from existing clients, etc. Follow that information up with a battle scene. Why should the prospect buy from you and not your competition? Without belittling your competition, talk about what sets you apart from the methodology and service used by other giants in your field. In conclusion, Lepers recommends that you end with a human touch that connects the prospect to you as a person. One example he gives is, “John is the man who has to be everywhere at once.”

Make it About Them

Once the prospect trusts you, the focus needs to switch completely to their present needs. One of the most effective presentation skills you can have is the drive and ability to do thorough research. So, show that you’ve done your research on the company and know what problems they’re facing. Prove that you’ve thoroughly explored which of your products can provide the most effective solutions for them and make their jobs easier. Engage them in the conversation too. Ask questions and for feedback. Talking with someone about any potential doubts is the best way to sort them out.

Bonus Item: Presentations that utilize visuals are 43% more effective than their plain text counterparts, says Lepers. He recommends taking advantage of graphics, charts, and any other visually appealing and relevant purveyor of information you can think of.


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