It’s time to break free from the traditional, self-​serving (and boring!) sales presentation, and instead, give your audience what they really want: An experience. “Creating a rich, compelling experience requires us to let go of our PowerPoint crutch so that we can find better ways to connect with our prospects and accelerate the sales process,” Jill Konrath writes in a recent post on her website. These presentations will engage and interest your audiences, and most importantly, highlight the value that you can deliver. Read on for just a few of Konrath’s examples on how to turn your presentations into engaging experiences:

Focus on the question, “Why Change?”

Ultimately, you are asking your audience to make a change by buying your product or service. So it makes sense that your sales presentation addresses this vital question. Rather than talking solely about yourself or what you’re selling, consider these topics instead:

• The issues/​challenges faced by your typical customers
• The business results attained by your customer base
• Emerging trends or evolving market dynamics
• Your prospect’s objectives, priorities and challenges

Covering these topics at the beginning of your presentation will immediately grab your audience’s interest because the topics are what THEY want to hear about.

Cut out slides.

The fewer slides you throw at your audience, the better. Why? Because many slides are probably just about you and your business, which can come across as self-​promotional (rather than educational) and boring. Konrath recommends omitting any slides that discuss the following:

• Mission or vision statements
• Company photos, location maps
• Detailed product or service overviews
• Qualifications, awards, recognition and bios

You may think the above topics are essential bits of information, but really, they just promote your business rather than focusing on that of your audience.

These are just two of the suggestions mentioned in Konrath’s article. Enhance your presentations and boost their value by integrating her tips into your traditional PowerPoint slides. You should now focus on creating a valuable experience for your audiences. As Konrath writes, “your prospects expect more today – and they’ll choose to do business with sellers who deliver.”