Let’s talk about the four things that are contained in a good sales presentation.
1. There are prepared lines which go in sequence and show your understanding of the topic and give the client information needed to make a decision. All responses are controlled or expected. This doesn’t make up your whole presentation, but especially at the beginning you should have a plan allowing you to say everything you need to say no matter how the client responds. You should have several lines which go right in a row, and no matter what the client says you know how to get to your next line.
2. You should have prepared questions with anticipated responses. You should have a lot of questions memorized to which you’ve already thought through possible answers. An example is, Are you renting your terminal? You know what kind of answers you’re going to get to that question. You can plan for those responses.
3. Intense listening. You can tell listening is intense if the customer’s response changes the direction of the pitch. This goes back to memorizing your lines. Too many sales people don’t have their lines memorized. Therefore, they are so nervous about what to say next that they are not intensely listening to the client. This is one area which is a lot different than acting. If you’re acting on stage, you know exactly what the response will be to your statement and what your next statement will be. However, in sales the clients don’t always follow the script, do they? Often they say something off the wall that you weren’t expecting which will change the direction of your pitch. You have to be listening intently. Make sure you have your lines memorized to the point where you can put emotion into them and listen to the client without concern about your next response.
4. Small talk or filler designed to gain trust. Here’s the two reasons I do small talk: (1) to encourage clients to believe I understand their business. (2) to encourage clients to believe I understand my business.
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