Read this Before You Make Your Next Sales Presentation

I was speaking the other day with a coaching client of mine who felt his team needed a new presentation they could use in front of prospects. In their business, a "pitch book" is a common tool for sales calls. It can be presented in various ways: a PowerPoint deck with the pages printed in a flip-chart type of book; a PowerPoint deck that is projected onto a screen while the seller presents; a spiral-bound, printed PowerPoint deck that the seller makes a copy of for the prospect, with both of them flipping the pages.

All of these approaches are deeply unsatisfying.

Think about the last time you were pitched in any one of these ways. What went through your mind? My main thought centered around trying to figure out how many pages of PowerPoint I was going to have to endure, whether presented in flip-chart, screen-format, or book. ( "If she talks for two minutes on each slide, there are 30 slides.....oh nooooooo!")My other thought was how linear the presentation format is. The other party presents her ideas in order, maybe I ask questions during the discussion, but probably I (try to) listen and she talks. And talks. And talks.

So what about this instead: Rather than have your presentation fired up, give me as the potential customer some options that make me feel more in control of the meeting.  

You'd say something like, "Mitch, we prepared this sheet of Frequently Asked Questions. We know that most of our prospective clients are interested in some or all of the answers. Would you take a look at these and let me know which of these FAQs you're most interested in? And if you're interested in something not on the list, that's fine, too. We can start anywhere you'd like."

I take a minute to read the simple list and express an interest in knowing your product's feature and benefits first, so you take out ONE visual that addresses my interest and place it on the table, and talk to it. We have a conversation until all my questions are answered.

Then I ask about how your product compares with the competition. And you take out your ONE colorful and pointed visual that lays out the competitive landscape, and we talk about that for a while.

After that, I ask about support, and you take out your ONE visual that addresses after-sale support.

And finally, I ask you to tell me about yourself, your team, your backgrounds. And you take out NO visual. You just talk to me about your experience in the industry and serving people like me.

I feel like I've been treated with respect in the sales process because you addressed MY agenda, not your own. But of course in doing that, you've treated your own interests impeccably well. And you got my business.

Have a story about a really great, or really awful sales presentation you've received or given? Please share with a comment.