{"id":124,"date":"2015-07-29T23:30:17","date_gmt":"2015-07-29T23:30:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.candelalearning.com\/salesx17xmaster\/?post_type=chapter&p=124"},"modified":"2015-07-29T23:38:49","modified_gmt":"2015-07-29T23:38:49","slug":"making-your-presentation-work","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/cerritos-sales-1\/chapter\/making-your-presentation-work\/","title":{"raw":"Making Your Presentation Work","rendered":"Making Your Presentation Work"},"content":{"raw":"
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Learning Objective<\/h3>\r\n
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  1. Learn how to deliver your message in a powerful and effective way.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\nWhen deciding on the structure of your presentation, there are a number of things to consider. Will you present to a group or to an individual? Where will you be giving your presentation? What tools will you use? Sometimes these options are under your control, but often in business-to-business (B2B) sales, you will have to adapt your presentation to your prospect\u2019s needs. In either situation, you can maximize your presentation if you know what to avoid, what to prepare for, and how to make your solution come to life with the tools you have.\r\n
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    The Right Size<\/h2>\r\nA good salesperson can read group dynamics as skillfully as she can read an individual prospect\u2019s verbal and nonverbal cues and is comfortable in one-on-one and in group presentation situations. This is critical because as a salesperson sometimes you have control over the kind of presentation you will deliver (group versus individual), but in many situations, the size of the audience to which you will present is determined by the needs and structure of your prospect\u2019s organization. In many organizations large purchasing decisions are the responsibility of purchasing committees or of a combination of individual and group decision makers.[footnote]Gary M. Grikscheit, Harold C. Cash, and Clifford E. Young, The Handbook of Selling: Psychological, Managerial, and Marketing Dynamics<\/em>, 2nd ed. (Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell, 1993), 152.[\/footnote]<\/span> You might find that you begin with several individual presentations to decision makers in an organization and then are asked to give a follow-up group presentation to a purchasing committee.\r\n
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    Presenting to Individuals<\/h2>\r\nIn one-on-one presentations, of course, you only have one person\u2019s needs, preferences, and background to research and adapt to, so customization is usually an easy task. You can closely observe your prospect\u2019s nonverbal communication and listen to her stated needs and concerns and respond accordingly. Does he look worried when you tell him that your company\u2019s integrated marketing plan usually takes four months to develop? You can explain that for preferred prospects you are sometimes able to turn around a faster solution. Does he seem distracted when you begin discussing product features? You can back off and begin asking more questions.\r\n\r\nAs you learned in Chapter 3 \"The Power of Building Relationships: Putting Adaptive Selling to Work\" in the discussion about social styles, you will be in a better position to deliver value during your sales presentation if you know something about your buyer\u2019s personality before going into the meeting: Is your prospect conversational and people oriented, or is he task oriented and businesslike? Does your prospect care about details and thorough descriptions, or does he prefer to see the \u201cbig picture\u201d? Is he competitive? How does he feel about change? Understanding these things about your prospect will help you to favorably position your product and plan your presentation so that you can put emphasis on the things that matter most to the individual. If you know your prospect is highly competitive, for instance, he will probably be interested in learning about the features that set your product apart from others on the market and the ways in which your product can give him or his company a competitive edge.\r\n\r\nWriting up a customer trait description before your meeting can be very helpful so that you can use the information as a guideline in preparing your presentation.[footnote]Gary M. Grikscheit, Harold C. Cash, and Clifford E. Young, The Handbook of Selling: Psychological, Managerial, and Marketing Dynamics<\/em>, 2nd ed. (Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell, 1993), 127.[\/footnote]<\/span> If you\u2019re working with an existing customer or if you\u2019ve interacted with your prospect prior to the presentation, you can use your observations to write a trait description. If you haven\u2019t met the prospect before, try asking other salespeople in your organization, noncompetitive salespeople at other companies, or other contacts you have who might have met your prospect and who can tell you something about her personality.[footnote]Gary M. Grikscheit, Harold C. Cash, and Clifford E. Young, The Handbook of Selling: Psychological, Managerial, and Marketing Dynamics<\/em>, 2nd ed. (Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell, 1993), 136.[\/footnote]<\/span> Also, use the company resources including the CRM system to gather as much information as possible about the company and your contact. In addition, it is also a good idea to send a precall questionnaire to your contact to gather information such as the names and titles of the people who will be attending the presentation, how much time has been allotted for you, objectives for the meeting, and any other information that will help you plan the meeting. This information can provide valuable information and help you create an agenda, which is a good idea to send to the prospect before the meeting.\r\n\r\nIn adapting to an individual buyer, it\u2019s also important to consider his motivation.[footnote]Gary M. Grikscheit, Harold C. Cash, and Clifford E. Young, The Handbook of Selling: Psychological, Managerial, and Marketing Dynamics<\/em>, 2nd ed. (Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell, 1993), 128.[\/footnote]<\/span> What are his responsibilities in the organization? What pressures does he face? Is he on a strict budget? Is he concerned with his status in the company? If you have two buyers who purchase the same product, chances are they\u2019ll be doing it for different reasons:[footnote]Gary M. Grikscheit, Harold C. Cash, and Clifford E. Young, The Handbook of Selling: Psychological, Managerial, and Marketing Dynamics<\/em>, 2nd ed. (Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell, 1993), 135.[\/footnote]<\/span> one person might buy a car from you because he sees it as a status symbol, while another person might buy the same car because it gets good gas mileage and is well built and reliable. Keep in mind that delivering value isn\u2019t only<\/em> about meeting a prospect\u2019s needs; it\u2019s also about showing him that you understand his specific motivations and concerns. The best salespeople present themselves as advisors their customers can trust.[footnote]Ian Brodie, \u201cBecoming a Trusted Advisor,\u201d Ian Brodie: Business Growth for Professional Service Firms, blog post, July 5, 2008, http:\/\/www.ianbrodie.com\/blog\/becoming-trusted-advisor<\/a> (accessed May 16, 2010).[\/footnote]<\/span> Is a prospect worried about proving herself in a new role in her company? Show him how your product can help him perform her role better, or demonstrate how people in similar positions at other companies have used your product with success.\r\n
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    Video Clip<\/h3>\r\nSell with Success Stories\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/ysguVTGkyA4\r\n\r\nListen to how Rachel Gordon, account manager at WMGK, uses success stories with other customers as a selling tool in her presentations to new prospects.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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    Presenting to Groups<\/h2>\r\nIf customization is that straightforward with an individual buyer, why would you ever choose to sell to a group? Besides the fact that sometimes the nature of the sale demands it, selling to groups is also more efficient than selling to individuals. If you\u2019re selling accounting software to a number of departments in an organization, rather than meeting individually with a decision maker from each department, you can save time by giving your sales presentation to a number of decision makers at once. Group presentations can also help you identify the decision makers in an organization if you aren\u2019t yet sure who they are. By keeping an eye on group dynamics during the presentation you can usually observe the \u201cpecking order\u201d among members and identify the individuals in the group whose opinions hold the most leverage.\r\n\r\nAdditionally, group presentations can be a way to win greater support for your sale. If you know one or two people in an organization who are excited about your product, you can allow their enthusiasm to influence others in a group setting.[footnote]Gary M. Grikscheit, Harold C. Cash, and Clifford E. Young, The Handbook of Selling: Psychological, Managerial, and Marketing Dynamics<\/em>, 2nd ed. (Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell, 1993), 165.[\/footnote]<\/span> Recall Selena Lo of Ruckus Wireless, who finds the \u201cfox\u201d within each of her target organizations and leverages his support of her product to sway the group buying decision.\r\n\r\nIf you know what is at stake for each member of the group, you will be able to facilitate the discussion during your presentation much more effectively. This is why it\u2019s important to gather information about everyone who will attend your sales meeting. Again, think of Lo\u2019s method, where she reads each group member\u2019s bio and googles their names before going into a group meeting. Find out the individual\u2019s needs within the organization. What is her status? How does she perceive the urgency of the problem you want to solve? Does she have any ego involvement in the product or service?[footnote]Barton A. Weitz, Stephen Byron Castleberry, and John F. Tanner, Selling: Building Partnerships<\/em>, 5th ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003), 264.[\/footnote]<\/span> (For instance, an accountant in the organization might feel threatened by new accounting software if it replaces part of her current role.) This will help you understand the most important concerns you will need to address in the presentation, and if certain parts of your presentation apply more directly to certain members of the group, you can direct those parts specifically at those individuals.\r\n\r\nKeep in mind that people act differently in group settings than they do when you are interacting with them alone, so finding out about individual members\u2019 personalities is less important in group presentations. Instead, adjust your presentation to the dynamics in the room. Watch the group for nonverbal cues; when one member is talking, observe how others react to see whether or not they support what she\u2019s saying.[footnote]Barton A. Weitz, Stephen Byron Castleberry, and John F. Tanner, Selling: Building Partnerships<\/em>, 5th ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003), 265.[\/footnote]<\/span> If the energy in the room feels low, or if you get the sense that the group is getting restless, consider moving on to the next part of your presentation or changing tactics.\r\n\r\nSometimes you won\u2019t know who or how many people you will be presenting to beforehand, so you won\u2019t be able to research the individuals. However, it\u2019s always a good idea to ask when you call to schedule your meeting. You may be able to find out information that your contact at the organization wouldn\u2019t otherwise volunteer.\r\n
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    Video Clip<\/h3>\r\nGroup Presentations\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/1pilX9TS930\r\n\r\nHear about how to use a group presentation to your \u201cunfair\u201d advantage in this video:\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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    The Right Place<\/h2>\r\nYou also might not know where<\/em> your presentation will happen. If you know you\u2019ll be presenting to your prospect at his office or in a conference room at his company, you won\u2019t have control over the environment. What happens if your prospect has reserved a meeting room and when you arrive there are no empty walls on which you can project the PowerPoint presentation you brought along? When you know you\u2019ll be presenting in an unfamiliar environment, make sure to have a contingency plan in place. If slides or other multimedia equipment are central to your presentation, talk to someone at the company to make sure you\u2019ll be able to use the equipment. And if this fails, be ready to rely on your handouts, product samples, or the good old whiteboard to carry the presentation through.\r\n\r\nOf course, in other situations, you will have control over the environment. In real estate, for instance, the presentation takes place inside the product. In retail, the presentation generally happens at your store. And there are other selling situations in which the prospect will come to your office or a conference room at your company or where you will meet at a \u201cneutral\u201d location like a rented meeting space.[footnote]John Chapin, \u201cSales Presentations\u2014How Location Can Affect Your Presentation and What to Do,\u201d CompleteSelling.com, blog post, March 14, 2008, http:\/\/www.completeselling.com\/members\/completeselling\/blog\/VIEW\/00000009\/00000076\/Sales-Presentations---How-Location-can-affect-Your-Sales-Presentation- and-What-to-Do.html<\/a> (accessed May 16, 2010).[\/footnote]<\/span> Here are a few guidelines to follow, depending on the environment in which you\u2019ll be presenting.\r\n
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    Your Place of Business<\/h2>\r\nWhen the prospect comes to you, treat her like you would treat a guest in your home. Make sure you set up any presentation materials well in advance and have refreshments set out in the conference room or your office. Think about ways you can add personal touches\u2014for instance, a sign with the prospect\u2019s name on it (\u201c[Your company name] welcomes [prospect\u2019s company name]\u201d), or, for a group presentation, information packets at each person\u2019s seat with his or her name on the front. Sales professional John Chapin suggests having small items on hand that you can give to your prospect, such as pens or calculators with your company logo on them.[footnote]John Chapin, \u201cSales Presentations\u2014How Location Can Affect Your Presentation and What to Do,\u201d CompleteSelling.com, blog post, March 14, 2008, http:\/\/www.completeselling.com\/members\/completeselling\/blog\/VIEW\/00000009\/00000076\/Sales-Presentations---How-Location-can-affect-Your-Sales-Presentation- and-What-to-Do.html<\/a> (accessed May 16, 2010).[\/footnote]<\/span> Small, thoughtful details can make an important difference.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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    A Neutral Location<\/h2>\r\nIf you are giving your presentation in a neutral location like a rented conference room you have the freedom to set up and work out any technical bugs well beforehand. When Keith Waldon of Earth Preserv was preparing for the presentation that secured his biggest customer, JCPenney, he rented a boardroom in a building near JCPenney\u2019s corporate headquarters. He opted for the rented space so that he could pull out all the stops for the presentation. \u201cI wanted to catch JCPenney by surprise,\u201d Waldon says.\r\n\r\nWhen the five executives arrived, Waldon had set up multimedia equipment for video, sound, and slides. He had placed a thick binder of presentation materials (including television storyboards, magazine advertisements, and product comparisons) at each executive\u2019s seat with his name and the JCPenney corporate logo embossed on the front. Besides the conference room, Waldon had also rented an empty storefront in the same building, and halfway through the presentation, he took his customers to see the retail window display he had created there to look like one JCPenney might use to display Earth Preserv products in their stores.[footnote]Susan Greco, \u201cAnatomy of a Launch: The Five-Hour Multimedia Sales Presentation,\u201d Inc.<\/em>, October 1, 1995, http:\/\/www.inc.com\/magazine\/19951001\/2441.html<\/a> (accessed May 16, 2010).[\/footnote]<\/span>\r\n\r\nSince you will have time to set up beforehand at a rented location, you can treat the presentation the way you would treat a presentation at your home office. Bring refreshments, set up any multimedia equipment well in advance, and arrive early to make sure everything is in working order at the facility. Make sure you know the name of the facility\u2019s contact person; you can call her several days ahead of time to find out what equipment she has at on hand and what you will need to bring.[footnote]John Chapin, \u201cSales Presentations\u2014How Location Can Affect Your Presentation and What to Do,\u201d CompleteSelling.com, blog post, March 14, 2008, http:\/\/www.completeselling.com\/members\/completeselling\/blog\/VIEW\/00000009\/00000076\/Sales-Presentations---How-Location-can-affect-Your-Sales-Presentation- and-What-to-Do.html<\/a> (accessed May 16, 2010).[\/footnote]<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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    Your Prospect\u2019s Place of Business<\/h2>\r\nWhen you deliver your presentation at your prospect\u2019s location, you won\u2019t have the luxury of extensive setup time, and you may find that you have to adapt to the space and resources on hand. However, there are a few things you can do to make a good impression and ensure that things go as smoothly as possible:\r\n