{"id":128,"date":"2015-07-29T23:46:34","date_gmt":"2015-07-29T23:46:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.candelalearning.com\/salesx17xmaster\/?post_type=chapter&p=128"},"modified":"2015-07-29T23:51:28","modified_gmt":"2015-07-29T23:51:28","slug":"putting-it-all-together","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/cerritos-sales-1\/chapter\/putting-it-all-together\/","title":{"raw":"Putting It All Together","rendered":"Putting It All Together"},"content":{"raw":"
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Learning Objective<\/h3>\r\n
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  1. Learn the five steps of a successful sales presentation.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\nAs you have probably realized by now, there are many things to keep in mind when planning and executing a sales presentation. It can be enough to overwhelm even the most experienced sales professional.\r\n
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    Video Clip<\/h3>\r\nPresent Successfully\r\n\r\nWhat are the most important ingredients to a successful presentation? Watch the following video to hear several experienced salespeople share their perspectives.\r\n\r\nhttp:\/\/www.inc.com\/inctv\/2007\/07\/making-a-sale.html<\/a>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nWhile there is no one magic formula that will make your presentation come to life, successful presentations generally have a number of elements in common. Thinking of your presentation in terms of the following five steps will help you to plan and execute it with greater ease and success. Before the presentation, it\u2019s a good idea to ask your prospect how much time is allotted for your presentation. That will help you tailor your presentation appropriately, keeping in mind your prospect\u2019s time. It\u2019s also a good idea to start the meeting by setting expectations in terms of time: \u201cJust as a time check, I\u2019ll spend thirty minutes on the presentation and allow fifteen minutes for discussion. We\u2019ll plan to wrap up by 11 o\u2019clock.\u201d\r\n
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    Step 1: Build Rapport<\/h2>\r\nIn relationship selling, building rapport with your prospect lays the foundation for a selling partnership that could continue for many years. Especially if the sales presentation will be your first in-person interaction with your prospect, put effort into making a good impression. Offer your prospect a firm handshake and start with some small talk to break the ice. This isn\u2019t difficult; you can establish a connection with a complete stranger over something as simple as the weather or a recent sporting event. Experienced salespeople use observation to their advantage, learning about the customer by noticing the environment of the prospect\u2019s office. Are their photographs or artwork displayed on the walls? What items does the customer keep on her desk? As Bruce Harris, account manager with UPS, says, \u201cA person\u2019s office is a reflection of who they are and serves as an insight into his\/her personality.\u201d[footnote]Bruce Harris, \u201cThe Eyes Have It,\u201d American Salesman<\/em> 54, no. 3 (2009): 17[\/footnote]<\/span> You can make a personal connection and break the ice by questioning your prospect about a family photograph or a trophy he keeps on display. However, make sure not to go overboard on the small talk. Remember that your prospect is busy and has a limited amount of time to meet with you. If you spend too long on chit chat, you will eat up some of the time you need to get through your call objectives. Build rapport and then get down to business.[footnote]Neil Rackham, SPIN Selling<\/em> (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1996), 144.[\/footnote]<\/span> This is also a perfect time to confirm the time that is allocated to you for your presentation. Although you discussed it when you set up the appointment, it\u2019s always a good idea to confirm since things change at the last minute. This will help you quickly make adjustments if need be.\r\n\r\nIn group presentations, it is harder to leave room for small talk because if everyone starts talking, the meeting could lose its focus quickly\u2014and in very large sales presentations, small talk is impossible. Geoffrey James suggests building \u201cgroup rapport\u201d by opening your presentation with a memorable remark: something challenging or amusing.[footnote]Geoffrey James, \u201cHow to Give a Killer Sales Presentation,\u201d BNET, May 17, 2009, http:\/\/blogs.bnet.com\/salesmachine\/?p=2940<\/a> (accessed May 16, 2010).[\/footnote]<\/span> You could also open with a brief anecdote that establishes a common connection: \u201cWhen I dropped my son off at school this morning, he told me to make sure not to give a boring presentation today.\u2026\u201d A comment like this might get a chuckle out of your audience and will build a connection because others in the audience probably have children as well and may have had common experiences.\r\n\r\nLeading your presentation off with situation questions is another way to break the ice and get people talking. In group settings, people are often uncomfortable sharing their opinions right away, but if you ask questions that call for factual observation, rather than opinion (How many departments in your organization would be affected by this decision? What is the average turnaround time once an issue goes to press?), people can answer without feeling threatened.[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), 158.[\/footnote]<\/span> Once you get people talking, you can lead into problem and implication questions that require your audience members to voice an opinion.\r\n\r\nRecall from the last section that it\u2019s always a good idea to recap the findings of your last meeting in the opening of your call. This is another way to build rapport, remind your customer of your previous discussion, ensure that everyone is on the same page, and transition into your business topic.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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    Step 2: Make a General Benefit Statement<\/h2>\r\nKeep in mind that to effectively demonstrate capability, you should sell benefits\u2014solutions that address your prospect\u2019s specific needs\u2014rather than features or advantages. If your sales call is a follow-up on a previous call, you can make a benefit statement early on that will address issues you discussed in your last meeting:\r\n\r\n\r\nIn our previous discussion, you mentioned that you had a minimum ROI requirement of 20 percent per year, and you said that you would be interested in pursuing this sale further if we could propose a solution that would meet your requirements. I\u2019ve created an ROI analysis here that shows how outsourcing your back office work through our firm will yield an annual ROI of 25 percent. Other businesses like yours have experienced these results with us and have been very satisfied with the transition. Here\u2019s what we envision for your company. (Show a slide with a diagram or chart giving a visual representation of your prospect\u2019s cost savings with this solution.) Is this something you would be interested in?\r\n<\/span>\r\n\r\nIn this general benefit statement, the salesperson has\r\n