5 Simple Steps to the Best Sales Presentation of Your Life Getting sidetracked may actually help you.
By Marc Wayshak Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
You know that feeling you get when you absolutely crush a sale? You connect with a prospect who's excited about your offering, and you close a larger deal than you ever expected to. If these big successes feel random and unpredictable, it's time to focus on a reliable sales presentation strategy that can help you crush more sales than ever before.
Related: How to Make Sales Without Constantly Asking for Them
By following just a few simple steps, you can make any sales meeting a success. Are you ready to give the best sales presentation of your life? Check out these five steps to the perfect sales presentation, so you can start to crush your sales goals:
1. "KISS."
In this case, KISS stands for "Keep It Short, Stupid!" It might sound harsh, but this simple advice will help you give a killer sales presentation, every time. Do you like listening to someone else ramble on and on? Of course not -- and neither does your prospect. This is common sense, yet most salespeople get carried away with excitement over what they have to share and end up talking way too much. Make this mistake, and you'll see your prospect's eyes glaze over. Instead, keep your presentation as short as possible. Focus only on what your prospect cares most about, and nothing more.
2. Present a solution.
Don't think of your offering as a product or service. Instead, think of it as a solution to your prospect's deepest frustrations. Spend the discovery portion of your meeting uncovering and understanding those top challenges, then focus the rest of your presentation on solving them. Don't get distracted by features and benefits that aren't relevant to your prospect, or you might just talk your way out of closing a big sale.
Related: 3 Ways to Use Emotional Storytelling in Your Next Sales Presentation
3. Tell a story.
Rattling off a list of features and benefits isn't engaging. It's boring. Keep prospects interested by using case studies to tell a story. Not only is this more fun for prospects to listen to, but it also allows them to picture themselves achieving specific results. Share the story of a client who faced a similar key challenge and solved it with your offering. This brings lists and statistics to life in a compelling way that will ultimately help you close way more sales than ever before.
4. Be willing to get sidetracked.
When you've rehearsed your presentation and have certain points in mind that you'd like to cover, an interruption from a prospect might catch you off guard. You might think, "I don't want to get sidetracked," or "I'll just finish this point really quickly and then see if they have any questions." This is sales suicide! If you want to close a sale, you have to understand what your prospect is thinking, and any interruption is the perfect opportunity to do that. Welcome your prospect's question or concerns. Then use what you learn to tailor the rest of your presentation to what your prospect cares most about.
5. Ditch the monologue.
Many salespeople, when moving from the discovery process to the sales presentation, switch from an engaging dialogue to an informative monologue. Instead, keep the meeting conversational by ending sentences with little questions such as, "Does that make sense?" or "Would this work for you?" These mini-questions create more value when you sell, and provide you with helpful feedback throughout the meeting. This feedback will ensure you and your prospect are both headed in the same direction -- toward a successful close.
Related: Creating Sales Presentations That Convince Prospects to Buy
Which of these five steps stands out to you? How will you use it to make your next presentation your best one yet? For more powerful sales advice, check out this free ebook on 31 Strategies to Dominate Your Competition in Sales.
