When addressing a new prospect, Sales collateral is a must. More specifically, sales presentations have a big impact on their decision-making process. In this context, knowing how to create and deliver an impactful presentation can be a game changer or even a competitive edge you want to leverage.
Today, it is common knowledge that a sales presentation must talk about the prospects’ needs, detail what you offer and what differentiates you from the competition. But, what does it take to create a truly convincing presentation?
In this article, we will share our tips and best practices to get started. Follow our advice and we can guarantee that your presentation will be impactful.
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Why are sales presentations important?
The prospect at the core of the sales presentation
Business development must be centered around your potential customer. The point is offering an added value that he can not turn down. It is not about proving your product is excellent, but rather demonstrating it is perfect for the prospect in question.
In this context, when your potential customer reads your presentation they must be able to quickly grasp their problem, the reason behind it, and how your product can solve it. An important thing to remember is that most prospects are not aware of the extent of their problem so an assertive sales presentation demonstrates that you understand him perfectly-maybe even better than they understand themselves!
A tailored fit sales presentation
A sales presentation is about much more than a financial proposal. The latter focuses uniquely on price and its distribution without taking into account how your product fixes the prospect’s issue. A sales presentation, however, is a project that also delivers information on return on investment (ROI).
You should consider the sales presentation as a document that you create alongside your client. By making him a part of the process, they will be actively involved in your sales
Moreover, when presented with your sales presentation, it will be easier for your prospect to defend in front of their peers. It is at that closing state that it all plays out, so it is in your best interest to pay attention to the details.
How to write an impactful sales presentation?
While you build your sales presentation, preparing the field is essential. We have a few tips to help you create a tailor-fit sales presentation that will certainly be impactful to your prospect.
Research
Before you get started, you need to research your prospects (such as the company, their position, potential needs…). By studying their context it will be easier to personalize your presentation.
To better understand your prospect through research you can look into :
- their content (website, blog, articles…)
- their social media
- their customers and/or partners
Discuss with the prospect
A great sales presentation should reflect the discussions with the prospect on the first stage of the sales process. If you determine the prospect’s issue and all its angles, you will build a more personalized presentation. The more added value you bring in, the more you stand out from your competition.
Remember, thinking about the added value you present to your potential customer is thinking about the value proposition you wish to propose.
From your discussion with the prospects you should gather :
- Who are the key players that would be involved in the decision-making process
- What is their ideal budget
- Who your potential competitors are
Be believable
Always be mindful of remaining believable across the sales presentation. For example, when addressing ROI, include an example of a customer use case. The experience of your customers interests the prospect.
Customer experience is excellent business leverage! Rather than focusing only on numbers, create engagement through interesting anecdotes. Also, it’s always a plus to mention your company’s certificates.
Finally, when the prospect’s issue is mentioned, beware not to sound like a “lesson giver”. For example, starting sentences with “You feel that” enables you to remain neutral when exposing the prospect’s pain point.
Create a defined structure
Is your sales proposal easy to read and are the key benefits presented memorable?
Define a clear structure to guide your sales speech and remember to remain as visual as possible. For example, assemble all technical details and documentation in an appendix to avoid making the presentation too overloaded. The key is to optimize your sales presentation and deliver the message efficiently.
Choose the right format for your sales presentation
The format of your sales presentation should be a reflection of your professionalism and the offer’s seriousness. Sales presentations best suit more visual formats as PDF or PowerPoint for example.
To ensure a better visualization, keep in mind the following tips :
- write short paragraphs;
- insert graphics and diagrams;
- play with colors and graphics;
- ensure your title is a good summary of your sales presentation.
Test your sales presentation
A good way of determining whether a sales presentation is truly tailored to a prospect is by replacing their name with another. If the sales presentation adapts perfectly to another prospect, it means it is not targeted and personalized enough.
In the same way, if you feel like one of your competitors could have delivered a similar sales presentation, you might not have highlighted your company’s assets enough.