So you’ve scored some time with a prospect for a presentation. Congratulations! This gives you a wonderful opportunity to engage and establish rapport with the prospect… and move closer to conversion.
If it’s your first time to meet with client, make sure to make a great impression and ace the meeting. Prepare for the presentation with a convincing sales pitch. You have to remember the 5 Cs: clear, concise yet comprehensive, convincing, and customized for the prospect. Your pitch should also:
- Be relevant to the prospect. Don’t present anything generic! Show your understanding of the client’s business, industry, competition, and target market. This means that you have to gather intel on the prospect before the presentation.
- Answer the needs of the client
- Communicate your unique value proposition
- Demonstrate your expertise and/or authority—and your edge over competition
So you’ve perfected your pitch. But how should you conduct yourself during the presentation? Your perfect sales pitch may be forgotten—or worse, nixed—if you don’t manage to make a good impression. Building rapport with a prospect is paramount, and there are verbal and non-verbal cues you should always consider.
So how do stay engaging, personable, and convincing? How do you establish rapport? Here are our best tips for delivering a great sales presentation. These strategies specifically address establishing dynamics with the prospect.
1. Display enthusiasm
Nothing is more painful to watch than a person who looks like he’s just been depleted of his energy: monotonous, dull, mechanical, droning… you know the kind. While we don’t recommend that you begin bouncing off the walls, you have to show enthusiasm and energy. Being upbeat keeps your presentation upbeat—and keeps the audience’s interest.
Vary your tone. Sound animated for talking points that merit excitement—like product benefits and their value to the client. (Remember: highlight product benefits more than product features.) This also helps emphasize important parts of your presentation. Use movements and gestures to appear more lively. Don’t be afraid of displaying emotions: sound happy, share a joke. Yes, it’s a professional presentation, but you don’t have to appear robotic throughout. Look and sound like you’re happy to be there.
2. Don’t rely on your PowerPoint
If you are just going to read off your PowerPoint presentation, then just send the prospect a copy of it and call it a day. Nothing is more boring than having to sit through a presentation where a sales rep is just reading for the prospect. The prospect needs to experience your presentation through you.
This means lots of eye contact, and you can only do that if you take your eyes off of your PowerPoint deck. Remember that most people have a short attention span, especially for a presentation, and can tune out easily. They don’t see it as a “conversation” but almost like a lecture, so it’s your job to make it a conversation. Talk to the prospect; don’t talk at them. Worse, don't read to them.
And a note on the PowerPoint: keep it visually interesting and dynamic. And use minimal slides.
3. Tell great stories
Here’s the truth: most clients won’t remember all the stats and figures and data you have on your presentation. What they’ll remember is a great story. Stories stir up emotions. That’s what makes them memorable: associating feelings with something makes you remember it. Customer stories of success, especially those that are relevant to the prospect’s case or circumstances, are examples of great stories.
4. Allow prospect to talk, even interrupt
Your presentation is not a speech or monologue. It’s a dialogue with the prospect. They may have questions or comments while you’re presenting, so allow them to air those. A lot of them won’t actually interrupt, but reading non-verbal cues help, like furrowed or raised eyebrows, which could mean they are concerned or surprised by something you’ve said. Learn to read these cues. You can ask them instead, “Does everything make sense so far?” In fact, it would be advisable to check in with your audience every now and then, and get their thoughts on what you’re discussing. It keeps them engaged.
Besides, what they say is extremely important. That’s feedback, and you need lots of it during the presentation—so you can adjust where necessary—and after, come time for you to send a formal proposal.
5. Make the whole presentation about the prospect
It goes without saying that the whole presentation should be customized for the client. Address their specific challenges and goals. All examples and data should be relevant to the prospect. If it’s not applicable to your prospect’s circumstance, need, or objective, then it has no place in your presentation.
6. Be friendly and approachable
This is really the bottom line. A friendly stance helps make everyone feel comfortable. And when everyone is at ease, it's easier to establish rapport. Address the prospect by his name (people love hearing their names in conversations). Have an open body language. This means no crossed arms or legs and angle your body towards the prospect (and not away from him). Avoid distractions, like your phone, and stay focused on the prospect. And of course, a sincere smile goes a long way.
Photos from Unsplash. Main photo by Mimi Thian
