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Step One: Entry |
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| It's very important to get your presentation started on the right foot. Here are some guidelines. | |
Preparation - Before you knock on the door |
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| Objective: Be prepared for any situation or question that will arise during a sales presentation. Be able to position your product as the solution to your prospect's problem no mater what the problem is. | |
You must be prepared:This really goes without saying, but it's vital that you know your own product inside and out, and you should know your competitors' products inside and out as well. You cannot be caught off guard when a prospect asks you about any competitive product or you will lose credibility. It's imperative to know more than just the features of your product - that's an amateur approach - focus on all of the possible benefits that those features could provide to a person, family or a company. Make a master list of these features and benefits (and continually add to it) and memorize it. As you get to know the prospects in each of your presentations, you will know which benefits to focus on. To be a successful salesperson, you must have the mind set of offering benefits to customers and meeting each of their individual needs. Remember this quote by Zig Ziglar: "You can get anything in life you want if you just help enough other people get what they want." The presentation you're about to give isn't just about your product. It's about the people sitting across the table from you and how your product will meet their needs. Once you really understand this, you're doing better than the average salesperson out there. |
Positive Mental Attitude Before you think about meeting with prospects, you must develop a positive mental attitude. If you go into a sales presentation with a negative attitude, you might as well just hand the prospects your competitor’s business card and not waste any more time. Focus on being enjoyable to be around and confident in your abilities and product. Remember that people want to do business with people they enjoy being around. |
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First Impression |
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| Objective: Get the presentation off on the right foot. A poor first impression can be very difficult to overcome. | |
| It’s critical. You must make a positive first impression. Luckily, it’s really not that difficult. Just act like you’re entering a job interview. Been a few years since you’ve interviewed for a job? Here are some guidelines to follow: |
Demeanor: |
| Appearance: Get a haircut. Be clean shaven. A good rule of thumb is to dress one step nicer than you think the prospects will be dressed, and if you don’t know how they will be dressed, err on the side of over dressing. The main point is that your prospect should be focused on your presentation - not on your flashy or grungy appearance. |
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| Timing: If you’re a few minutes late, your prospect is likely forming an opinion about you before you’re even there to defend yourself! Be on time by taking into account the possibility of traffic congestion, taking a wrong turn or getting lost. What’s the worst thing that can happen? You get there early and focus yourself on your presentation for a few minutes before you make your entry? |
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Get Acquainted |
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| Objective: Get acquainted with the prospects and do your best to make them comfortable with you. More importantly, this is a great opportunity to learn about your customer and determine how to mold your presentation to meet them where they are. | |
| Nobody expects you to start your presentation right when you get in the door, so you have a few minutes to get acquainted with your prospects, and don’t overlook that a little small talk can go a long way - if you pay attention, it will help you improve your presentation. So what's the easiest way to get acquainted with prospects and even get them to like you? Take an interest in what they have to say. First you have to get them to open up... |
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| Questions... and Listening | |
Pay attention to your surroundings when you go to a prospect's home. What's their neighborhood like? What's parked in the driveway? Whose pictures do they have hanging on their wall? Basically, what do you see that you can either compliment them about or ask them about to get them telling you about themselves. This is a time for open ended questions. Don't ask any questions that they can simply answer "yes" or "no" to. Remember you want your prospects to open up and do most of the talking. The more you learn about them, the better you can make your presentation for them because you're going to focus your presentation on how your product specifically benefits them. |
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| Transition: As important as breaking the ice is, don’t get too carried away with trying to learn the life story of your prospects. Pay attention to their verbal and non-verbal cues that say let’s move on. If you don’t get those cues, make the transition to why you’re really there: to demonstrate your product. You have set the stage with your Entry. Now it’s time to work your way closer to the all important demonstration that you are there for, but the Pre-Demonstration outlines some measures you must take before getting there. | |
