If sales were easy, nobody would work in any other field. Sales requires a particular aptitude and talent, an intuitive ability to understand what a prospect’s needs are and how to meet them. Some people are just natural when executing sales presentations and delivering the perfect pitch.
With that said, some practices and strategies can be taught, especially when it comes to sales presentations.
Learning these best practices for sales presentations and knowing how to apply them to your selling process is key in reaching the sales goals that your company strives for.
6 Sales Presentation Statistics That Will Change the Way You Sell:
These numbers back up just how important it is to focus on crafting the perfect sales presentation using techniques approved by top sales experts:
- If there is a video in your presentation, consumers are 85% more likely to buy your product or service. Stat from CustomShow
- About six in every ten buyers want to discuss pricing on the first call. Stat from HubSpot
- Cold calls tend to work best between 4:00 and 5:00 PM. Stat from The Brevet Group
- B2B buyer groups consist (on average) of 5.4 people. Stat via CEB
- Ending your sales presentation with story is effective since 63% of attendees remember stories. Stat from RedBase Interactive
- Having a formal sales process can boost revenue up to 28%. Stat from HBR
- Top performing salespeople are ten times likelier to use collaborative words and phrases in their sales presentation. Stat from Community Chorus
- Half of all sales goes to the vendor who first approaches the client. Stat from The Brevet Group
Sales Presentation Best Practices Take Advantage Of:
So how do those stats translate into actionable strategies for your sales team?
Here are some time tested and proven best practices to try:
1.Be Fast and First
As noted above, nearly half of all sales go to the vendor who first approaches the client. The other half is based on a service which is clearly better, but when two salespeople offer equal solutions to the client’s needs — the customer is going to hire the first person to approach them.
2. Social Media
Providing a history of social media posts about a product or service can fill two functions. It can draw in an unexpected business prospect who simply finds the post with an internet search engine, or it can prove a reliable history of working in the field when someone is considering which service to buy.
For presentations, it can help to include social links at the end. This enables the prospect to look into you, and your company, on whatever platform they’re most comfortable with.
3.Training
Training is essential to success in sales. It involves understanding what has and has not worked for other salespeople in the field, and fully understanding the product or service offered well enough to answer even the most bizarre question a potential client might ask.
Having a professional sales expert train your team on presentation skills is a great way to make sure your team is armed with the tools they need to craft successful presentations.
4. Going the Extra Mile
Yes, how to explain the usefulness of a product or service can be important in your sales presentation — but have you done anything to truly wow your audience?
Try incorporating a helpful video, or an intriguing story. These are the elements that your prospects will remember, and that will set your company above the rest. Having a video that is standardized in the sales presentation is a great way to ensure consistency across salespeople.
5. Be a Real Person: Accessibility and Communication
The key to making a successful sales pitch is to come across as a person who is friendly, accessible, and professional. Assuming a great product which serves the needs of a potential customer, all other factors being equal, the customer is going to land their purchase with the person who communicates well and describes their service the best.
Again, it’s an intuitive process to understand which client needs to be told “what” to buy, and which client prefers to be told “why” to buy.
Often, the salesperson understands what a client needs before the client knows how the product or service will benefit their end goals, and it takes a particularly nuanced personality to express that need without sounding demeaning toward the end user of the service.
6. Understanding Cold Call Attempts vs. Success
Cold call sales have always been more difficult than following a lead, as the salesperson sees the need before the client does rather than responding to someone who recognizes how the service will suit them.
Years ago, it was commonly accepted to expect one out of every 3-4 cold call attempts to result in a sale. In today’s world, it takes eight tries, on average, to find a paying customer.
Focus on meeting your prospects where they’re at — at times that are proven to work best for them. As we noted, statistically this is between 4:00 and 5:00 PM.
Noon is perhaps the worst time to call, as nobody wants to spend their lunch break working with a salesperson. Nine in the morning is a risk, some people are busy preparing their schedule for the day while others have little to do at such time.
Looking to Learn More About Sales Presentations?
All of us make presentations each and every day of our professional life. Today’s dynamic business leaders understand that each presentation is an opportunity, one that must be on target.
As a presentation coach for some of today’s fastest growing companies, I get to work with business professionals who need to deliver compelling messages. Whether they are speaking to an audience of one or one hundred, it’s critical to engage and motivate your listeners to take action.
Check out my workshop on sales presentation skills to see how we could work together to revolutionize sales presentations in your company.