Best Presenters’ Best Practices

Congratulations! You learned you are a finalist! You know with a few real opportunities, it’s important to win every possible deal. Just as the solution you recommend is a critical factor in winning or losing, so is your presentation.

Best Presenters’ Best Practices:

• Don’t wing it! Practice, practice, practice. Ask for feedback from your manager and team members. If it is a team presentation, practice with your team.



• Assign roles and stick to them.
  


• Make it easy for your customer to say yes:

Link your recommendations to your customer’s priority objectives — in priority order.

Incorporate the customer’s language and needs on every slide and page.

Make it a “you” presentation (meaning the customer) vs. “We will do this … we will do that … we offer.” (Meaning your company presentation. Count the you’s when you practice.)

Leverage your internal client coach (hopefully, you have developed one) to validate what you plan to present and tweak before the presentation.

• Schedule yourself for the last presentation slot so your recommendations are fresh in the customer’s minds. By presenting last, you won’t educate your customers for your competitors and you’ll leverage what the customer knows and does not know.
  


• Review a bulleted agenda and check if it meets the customer’s expectations and ask where the customer wants emphasis.



• Create an interactive presentation by checking for questions throughout. Seek a 70% (you) and 30% (customer) mix of dialogue.

Every time you make a major point, ask the customers what questions they have. This will enable you to adjust as you go.

• Pause for a second after you make major points. For example, “Over two years we achieved savings of 35%, which means …” Pause and give your customer time to let the important points sink in! Use the Period Pause by maintaining silence for a second.



• Use concise, impressive examples to bring your ideas to life. Instead of just saying, “Our system allows for X,” give a quick, specific example and check for questions. Examples increase your credibility and make what you say memorable. Without examples, your best selling points can fall flat.
  


• Incoorporate your custom’s logo, color …



• Use your presentation materials to support, not “make,” your presentation

Put a heading on the top of each slide or page, but don’t stop there.

Say “hello” to each new screen/page with a lead-in to help prepare customers. For example, rather than immediately beginning to discuss the content of the screen or page, say something such as, “Let’s now look at impressive results.”

Say “goodbye” to each slide to help your customers keep track with you with a quick benefit summary.

Although you should invite questions throughout, after your final summary, check for remaining questions. “The bottom line is, within six months you would benefit by …” “What questions do you have …”

Use and refer to sections and page numbers.

In preparing your materials, look at your material to make sure it is not crowded. Leave space and use bullets. Count your slides — one every three minutes is the maximum for most presentations.

Visit Richardson at http://www.richardson.com/ to learn more about Richardson's comprehensive sales training and performance improvement solutions.