Creating a powerful sales presentation!
In honor of this past shark week, I have created this blog for another type of shark- the salesperson!
Sales can come off a bit intimidating for anyone who has never actually been in sales. The mental stress of knowing you have to meet sales goals or you'll get the boot can throw anybody off; specially if you will get the boot if you don't sell. That's why I have made this blog to help you make your presentation more appealing even to the toughest of consumers.
Because every presentation should be adaptable for every customer, I will give you the basics beyond the known steps in the sales process to enhance what you already know.
1. Be pushy, but not too pushy
When you're desperate to sell, a customer will notice. Getting within two inches of their face, speaking at the speed of light about a product will usually give off the vibe that you just want to sell something, and quick. So, try to make the pressure for them to buy from you a bit more casual. How do you do it? It's simple.
If you have ever been a fan of a show, or any consumer product there has to have been an instance when someone either asked you about it or you just engaged in a conversation about it and spoke of it admiringly in a way that made it seem like it would be useful for someone else to use or take a look at it. Selling something for your own profit is no different! Engage in a conversation with a customer as if they were your friend or acquaintance and you are informing them of how cool and useful this which you are trying to sell to them is.
In other words, be passionate about what you are selling. Your passion will shine through and a customer will want to engage in the product.
Which leads me to the next point.
2. Have an objective in mind
In beginning theatre classes, one of the first things they teach you is objective. Every character has an objective.
Objective: A thing aimed at or sought; a goal.
The same applies for sales. You need to determine what your objective is for every customer. Do you want to sell the latest product? Do you want to sell a product that makes you the most money? Etc. It's a given that you always want to qualify a customer first, do the "shut up and let the customer speak" routine because it's vital to selling, but there are instances when maybe you can add to the sale for a higher gross profit. In that case, having an objective in mind is useful because aiming to prove the importance of a warranty or accessory makes a difference. Regardless of what technique you are using, ALWAYS ALWAYS listen to what the customer is telling you they want, and go from there.
3. Be familiar with your product
The worse mistake any salesperson can make is attempt to sell a product they know nothing about. Not only will you make yourself look foolish trying to speak about something you don't know about, but a customer will notice that you don't believe in your product and will lose interest. So my advice is, know your product. Believe in your product. Find what makes this product that you are selling important to the client. Cliche, but I've run across many people who have no idea what it is they are selling... they just linger expecting a product to sell itself. A good salesperson knows that doesn't always work out.
4. Wording is everything
The most important part to enhancing a sales presentation, and perhaps one of the toughest ones because it builds off experience and knowledge of the previous points is your wording. Lying to a customer is never encouraged. Never, ever. Because it is unethical and it will always finds its way back to you. What is encouraged is using appropriate wording to make something more appealing or to apply pressure.
For example, instead of asking a customer if they want to purchase a warranty, giving them the choice to say "no", you inform them that the product they are buying comes with a warranty and ask them which one they want and explain the benefits.
That works well for closing a sale as well. Wording is vital to closing a sale. Removing the option for a customer to chose if they want something or not creates a sense of urgency.
5. Always be positive
No matter how tough a customer may be, you always have to stay positive. It is a given that not every customer will buy, but that's sales (especially in today's economy). Sales will sometimes, be high and sometimes they will be low. A good salesperson knows the ups and downs are consistent, but it's important to keep spirits up when they are low. So, consider this and the other four points I made next time you are engaging in a sale.
I appreciate feedback, and Happy Selling!
