Preparing For The Sales Presentation
17 Feb 2008
On Saturday I presented a ten minute Showcase Speech at The Professional Speakers Association. It’s an occasion when a Member gives a ten minute talk and then is critiqued by their peers – no holds barred! It’s an opportunity to show how good or bad you are and to get honest feedback on your performance from a group of forty to fifty other professional speakers.
Ten minutes is a very short space of time to present a complete topic in an interesting and exciting way and with audience interaction. No matter how many times you have spoken in public before, the occasion is nerve wracking to say the least and so I researched the subject matter of my talk and rehearsed it many times in the days before the presentation.
The reason I am writing about this is because I also spend an equal amount of time rehearsing any important sales pitch I have to make. I have been selling for over twenty five years so I reckon I’m very good at selling, but I never go into an important meeting without being totally prepared and rehearsed. I do this every time and the bigger the sales opportunity, the more time I spend rehearsing.
I will research and get as much information as I can about the company I am selling to and the people I am presenting to. I have my ‘facts’ questions and my ‘pain’ questions’ ready and I also brainstorm with my colleagues every possible objection that might come up so that I have answers ready for those objections. I have my ‘ideal price’ fixed in my mind and my ‘walk away’ price established so that I don’t fall into the trap of dropping my price any lower than I would want to if the negotiation gets very intense. I am totally prepared for everything that might arise in my presentations and negotiations.
Are you?
If you are – congratulations! If you are not, then you owe it to yourself to spend more time preparing and rehearsing. It can take a lot of time and effort finding a new prospect to present to. Why ruin it by not being sufficiently prepared? You will see your closing rate escalate significantly when you spend the time preparing and rehearsing your sales presentations.