Sales Presentation: The Beginning of Most Business Relationships
Very little happens in business without first a sale being made. The sales contact is the beginning of a business relationship. No factory operates without first a sale occurring. Nothing gets engineered, designed, conceived or produced without a sale being made, even if it is only the selling of the idea to design and produce a product. A sales presentation is the action that makes everything happen.
Can’t spell Sales Presentation without Sales
A sale is the determination of a need and the presentation of a product to fill that need. That may sound simple, but that is really all there is to selling. Of course, before a sales presentation can be made, it requires a lot of research to locate prospective customers, an understanding of their needs and the development of an answer for those needs. This information is used to put together into a concise, logical, well thought out presentation that will display the product in the proper light via presentation software and presentation tools, showing that it meets the needs of the client. The sales presentation may be accompanied by a display of business software data, product/service samples, technical data, material safety data sheets (MSDS), and how the product has been applied to companies with similar profiles to the prospective client. Due to the amount of time needed for such research, the time of a sales presentation can in fact be saved by presenting the data to the attendees live over the Internet via desktop sharing software in the form of an online presentation. This drastically reduces travel time, as well as travel costs. The costs of a sales presentation online are further reduced via the use of free desktop sharing or free web conferencing software.
Sales presentations via such collaboration software also widen the audience possiblities, with several prospects being able to attend the presentation from different worldwide locations in the form of a web conference or netmeeting.
The term “sales presentation” may be applied to nearly every presentation that is designed to elicit support, to educate, to convince, to encourage participation and to motivate. A feasibility study, market plan and business plans are similar to a sales presentation, in fact, they often involve “selling” prospective investors, business associates, designers and others who may be needed for a business venture. Everyone involved benefits from a sales presentation, even if no sales are made. The presenter learns about the prospect and what their needs really are. The prospect is educated about the product presented and about the presenter themselves. If the presentation was for the development of a business venture, all parties know what has to be done next.
Preparing a Sales Presentation
When it comes to presentation tips, the sales presentation is best organized in five parts:
- The attention-getting opening or introduction.
- Why the presentation is being made and a brief history of the company and product being presented.
- The body of the presentation; product details, applications, availability, support services, costs and how it applies to the prospect’s needs.
- The summary of the presentation; why it was made and the salient points about the product application to the prospect’s needs.
- The Close – ask for the order.
Even if the sales presentation does not result in an immediate order, the next step is determined for both the presenter and the prospect. Follow up presentations may not be as involved and consequently can be achieved easily and effortlessly via web conferencing, but are used to emphasize the need for the product (or service).
