Selling to audiences via presentations is a bit different from selling face to face - but it still requires a structure. There are four parts to the structure:
1. Establish the generic problem,
2. Show how it specifically affects your audience,
3. Share the generic solution, and
4. Show how you provide the solution.
If you learn how to do this in your presentations, the benefits are more sales and less stress.
Did you know that research has been done on the process of selling high value services like presentations training and consulting? It was conducted by Neil Rackham, a psychologist who was interested in finding out what the best salespeople to when they are in front of a prospect. In his book "SPIN Selling", Rackham points out that the best sales people highlight the client's problem, then build the problem before they share the solution. Selling to an audience via a business presentation is much the same in that it needs a similar structure, though some of the steps need a slight tweak.
Let's look at how to structure sales presentations following my four step process.
1. Establish the generic problem. Having observed hundreds of presentations containing data and analysis by far the biggest problem made by most sales people is that they share the solution too soon. As a result the client has no context for why they need to buy.
Recently a sales person gave me a presentation on a new piece of search engine optimisation software. I agreed it was good software but I just couldn't see why I needed it. He would have fared better if he'd started by explaining the typical problems experienced by someone who used the software.
2. Show specifically how the problem affects the audience. Having stated the problems, show some case studies across different sectors that demonstrates how the problems affect different types of business. Highlight how the big issues are affected e.g. service, cost, or customer retention. Doing that increases audience relevancy
3. Provide a generic solution. You don't want to jump in too early by showing your solution, it smacks of, well, selling. Also you don't know the needs of each individual in the audience. So first provide some value for them by giving a few generic principles for solving their problem. For example the soft ware salesman should have said you need software that helps: a) the search process, b) to establish your keywords. Providing the generic solution allows the audience to build trust with you.
4. Show how you can provide the generic solution. This really important, you have to provide your unique selling point, what is it that they can only get from you? And what are the benefits. So many sales presentations fail to demonstrate the uniqueness of a solution, and as a result the audience just buy something cheaper. Don't let it happen to you.
Rackham says that helping your clients see their problem before you present a solution helps them to understand why they need what you sell. But using a pre-determined structure has other benefits for you: less time to prepare, less stress during the process, and (of-course) more sales after your presentations.
