by Robert Wiley

Created on: September 30, 2009

Tips on giving an effective sales presentation.

There are several things that come into play during a sales presentation. However, if one truly masters some basic techniques their sales presentations will be better and more effective because of it, bringing more sales and profit to the bottom line.

Approach your customer.

Be professional and friendly towards your potential customer. Let them know that you are there to inform them about your product or company and that you are able to answer any questions or concerns that they may have.

Exude Confidence.

Make good eye contact and ensure that you have your customers attention during the presentation. Make sure that you know everything possible about your product. One must be confident in what it is there selling. Utilize personal stories about your product and make sure that your body language is effective and inviting.

Know the benefits.

What purpose will the product provide the customer? Will it be worth more in the future? Does it meet a need or have a specific purpose? What are the best features and benefits that the customer is looking to get out of the product? A good sales person knows the answers to these questions and more importantly is confident enough to explain it to the potential customers. Keep your customers involved during your presentation. Have them tell you of their difficulties in certain situations and then explain how your product will alleviate those issues. As much as customers would love to hear about this particular vacuum they would rather hear about how much time Aunt Martha saves because of the bag-less feature it has.

Know the arguments against.

Know what the leading arguments are about your product; more importantly be able to overcome questions against it with sound logical answers. Is it price? Is it the cost of maintaining the product? If one cannot convince a customer that your product is better than the argument then the sale is lost. If it is a group presentation one argument against the product with no sufficient answer to satisfy their question will potentially cost you several other sales opportunities. Take some time and learn the most common questions and concerns that potential customers have and learn what the answers are. Being prepared for adversity is one of the best advantages that a sales person can have.

Ask for the sale.

How many sales are lost because nobody ever asked for the sale after a presentation? Make sure that you ask for the sale afterwards. Many times this will bring up previously unasked questions and concerns, allowing you another opportunity to sell your potential customers on your product on a more personal level.

Thank your customer.

Another often lost opportunity is thanking the customer. Make sure that you thank them for their time and for any sales that result. Invite them back or ask for other opportunities, perhaps the potential customer is not ready at this time. In the future, they might be and will contact you for the sale.

Sales can be challenging. Being prepared has its advantages. One of them is more sales. As long as you display confidence and are willing to learn about your product, and the common arguments of obtaining it you will be able to give a successful sales presentation.

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