You’ve done the research, written the plans, and developed a strategy. Everything is in place. Now, it’s time to present…but it all seems stale. Your products are innovative. Your company is forward-thinking and initiating new strategies. But the way you present and sell those products is old-school, or worse, just tired. As a salesperson, you need confidence in what you’re presenting and how you’re doing it.
You have to go beyond that stagnant slide deck of information and incorporate an innovative way for your customers to become part of the interactive sales presentation. It’s time to move on from the boxes of brochures in your trunk. That doesn’t scream cutting-edge. Your sales presentation can be just as innovative as your products without sacrificing personal engagement. In fact, technology should make it easier to interact with your audience. Human connection is everything; use technology to make sure they feel that their voice is being heard and you’re giving them the information they want to hear.
A few simple steps to add innovation & interactivity into your sales presentation.
Have a Dynamic Presentation
Being able to adapt your message to any sales situation is key to having a compelling, high-impact presentation. The most success is seen when you’re prepared to handle anything that is thrown at you. It is not uncommon to walk into a sales situation and your audience is totally different than what you were expecting. Don’t let the shock of an unexpected audience type be the reason you don’t close the sale.
In order to see the best ROI, you must address each customer’s individual pain points. Understanding that everyone comes to you with a different circumstance puts you in the right mindset to focus on their specific needs. Once you identify your buyer’s specific needs, it’s time to present the solutions that will alleviate their pain. Now you can hone in on what products and/or services will be most successful and capitalize on how you are THE solution to their problem.
When you are prepared with an arsenal of materials, you are set up for ultimate success. No, you probably won’t use all of the collateral in every single presentation, but it’s better to be over-prepared than under-prepared. When you choose a digital platform to house your material, the possibilities are endless for how much information you can bring to the table.
Incorporating Toolsets
Show the customer that you mean business with an impressive lineup of toolsets. This is just another way to adjust the presentation to any sales situation. Move beyond just presenting slides and graphics, and give the customer-specific answers to their questions on the spot.
Content Search and Lookup: quickly search through your collateral to find the exact information you need right there. Instead of scrolling through an endless slide deck or infinite files and folders, locate what you need with a quick search. Your customers will be impressed with your ability to give them answers on the spot. Don’t be the salesperson who has to say “I’ll get back to you on that” just because you can’t find your answers quickly enough.
Form Builders: easily capture customer information with custom-tailored forms. Create needs assessments, lead capture, surveys, field inspections, checklists, and more to have at your disposal whenever you need. Having form builder tools within your presentation platform allows you to access all of your resources in one place. Streamline the capture of customer data and have confidence knowing all of your information is at your fingertips and can be digitally delivered with no hesitation.
Quote Builders: if a customer is ready to buy, don’t make them wait. Adding a tool that delivers quotes instantly is not only impressive but extremely effective. Walk away knowing that the customer has every piece of information they need in order to make a purchase decision. Proving a quote on the spot instills clarity and confidence in the customer. By adding a quote builder tool to your presentation, you eliminate this step from your post-meting to-do list and shorten the sales cycle.
Cost Calculator: real-time numbers and competitive comparisons. Give your customer exact information regarding sizes, quantities, consumption averages, cost savings, and more with custom cost calculators. Be proactive in providing information to your customer by giving these numbers immediately. Again, why wait till you get back to the office to send over this information when you can incorporate it into your presentation?
These little additions you add to your presentation are guaranteed to make you stand out from the crowd. Delivering relevant information that is specific to your customer makes them feel appreciated and valued. The biggest part of sales is the connection you make with your customer. Adding personal touches creates a more meaningful experience overall.
Utilizing the Latest Technology
Times are changing (and quickly at that), do not get left behind using outdated technology. An innovative presentation needs to be adaptable to the people you’re talking to, and also the environment you’re in. Having a platform that can accommodate any type of device with any operating system is now the industry standard. Choosing not to keep up with these trends puts you at risk of falling behind.
It is imperative that your presentation matches the innovation of the product you are trying to sell. A customer will not trust you if you’re trying to sell a ground-breaking product with an out-of-date presentation strategy. Every piece of the puzzle must radiate the same energy in order to ensure consistency in the way the product is understood.
Presenting from a tablet or smartphone is the new normal. Putting the presentation into the palm of your hand (and your audience’s hand) is a sure-fire way to make sure everyone in the audience is engaged. Screen share technology allows you to project your presentation onto any device. Approaching the sales situation equipped with the latest technology ensures you are prepared to focus on what really matters: engaging the buyer and closing the sale.
Include Videos
The most effective form of media is video. Including video adds variety to the presentation while giving your customer a visual representation of the product features. Having the ability to see exactly how the product performs can take away a lot of the unknowns. Incorporating customer testimonials is another way to add credibility to your products.
Including a depth of information through video engages the audience beyond what you alone can do. Just keep in mind the length of your video. Anything beyond 90 seconds will begin to bore the customer, so stay on top of the presentation with short, effective videos.
Adapt for Remote Sales
In the post-pandemic era, remote sales are not going away. We have found a way to broaden our audiences and reach more people, so the industry standards are changing. Remote sales can make it difficult to navigate the presentation, but technology is here to make it easier. Once you figure out a strategy that works for you, keep it going.
Although we all prefer to present in person, there will be times when customers just can’t be there in person. Do not be thrown off-guard just because your entire audience is not right there in front of you. Being adaptable in this situation is impressive to the client. Coming prepared with a way to cater to remote selling needs allows you to focus your energy on pitching the product.
Take some time to evaluate your presentation strategy. Are you keeping up with the relevant trends? Are you prepared to captivate your entire audience? If the answer to either of these questions is ‘no’ then it’s time to make some changes to your presentation.
Tools like Command.App can help you manage your content and deliver high-impact presentations to your reps effectively and efficiently. Creating a cohesive experience for your customer starts with a presentation tool that is as innovative as the products and services you are trying to sell. Manage all of your marketing materials from one dynamic platform that is specially designed to fit your needs. Enter the sales situation with cutting-edge technology in order to focus your energy on creating a connection and closing the sale.
Click HERE to learn more about how Command.App can help you present like the innovative company you are.