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Here is a brief hypothetical to lead into the topic of this article: you find yourself ‘having no choice’ but to deliver a half hour presentation to an audience of 100 people, and you know that if the presentation goes well it will mean a lot to your company, and to you too. So as to ensure success and to avoid any possibility of being perceived as boring, what factors would you have to consider and manage well…in terms of creating the presentation content, and then delivering your message in an interesting and dynamic way?

From my experience as a professional speaker, you must be sure that the ‘issue’ you will present on will be of great interest and importance to the audience. Second, it is critical that the presentation is broken down into segments that relate to each other and which form a good start, a good ending…featuring information in-between that is of great value to the audience, including examples and ‘visuals’ that help them to easily understand and appreciate your key points. Finally, it pays to have a seductive title for your presentation, and to season and spice your message with audience involvement…along with relevant humour to ensure enjoyment as well as education for the audience. There are also logistical factors to think about, such as ‘will people be able to see and hear what you are presenting?’, etc. If we compare notes at this juncture, it is possible that you covered one or two items that I didn’t, and vice versa. Here now is the point of the hypothetical: if you had to make such an effort to create and deliver a presentation to an audience of 100, then the same rule applies in equal measure when you are presenting to just one customer or prospect! The principal reason that most people fail at ‘making sales’ then, is that they do not engage in such a professional effort.

Imagine being part of an audience and having to sit through a formal presentation by someone who has made little effort or the wrong kind of effort, and then you will begin to know what it is like for most customers and prospects who have to endure official ‘sales calls’ – either in person or over the phone – from people who are unprepared and unrehearsed! It is imperative that when presenting to a customer or a prospect, a person in sales should know exactly what content they are going to ‘present’, also how to present their message in an interesting and engaging manner…and how to control the presentation to the point of success, from a purposeful start to a mutually productive finish.

This rarely happens because most companies are sensible and comfortable at setting and allocating sales budgets, and they are inarticulate and muddled when it comes to setting standards of sales behaviour…and yet it is the behaviour of sales people and nothing else that determines whether budget is hit or missed! If you want to help yourself or your team in this vital area of business development, then here are some tips:

• Keep a notepad with you at all times, so as to capture information as it arises, and create a file of very good ideas, true stories and personal thoughts on the topic of business success (or insist that your team does so). These notes will help with future presentations
• Create a ‘presentation template’ that reminds you, or your team, about the key elements to be considered and managed…for every selling occasion, small and large
• Learn each segment of the presentation in detail, and then plan how to present each item in the best possible way…including positive ways of involving the customer or prospect in the presentation process
• Practice delivering the presentation until you are fluent, organised and in control of what must be done, including timing factors

And remember that you are also ‘presenting’ even when sending emails to customers and staff; many messages I receive are full of basic mistakes!

Unlike audiences that show their discomfort when faced with poor presenters, individual customers and prospects use their power by cutting presentations short, deleting emails…and refusing to buy!