Q:   I work for a high technology company offering software and technical services to major corporations. I have a major presentation coming up and I'd like to know what I can to to insure my success. Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you,
Alaina
Chicago, IL


A: Great question Alaina. Let's start with what your overall goal should be for your presentation. Is it to differentiate your product? No, that is secondary. Your overall goal is to differentiate yourself in a positive way in the eyes of the customer. Presentations provide an excellent opportunity for you to accomplish this goal. There are several best practices superstars utilize when planning, preparing, delivering and following up on presentations or demonstrations. One is called the Trust Triangle Selling Presentation Prep Script. Look for more presentation best practices in future Trust Triangle Selling newsletters.



The superstar abides by the principle that when making a presentation there is no such thing as a "Standard" presentation. All presentations are customized for each particular client.  

Here is how you would use the The Trust Triangle Selling Presentation Prep Script. Prior to the presentation you should call or visit each key attendee and say something like this:

YOU: "Hi, Dr. Simpson, this is Alaina."

CUSTOMER: "Hello Alaina, I guess we have a meeting set up soon, right?"

YOU: "Yes, thank you very much for agreeing to attend my presentation. Your time is extremely valuable and I want to make sure I use it as efficiently as possible. I will be customizing a presentation specifically for you. Could you please review the top three points that you would like me to  cover during my presentation?"

This first paragraph is really important. When you acknowledge the value of your customer's time, you are showing your customer empathy and concern. At the same time, you are probing for key decision making criteria.

CUSTOMER:  "Sure, it will be important for you to be sure to cover A, B, and C"

Now that you know these three points, you have an opportunity to use a Change the Game strategy in your favor by suggesting additional topics that the customer has not volunteered. What are the obvious topics that you will cue up with your customer?  Your unique competitive advantages. You are simply getting confirmation from the customer that he has a need for your unique advantage while getting permission to review it during your formal presentation. So you may respond:

YOU: "Great, thank you. I noticed that you did not mention D & E. Several of my other clients have indicated that these two issues were of prime importance their decision. Should I highlight them also?"

You are fully aware that D & E are your unique competitive advantages. This is a 'similar situation close' when you indicate that others have found these key issues essential.  
   
CUSTOMER: "Hmmm, yeah, in fact, D is really essential to the success of this project. I would definitely be sure to cover that topic."

You know that your presentation will cover ABCD.  Now you must get these issues prioritized.
 
YOU: "Ok, sure. So you have told me that I should be sure to cover ABC&D. Could you please help me to prioritize those four topics?"

CUSTOMER:  "Sure, D is the most important to me followed by A, C and B".

YOU: "Great, thank you very much for your input.  I'm looking forward to our presentation. Give me a call if you can think of anything else you would like me to include."

 
During this conversation you must take detailed notes for two key reasons: First, so you can compare your notes from your meetings with the the other key presentation attendees and customize your presentation outline to your customer.  This customized outline, summarized on one of the first slides in your presentation, will help you gain credibility. Second, you will use some of the quotes from your interviews to hammer home your key unique competitive advantages. Here's how you use the quotes. On the slide immediately before you begin to discuss your unique competitive advantages be sure to insert a slide that contains a customer quote in big bold letters. This is a perfect intro to your slides that follow. In the example above the quote would be: "D is really essential to the success of this project".  You insert this quote immediately before discussing your powerful "D" capabilities. People love seeing their ideas broadcast in bright lights. You are earning trust by showing that you have listened to your customer's needs and concerns. Your specific situation will dictate whether or not you will indicate the source of the quote. 

Good luck, and Close 'Em.

About the Author:
Daniel Adams, author of Building Trust, Growing Sales, and creator of Trust Triangle Selling™ helps corporations improve their profits by optimizing the performance of their sales teams. He is a frequent and popular speaker at national sales meetings, workshops and association events. You can visit his web site and read his other articles at www.trusttriangleselling.com.

Sales Forecasting by Tim Connor, CSP
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Words of wisdom for this week.    “What disturbs me is not the way things are, but rather the way people think they are.”  Epictetus One of the activities management expects salespeople to provide is bottom-up help in the area of sales forecasting. Unfortunately, many sales managers shove their sales forecasts down the throats of their sales staff due to the demands or expectations for sales increases by senior management.  Now I am not inferring that senior management should not play an active role in determining the sales expectations of their salespeople.  I am only suggesting that a bottom-up approach is a far more accurate evaluation of what a sales territory can or will produce if the salespeople have the ability to accurately access their territory potential. Salespeople, if they are in touch with their customers and/or prospects needs, problems, budgets, changes and competitive initiatives, are far better equipped to forecast future sales results. In order to come up with numbers that are reflective of ‘the real world’ and satisfy the demands of management, salespeople must understand the factors that impact their future sales results.  Some of these are: - present sales levels per customer/prospect - future needs, concerns, desires of customers/prospects - competitive activities in the sales territory - general market conditions - the quality of the relationship between the salespeople/organization and the prospects/customers - new or future product/service opportunities - whether the territory has real potential or is a maintenance territory - the sales competence of the salesperson - the self-image of the salesperson (the ability to be honest with management with territory limitations  and issues) - the relationship of the salesperson with his/her manager There are many others, but these tend to determine the accuracy of any sales forecast whether weekly, monthly or yearly. The key premises to remember when forecasting are: - people buy when they are ready to buy – not when you need to sell - ignoring competitive initiatives will ensure a lack of integrity in your numbers - you can’t make up for poor sales skills or attitudes with extra effort or time - giving management the numbers they want when they are not possible or realistic is to only postpone the ultimate frustration of everyone - just pulling numbers out of the air will haunt everyone later in the sales cycle It’s unfortunate that in many organizations the top-down sales expectations or forecasts are not in any way in touch with reality in the marketplace.  I have talked with hundreds of salespeople during my sales training career who have generally all had the same attitude, “If management was really in touch with what’s going on life would be a lot less stressful for all of us. The best approach to an integrity based sales forecast process is to include the “truth” of a territories potential and challenges and not just the wishes of sales management with the needs, resources and support of sales management.   In other words it’s a blending of bottom-up reality with the longer view of senior management in mind. About The Author: Copyright: 9/2009 Tim Connor, CSP - Connor Resource Group Tim Connor, CSP World renowned Speaker, Trainer and best selling author of 75 titles, Box 397,  Davidson, N.C. 28036 USA,  704-895-1230 (voice) - 704-895-1231 (fax) - tim@timconnor.com (email) - www.timconnor.com (Website)