Getting in the door is the first step to success or failure. If you go into this meeting with a song and dance about why they should “buy” your service, then you’ve already lost them. This presentation is about your potential client or customer. Trust me, if they have given you the opportunity to present, then they already know that you can offer the service or product. You are in making the presentation to see if they can work with you. SO they need to like you and yes, trust you. Oh boy…how do you do that with a room full of strangers for an hour… and no cocktail in your hand!
When you are doing any types of sales, whether it’s service or product sales you must exercise a solid dose of patience. But finally, the time you have so long-awaited is here. You have finally gotten your foot…no your whole body in the door! YAY!… So now what do you do? You have to start prepping for that meeting. No,don’t stop reading, this is not about how to do a presentation. It is about how to be successful in presenting your business, give a presentation and own the presentation hour that you have been given.
Giving a presentation isn’t on everyone’s list of ‘the things I love most’… except if you’re a professional speaker or a professional sales person. Many of us have just fallen into “doing sales”, mainly because there isn’t anyone else to do it. This happens a lot in entrepreneurial businesses… that incidentally are very successful. That’s often the case because these people are passionate and it just gets very contagious!
There are a few keys to success that you should always keep in mind when presenting.
1) How to make a presentation always starts with your presentation ideas. Although you are presenting the services or products your business offers, there is merit in developing a “theme” or concept around your presentation. You need to engage your “audience” right away. You need to not only speak about what makes your business special you need to show them what makes it special…and that would be you.
2) There’s a ton of Powerpoint presentation tips, source them here. Keep it short. Keep it visual. Keep it exciting. This will set the rhythm of your presentation and provide a good background to what you are saying. Yes, background, not foreground!!!
3) Build in flexibility. When you present, it needs to be fluid. It can’t be a canned presentation. That comes often stilted and well, not very imaginative. By building flexibility in how you present provides you with the ability to ask questions, listen to the answers….and speak to their concerns during your presentation. You need to instill trust.
4) Practice your tone and your visual presence. A good Powerpoint presentation is only the beginning. When making oral presentations it’s all about the delivery not the subject matter. Think of being on stage and the spotlight is on you. People connect with people. You may be in the door to present a service or product they need, but ultimately they will buy because of you.
Ultimately, hitting a home run out of the park takes planning and preparation. You can’t wing it. It will show. Selling is all in the presentation and more importantly the presenter. I’d love to hear from you about some of your success stories. Share them here.