by Tim Wackel, Keynote Speaker at PCCA’s 2024 Marketing & Sales Symposium

In the sales world, giving a “presentation” means more than standing in front of a group of people — with a PowerPoint — discussing a topic.

Here’s what you should be thinking about when you hear the term “sales presentation”:

• Phone calls with customers
• Phone calls with prospects
• Email conversations
• Voicemails left
• Proposals you put together

Once you learn the skills to put together a successful sales presentation, every point of contact you have with your prospects and customers will be an opportunity to impress and persuade them. No matter what the situation, there are certain characteristics to focus on:

1. Clear

Make sure the person, or people, that you’re presenting to understand what you’re trying to convey. The worst-case scenario is for someone to listen to what you’ve communicated to them and have no idea what to do next — or what the point of the interaction was.

Here are some ways to improve clarity:

• Don’t get too jargon-y. When you’re selling to someone, make sure you’re talking to them on their terms. You might think that 15-point word you threw in sounds great, but you might lose them in the process.
• Have a clear call to action. Make sure your presentation is clear about next steps for the listener. If it’s a voicemail, let them know the best way to get back to you. If it’s a proposal, let them know what the next steps are before you can get started.
• Focus on one thing at a time. As the sales rep for your company, you’ve got a vast expanse of knowledge you want to share with the world. But trying to tackle too many things at once can be confusing. Focus on one thing per presentation and only deviate if asked.

2. Concise

Do you want to read a 1,000-word email or listen to a 4-minute voicemail? Neither do your customers and prospects. In the same vein as clarity, be sure to get your point across as briefly as possible. When it comes to sales presentations, brevity is your friend.

3. Compelling

Concision, however, cannot work if the content of the presentation is not compelling. Ideally, you want to be able to hook your listener with your presentation so that their interest is piqued and they ask questions.

One of the best ways to ensure that your presentation is compelling is to develop your storytelling skills. Come up with the perfect formula for any situation that tells the story of your company, product and services that can be adapted whenever needed.

4. Credible

Who are you? And why are you reaching out to your audience?

Before you launch into your presentation, make sure you’ve informed your listener about who you are and why they should trust you, and ultimately your company.

Some things to mention to improve credibility include:

• How long you’ve been in your role.
• How you’ve seen your company help others with the same issue your prospect is having.
• Site examples like a mini-case study if possible.
• Any data that backs what you’re going to be presenting.

Learn more from Tim as he discusses the Four-Steps to Improve Prospecting.