The Fundamentals of a Champion Phone Presentation

I have discovered that there is really a series of fundamentals that make up a powerful presentation. Some of these fundamentals should be executed before you begin your presentation. You must qualify the prospect and know the purpose or outcome you desire before you make the presentation. The presentation must also be useful and informative. This also requires preparation. That means that you need to be responsive during the presentation. Listen to the prospect to make sure you hit the mark.

A powerful presentation begins with qualifying. I really believe many salespeople have little chance of making the sale because they have not properly qualified the prospect. The qualifying process is really diagnosing the problem with the presentation being the prescription.

We must know:
-How the prospect is going to make the decision
-When the prospect is going to make the decision
-Whether the prospect has the capacity to move forward
-What the prospect wants and needs
The prospect's authority to move forward
-The amount of desire they have to take action
-How a successful relationship will be evaluated
-What expectations they have in delivery, timing, service before and after the sale, quality, communication, and cost
-Anyone else under consideration

If we know these issues prior to making the presentation, we will instantly close 25% more in sales. My guarantee is that you will have more information about the prospect than your competition does. Because you know more, you will be able to sell to the prospect more effectively. Your presentations will be better targeted to what the client's wants and needs are currently. You will also be making your presentation at the right time.

Some of selling is being there to present at the right moment. If they are not ready to buy, and you engage in a pre-mature presentation, you won't make the sale. The timing of the offer is just as important as the right offer. Be sure to probe for timing. The more times you are making "the final" presentation, the lower the likelihood you will sell anything. "The final" presentation is where you expect to close for commitment and secure the signature on the contract from the prospect.

Clarity of purpose or knowing the purpose creates greater success. Because we are making presentations in all facets of sales, we need to know the stage we are at in the sales cycle with a prospect. Each product or service has a sales cycle that links with the call or presentation we are going to be making. The specific spot we are at in the sales cycle corresponds with what type of presentation we are making and what the purpose of the presentation is.

I could be trying to lay the groundwork of building enough initial interest to acquire a listing presentation or buyer consultation with the decision maker I am talking with currently. Knowing that my Oscilloscope needs to be demonstrated live for them to understand the benefits of my company's version, the purpose of my call, in this case is to create enough interest to acquire a face-to-face appointment with the key people who have input and authority to sell or buy.

You need to make your presentation useful and informative. One of the best techniques in the first few minutes of a call is to establish the steps, stages, or agenda of the presentation. You are informing the prospect of the typical time frame for your presentation, the discussion points, and the order of those discussion points. You are announcing your intentions.

In my view, whether the prospect commits to you now, in the near future, or ever, the presentation must carry value. It must contain useful information that will help them in their selling or purchase strategy. It will be more likely that they will take a follow-up call in the future if you provided value to them. Whether it's a series of economic findings that will affect their family, or changes in the marketplace, the operative word in today's consumer climate is value. Without delivering value, even in presentations to prospects, your future is in doubt.

If you have asked enough questions in qualifying, you can add value through your consultative recommendations. Realize that you are a fresh set of eyes, ears, and cognitive thinking that could be the right combination to break through a tough challenge that has stumped the prospect.

Prospects fundamentally buy solutions to their problems. If your service solves a problem at a significant level with a return on investment attached, the sale is easier. This is true no matter what you are selling. One of the best techniques to utilize before you provide solutions to a problem is to quantify the problem. A Champion Salesperson understands the size, scope, and cost of the problem. The cost of the problem can come in a few areas. The easiest to identify is the cost of doing service with a competitor. You must show them that your service and knowledge is better than whomever else they may chose to work with. They are saving money while still getting the quality they need.

Too many salespeople are focused on the cost of the product or service. They will, with far too much, focus on the cost. The age-old sales equation of Value = Benefits - Costs still holds true. Our real job is to raise the benefit to such a high degree that the cost versus the value the prospect receives is inconsequential.

You need to keep your presentation short and on point. I believe it's hard to keep a prospect's attention for much more than 20 minutes on the phone. With only your voice to present in many cases, the boredom factor sets in. It helps if you are more engaging, but even then, you will lose them.

If you have done your homework of qualifying and agenda set-up, you won't need more time. Again, it comes down to the purpose. If you are attempting to present enough information to cause the prospect to be interested enough to meet with you face-to-face, the over-the-phone to set the face-to-face should probably be less than 15 minutes.

You might tell the prospect or prospects, before beginning, how long a typical presentation of this subject usually takes. That allows them to know the allotted time without coming out and saying you have to go at 2:00pm. Presentation meetings can take a life of their own and expand into the time we allow. Don't fall into the adage of, "The longer I can keep them on the line, the better."

You need to build your credibility. There are a number of ways to do that. One of the best ways is to do your research on the prospect. So few salespeople actually do it. If you have done your homework and researched during your initial calls you can re-use some of that for your presentation. You will often have people at this presentation stage who haven't heard the vast knowledge you have about themselves.

The use of client satisfaction scores or testimonials helps validate your position and build credibility. Having approval, in advance, for your prospect to call a few of your clients to inquire about your products and services adds power. Your current users or clients can be the people who click in the sale for you. Using what your services has done for other people can help boost your credibility, as well. The more you can connect the past results with others to assuming that they will have similar results, the easier your transition to the sale will be.

Published: July 26, 2013
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