Table of Contents
Introduction
“You can have excellent content with good presentation technique and win the business. You can have good content with excellent presentation technique and win. But you may not have ever heard of a poor presentation skills and good or excellent contents winning anything”.
Poor presentations are consistently losers irrespective of purpose or the business for which a presentation is made. We will draw some lessons from winning presentations and some from losers to help you to plan your business presentation successfully.
In our daily routine we speak more often than write. A majority of us still have not overcome the fear of a speaking to a group. Each one of us have stage-fright. It is a matter of degrees that it varies amongst individuals. Yet an oral presentation is an important part of the business routine and each one has to deal with such challenges successfully. There are industries in which sales presentations are the most important marketing tools. Pharmaceutical industry, information technology industry, advertising agencies, insurance sector are some examples of the same where success in business depends on the success in presentation.
What Is A Presentation?
A presentation is a commitment by the presenter to help the audience to do something for solving a problem. An interesting thing to note is that in a presentation commitments are made by the presenter and the audiences are making judgement, simultaneously. The presenter advocates and audience evaluate, to render a verdict. In terms of content and structure, presentations and speeches have a good deal in common with formal reports – many of them are oral version of a written document.
Types Of Sales Presentation
Typically, all sales people use one of the following types of sales presentations.
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Canned Presentation
Canned presentations are those presentations where text of the presentation is carefully worded, tested and finally written down. Each sales person is expected to memorize it and strictly follow the contents in the defined order, while making a presentation.
This presentation method is most commonly used in non-technical product selling, like, Pharmaceuticals, Telephone Selling, Door to Door Selling, etc.
The specific advantages of this technique are that one can finish the presentation in a short-time and still have a successful close. The other advantage of this method is that it require lesser time in training the field sales personnel.
The disadvantage of such technique is that the prospect has limited participation. He might view it, as a high pressure selling and defer taking a purchase decision.
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Planned Presentation
It is, no doubt carefully planned and organized but still it has a personal touch of the individual making the presentation. In this method, the training department provides just a format and the individual sales person then writes explanations, descriptions and illustrations.
The advantage of this presentation method is that it appears more conversational and less formal, as the sales person is using his own wordings. As a result, in this presentation method the prospect also gets involved and his doubts and questions can be carefully handled.
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Audio-Visual Presentation
For such presentation the sales persons heavily depend on the AV aids. These aids range from charts, slides, video films, prototypes, computer based presentations to the use of actual product. In advertising industry, computer software industry, such presentation methods are used. In these presentations the speaker or the sales person takes the back, seat and the prospect’s attention remains centered around the AV aids.
Such aids are typically used, not only to gain the attention but in the absence of these it might be difficult to explain or demonstrate.
Take for example, in door-to-door selling of vacuum-cleaners or photocopying machines, where the actual product is used as a integral or central ‘character’ of the presentation. In the absence of which the sales person might find it difficult to sell.
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Problem Solving Presentation
This is a two-step presentation method. The first stage is to study the individual prospect’s needs and the second is suggesting a proposition. Thus helping the prospect to solve the problem. Such method is commonly used in insurance sector where the insurance agent ask the prospect about the requirements and accordingly, he proposes a specific policy, its advantages and benefits.
Similar methods are also used in management consultancy assignments relating to all functions or high-tech customized products.
Having understood the various types of presentation methods being following in different product categories, we appreciate the relevance of it in the sales job. Let us now systematically discuss the structure of a typical presentation, presentation strategy and the skills required at the end of each speaker.
Typical Structure Of A Presentation
It is a problem for a person to structure the presentation appropriately so as to clearly decide from where to start and where to end. A presentation has four parts: Opening, Body, Closing and Question and Answer. It is suggested that in a presentation first, tell what you will tell, secondly, actually tell them and thirdly, tell the audience what you have told them.
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Opening Or Introduction Of A Presentation
The opening of a presentation is very important. It is in the first a few minutes you gain or lose the audience. The major purpose of the introduction are:
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- To catch the audience attention and arouse their interest
- To relate the speakers’ purpose with the audience interest
- To build the focus for the contents
Although these points appear so simple, but spending say ten percent time of your presentation on this phase of the presentation would help you considerably in providing clarity to your audience.
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Body Of Presentation
The body of the presentation should relate to the selected important points [3-4] you want to make. You want the structure of your presentation to be clear and you don’t want to lose the audience’s attention.
At times, during your presentation you realize that you have started loosing audience. From their body-language you can able to make out that they are not with you.
These situations are, in fact, difficult to handle. Because, in such situations, there is no point to keep the presentation continued. You have to adopt a strategy to gain their attention. Some of the suggestions far gaining audience attention are as follows:
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- Emphasizing structure and help the audience follow your presentation by summarizing your remarks as you go along and by emphasizing the transition [links] from one idea to the next.
- Holding the audience’s attention not only by relating the subject to the audience’s needs or by using clear language but by introducing variety in your speech or presentation.
- You may pause for questions and comments as it shifts the audience from listening to participating.
- Visual aids can be used to provide clarification and stimulation.
- Variety in your tone and gestures will help in breaking the monotony of your voice.
- Consider the use of humor. Sometimes humor helps in steering through difficult situations.
It is interesting to observe that when you are going deeper into the subject, the audience start drifting away from you. It is rather difficult to retain the audience attention through-out the presentation, unless you make deliberate efforts. The above stated points are some of the suggestions which can help you in retaining your audience or customers.
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Ending A Presentation
As the audience’s attention peaks at this stage it helps in further clarity. The final summing is not a place to introduce new ideas. It is suggested that you should begin your conclusions by telling listeners that you are about to finish. They will make one final effort to listen to you, intently. It is also suggested that during the concluding stage restate the next step. Some presentations require the audience to reach a decision or to take specific action. In these cases the summing must cover the specific action to occur and who would be responsible for doing what. Take for example, in a sales presentation sales person may be required to ensure on-time delivery and installation. Thereafter, the final installment of the payment will be made by the customer.
Your final words should round tip the presentation. You want to leave the audience with a satisfied feeling, feeling of completeness. It is, therefore, important that you should always end on a positive note. Your final remarks should be enthusiastic and memorable.
Irrespective of whether you accept questions, as you go along or you defer them till the end, this phase of a presentation is most important. It is only helps in providing better clarity but also in removing some misconceptions, if any, among your audience, about your product or company.
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Question And Answer Period
Majority of the speakers avoid or discourage this period, without realizing that providing opportunity for questions and answers, facilitates interactions. The thumb rule is to encourage questions throughout, in a smaller group and ask a large audience to defer questions until later. But do provide time for this stage as it shifts the audience from listening to participating.
Some Tips For Landing Questions:- Given below are some categories of questions. You may decide in which category the question falls and then take action accordingly. Although it is not possible to remember these tips, but by practice you learn to handle critical situations:
[1] – Confused Question – How To Handel:- Reformulate/Paraphrase the question. Ask the questioner to restate the question. It also gives you time to think and it can be followed by all. Be clear, a confused question can never be answered.
[2] – Hostile Question – How To Handel:- Don’t be defensive or hostile. Rephrase it and unload emotions from it to understand the message.
[3] – Two-Part Question – How To Handel:- Separate the parts and priorities them before answering.
[4] – Off Topic Question – How To Handel:- Suggest the audience that you would not handle an off topic question.
[5] – Can’t Answer Question – How To Handel:- Admit it and say that you would answer it later. You may not be authorized to take a decision about the question. Take time from the audience, check with your superior, and get-back.
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