CHAPTER 8
Carefully Select Which Sales Presentation Method to Use
LECTURE OUTLINE
I. THE CORE PRINCIPLES: PRESENTATION
A. No matter who a salesperson meets with, their purpose is the same – to help
the person or organization.
B. By taking the time to carefully select the best presentation for the group the
salesperson is meeting with, he or she will be better able to meet their needs,
thus, serving them better.
II. SALES PRESENTATION STRATEGY
A. Salesperson to buyer.
B. Salesperson to buyer group.
C. Sales team to buyer.
D. Conference selling.
E. Seminar selling.
III. SALES PRESENTATION METHODS – SELECT ONE CAREFULLY
A. Transactional selling generally is more structured, whereas partnering requires a more
customized presentation, with relationship selling typically somewhere in between
B. Four sales presentation methods are: (1) memorized, (2) formula, (3) need-satisfaction,
and (4) problem–solution selling
C. Memorized sales presentation.
1. Based on one of two assumptions.
a. The prospect’s needs may be stimulated by direct exposure to the
product through the sales presentation.
b. The prospect’s needs have already been stimulated because the prospect
has made the effort to seek out the product.
2. Advantages:
a. It ensures that all of the company’s salespeople will give the same
information in a well-planned presentation.
b. It both aids and lends confidence to the inexperienced salesperson.
3. Disadvantages:
a. It presents features, advantages, and benefits that may not be important
to the buyer.
b. It allows for little prospect participation.
c. It is impractical to use when selling products that require prospect input
and discussion.
d. It proceeds quickly through the sales presentation to the close and may
appear to the prospect as high-pressure selling.
D. The formula presentation.
1. Often referred to as the persuasive selling presentation.
2. The salesperson follows a less structured, general outline in making a
presentation, allowing more flexibility and less direction.
3. Attention, interest, desire, and action procedure (AIDA).
4. The Smithkline Beecham products example: “The 10-step productive retail
sales call”:
a. Plan the call.
b. Review plans.
c. Greet personnel.
d. Check conditions in store.
e. Approach.
f. Presentation.
g. Close.
h. Merchandising.
i. Records and reports.
j. Analyze the call.
5. Advantages:
a. It ensures that all information is presented in a logical manner.
E. The need-satisfaction presentation.
1. It’s an interactive sales presentation.
2. The need-satisfaction format.
a. Need development phase – salesperson allows and encourages the
prospect to discuss his needs.
b. Need awareness phase – salesperson takes control of the conversation by
restating the prospect’s needs to clarify the situation.
c. Need fulfillment phase – the salesperson shows how his product will
satisfy mutually agreed-upon needs.
F. The problem-solution presentation.
1. This presentation usually consists of six steps:
a. Convince the prospect to allow the salesperson to conduct an analysis of
the prospect’s needs.
b. Make the analysis.
c. Buyer and seller mutually agree upon the problems and determine that
the buyer wants to solve these problems.
d. Prepare a sales presentation based on the analysis and the proposal.
e. Make the sales presentation.
2. This presentation is a flexible, customized approach involving an in-depth
study of a prospect’s needs.
G. What is the best presentation method?
1. Best one when the method is properly matched with the situation
2. Salesperson should understand and be able to use each method based on each
situation.
3. Stimulus-response method – used where time is short and the product is simple.
4. Formula setting – used in repeat purchases or when you know the prospect’s
needs.
5. Need-satisfaction – used when information needs to be gathered from the
prospect first.
IV. AREAS TO CONSIDER IN ANY SALES PRESENTATION METHOD
A. Four key areas enhance the opportunity for success
1. Asking great questions
a. Great questions enable learning, discovery of needs, and the
demonstration of interest
2. Listen more than you talk
a. Enhance your listening skills by taking notes, interpreting the buyer’s
non-verbal messages and body language, recognizing the customer’s
feeling and emotions, restating the customer’s perspective
3. Combine your listening and questioning skills
a. Talk 20% of the time and listen 80% of the time
4. Storytelling in sales
a. Approach that salesperson uses to communicate and creating
understanding by describing some sort of sequence of events or a
narrative
a. Storytelling aids audience remember speaker’s key points longer
i. Use the customer’s language
ii. Use metaphors
iii. Consider parables
iv. Incorporate analogies
V. THE GROUP PRESENTATION
A. Depending on size, may be less flexible than a one-on-one meeting. The larger the group,
the more structured your presentation.
B. Give a proper introduction.
1. State your name
3. Explain in a clear, concise sentence the premise of your proposal.
C. Establish credibility – Give a brief history of your company.
D. Provide an account list – Have copies of an account list available for everyone in
attendance.
E. State your competitive advantages – Right up front, you should succinctly tell the group
where your company stands relative to the competition.
F. Give quality assurances and qualifications.
1. Get the group on your side by stating guarantees in the beginning.
3. Give your company’s qualifications and credentials.
G. Cater to the group’s behavioral style.
1. A group exhibits an overall or dominant style.
2. The group has a decision-making mode that characterizes one of the four
behavioral styles.
H. Get people involved
1. Involve the group
I. The proposal
1. When you prepare for a group, write a proposal document that ranges from one
page to an entire notebook with data, specifications, reports, and solutions to
specific problems
J. Summarize benefits
1. Summarize your proposal by giving a benefits summary
a. Talk about how the benefits will address their specific problems.
VI. Negotiating so that everyone wins.
A. Negotiating styles:
1. Cooperative.
2. Competitive.
4. Organizational.
5. Personal modes.
B. Phases of negotiation:
1. Planning – know how your company compares to the competition.
a. Meeting – you start to build the relationship by proving you are someone
who is credible, trustworthy, and hopefully the type of person your
prospect likes to do business with.
b. Studying – look at the big picture and for benefits you can provide.
c. Proposing – tie in features and advantages to benefits, and emphasize
unique benefits.
VII. THE SALES PRESENTATION GOES HIGH TECH
A. All forms of high-tech equipment and software are being used in sales presentations.
VIII. SELECT THE PRESENTATION METHOD, THEN THE APPROACH
IX. THE PARALLEL DIMENSIONS OF SELLING
A. Top performing salespeople use the parallel dimensions of selling to plan, create and
execute their presentation.
B. Discuss first column. (THESE ARE TOO DETAILED TO OUTLINE)
C. Discuss second column.
D. Discuss third column
E. Discuss fourth column
X. THE SALES PRESENTATION AND TECHNIQUES
A. Your Sales Presentation
1. Create a presentation that adapts to the buyer’s personality style..
B. The approach
1. Focus on making a great first impression
2. Ask for permission before setting materials on desk
4. Utilize an agenda
5. Ask great questions and listen carefully
C. Elements of the presentation
1. Communication style
a. Create compatibility
b. Consider storytelling when appropriate
c. Utilize sales presentation elements when appropriate (proof statements,
visual aids, participation, metaphors, analogies)
2. Selection of sales presentation
a. Product, marketing plan, business proposition
b. Communicate the benefits (SELL sequences and trial closes)
3. Welcome objections
a. Before you answer any objection, it is always important to listen
carefully and even ask questions to ensure you understand the customer’s
point of view.
b. Welcome objections
c. Closing
a. Process of helping people to make a decision that will benefit
them
d. Does not buy
a. Do not take it personally
b. Maintain professionalism
e. Follow-up and service
a. Before you leave, discuss the key actions steps that you and the
buyer have agreed upon.