Top 5 Presentation Fails!
5. Giving your proposal BEFORE your presentation
One of the issues is giving the actual proposal to the client ahead of time or even to “follow along”. WRONG! For you to have control of the sales process, you need to follow the correct order of your process. Once you hand that to someone they will open it an begin to review your pages. Likely will go to the last page-if you know what I’m referring to…
4. Not engaging EVERYONE in a Presentation
Here is a pretty common issue. We have discussions and meetings with one, maybe two people in the organization. Things go well and they invite you to present. You go into the presentation well prepared and armed with all of the things you have previously discussed. Great! Here is the problem. The others in the room want to be heard. Don’t assume the person you spoke to has all of their issues buttoned up and most of all, let them be heard!
Ask the question around the room before you start, “Steve, before we start, tell me your thoughts on the most important issues with _____ so I can make sure I address them” and ask the others as well. Do not miss this opportunity!!!
3. Talking to the screen and not the prospect
This one is pretty obvious but is worth discussing. Often we have too much on the screen too may words etc and we need to look at it ourselves to present. Not good. The presentation should only be things you cant say aloud. This is the quickest way to bore them! Plus, the last thing you want is to encourage your prospects to read from the screen! No control with this mistake.
2. Talking about investment too late
Boy this is a tough one. There is a right time to talk about money and it is not at the very end. It seems like it should be but you at least need to have a conversation early on, before your presentation, some general discussion about investment.
1. Not having a Clear Next Step after your presentation
Once you give your presentation, you are extremely vulnerable. What I mean by that is your prospect now has all of your relevant information and can do what they would like with it.
Getting a Think it Over is most likely what will happen here. Why? because you haven’t set up a true clear next step BEFORE the presentation likely hasn’t happened. Several things do need to happen BEFORE you present;
- Make sure you know what the TRUE issue issue is and how it is effecting them, that you can solve the issue.
- You have had some conversation about investment, even if it’s a range of cost not exact and,
- you know what will happen AFTER the presentation if they love it. (we all know what happens of they don’t). Of course that is if you can not close it right then.
** Make sure you recap all of this BEFORE you present!
One of the ways that can help avoid this situation is creating a Clear Next Step.