Final Preparation
You soon will be standing in front of a prequalified buyer whose business problems you understand. Better yet, you know the approximate solution that will bring the prospect to purchase from you. What can you do to be ready?
First, make sure that you have all the tools you need to make an effective presentation: check your list. Second, visualize your successful presentation. Third, ask more questions that confirm the meeting and illustrate your understanding of the problems to be solved.
Check Your List
As you develop your presentation skills, with experience you will discover specifically what you need and don't need to make a successful sales call. You may be bringing too much or too little of what you need in terms of samples, equipment, or literature. You may be intimidating buyers by the mass of boxes and cases that you bring to a meeting. You'll learn.
As you do learn from experience, develop and revise a list of basic presentation components that you need: audiovisual equipment, outlines, collateral, samples, pens, paper, and so on. This will become your checklist for ensuring that future presentations are easier.
Visualization
Professional golfers often visualize their swing before they make it. Other sports players perform similar visualizations as a mental practice before the physical event. It helps them prepare for action. As a Golden Rule Seller, you can do the same before making important presentations.
Visualization requires that you relax your mind and imagine the location where you will be presenting. If you're not sure, visualize yourself in a generic office or conference room. You're early for the meeting and have ample time to set up your presentation equipment. If you are working from a sales flip notebook, you have decided where to sit in relation to the prospect.
Pro sellers suggest that you visualize a successful sales call just prior to making it. Spend a few extra minutes in your car, step into a coffee shop, or find some other way to take a moment to reflect on how you can help your buyer before you actually do so. It can give you the confidence needed to offer your best efforts.
You are comfortable and confident, and certain that your prospect is, too. You mentally go through your presentation and answer any questions or objections raised. You are successful, and the prospect places an order for what you are selling. Win-win.
Ask More Questions
As you plan for your sales call, additional questions may occur to you. Some of them can wait until the meeting. However, the answers to other questions may be helpful in making a better presentation. In addition, asking a question or two before the presentation can do three things for you:
Remind the prospect of the meeting.
Illustrate that you are putting effort into solving the prospect's problem.
Give you additional information that you can use to help the prospect.
What kind of questions are appropriate for your precall conversation? Following are some examples:
You told me that your division buys $100,000 in widgets annually. Is all of that purchased by your North American office?
The last time we talked, we estimated that there will be twelve people at our presentation. To make sure I have enough information packets, is that number still the same now?
Bob Smith mentioned that he may be away on business and not able to attend our meeting. Have you heard anything new about that?
Your final call to the prospect before the meeting gives you another chance to sell. It also offers the prospect an opportunity to bring up any problems or objections that can be better handled prior to the meeting.
