How to create an exemplary sales presentation!

A sales presentation in the B2B area must not be confused with a product presentation, since a product presentation is not a (measurable) goal, but a method. In a sales presentation, on the other hand, a clear goal must be achieved, for example that a customer buys a product XYZ at price Y after the presentation. Even with high-priced products in the 4-5-digit Euro range, the goal of the sales presentation should always be to bring the customer to a decision or a partial decision for a deal or purchase.

Your goal should be both ambitious and realistic. A preliminary research helps you a lot with your assessment, because it gives you an impression of how the customer ticks. It makes a big difference whether a customer is merely targeting a market sounding or has already decided to buy a product. Perhaps there are completely different solutions for the respective customer problem and he has already chosen a certain variant. All this information helps you to define your goal in a meaningful way and to address your customers in a targeted way.

Especially decisions for larger investments or large projects are usually not made by individuals, but by several decision makers. They usually pursue different goals and have a different influence on the decision-making process. Therefore, you should clarify the following points before the sales presentation:

• Who are the presentation participants?
• What are the expected benefits for the respective participants?
• Who has what influence on the purchase decision?

Are there any other people on the customer side who are relevant for the purchase decision? If, for example, you speak to two interns or JuniorPMs, you will not be able to expect a final purchase decision after the presentation.

The main task of a sales presentation is to lead a potential customer or presentation participant to a purchase decision. The pure communication of product information is not a goal, but a method, and should only come in second place during planning. A clear presentation strategy is highly recommended. First you must clearly define the goal of the presentation in your introduction and then take the following steps:

1. determine the concrete customer wishes.
2. present solutions with relevant benefits.
3. deal with possible objections of the participants in a solution-oriented way.
4. ask for a customer decision.

Customers often have completely different interests and expectations, which they address to a sales presentation. For example, Marketing wants to buy high-priced products for quality reasons, whereas Purchasing is more interested in the cheapest possible service provider. The big challenge when preparing a sales presentation is to take up these different interests and expectations and at the same time to argue in a target- and solution-oriented way. The following basic rule helps here: Build at least one benefit argument into your presentation for each participant, but direct the focus of your argumentation line to the main decision maker.

The entry into a sales presentation is crucial and should therefore be surprising and extraordinary in order to arouse or increase the willingness of the audience. Once this has been achieved, you can state your presentation goal openly and concretely. Be concrete and direct, as this will attract attention and at the same time show that the presentation is not just a non-binding exchange.

Despite beamer, large screen monitor and notebook, you should always keep in touch with your listeners and involve them by obtaining their consent on a regular basis. Sensible questions for this are: “Did I recognize your needs correctly?” or “Does our suggestion coincide with your ideas? By creating contradictions, you determine the actual customer interest on the one hand and more easily recognize the decision hierarchy among your listeners on the other. This information helps you to bring your listeners to the decision you want them to make.

At the end of your sales presentation, you will once again present the central benefits of your solution. A summary of the product advantages, for example, is suitable for this purpose. Then a “Call to Action”, i.e. a concrete invitation to the customer to take the next step, should take place. In this way, you “force” your customers to make a clear statement, which brings you closer to a deal.