Delivering an effective sales presentation
Making a strong presentation is often the difference between closing a deal or securing a client, and not. Communicating your message in a style that people can easily understand, and using appropriate visual, audio or other media content to illustrate your key message significantly increases the impact.
If your clients are spread out across the country, continent, or even the world; the need to use technology to assist in this communication grows. It is rarely cost-effective to gather your audience in one place for a single presentation, often requiring that you schedule your presentation to coincide with a parallel event, such as a trade convention. A live webcast is an excellent alternative to face-to-face meetings, and offers the opportunity to expand your audience at very low cost.
As you plan the content of a webcast there are three things to consider:- Format.
Webcasting can be live, or pre-recorded; and can include audio or video, with or without presentation slides. It can also include interactive features such as polling, direct questions and discussion forums.
- Slides
If you choose slides you can use standard PowerPoint or Keynote slides, uploading them prior to the event and using them in realtime to lead your audience through your content. If your webcast is archived and broadcast after the event the slides can be synchronized to play alongside your video or audio.
- Interaction
The interactive features that webcasting supports really enhance your presentation. Taking time to write a number of relevant questions and then asking the audience to vote on them helps you gauge the interest in your theme, or allows you to tailor your products or services to your audience.
In addition to these content considerations, you must also consider the quality and security of your presentation. It's important that the quality of delivery of your message to match the message itself. Choose a webcast provider that can guarantee that quality. Questions to ask when considering a provider include the bandwidth available in their system, what backup they have in place should a server go down during your webcast, and what customer support they offer.
Ensuring the security of your message is another key consideration. Is the webcast password protected and encrypted? Can you control who is allowed to view the webcast? Are the servers that the webcast is stored on secure? If your message is not intended for the general public you will need a secure login and registration section.
A home screen is a very effective way of setting out the theme for the event and inviting people to do prior study, or browse your products. Some providers offer you this functionality, which can also host your online polling, registration and Q&A.
Don't forget the basics when planning your sales pitch. Glossy brochures and branded slides are effective in peaking the interest of your audience. But what drives conversions in the end are quality products or services. Take time preparing the message before you prepare the delivery. Give the presentation to one of your colleagues or friends, preferably someone who is not familiar with the theme, to test for words or phrases that are not understood by the general public.
Finally, good luck! The adage 'practice makes perfect' is true. You may have to give your sales presentation one hundred times before you make your first sale, but every time you delivery it you grow in confidence, and you learn more about what inspires people to buy your product.
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