6/14/2006 1:30 PMDoug wrote:
Rick, I've agreed with this for some time now, but what do you do when the client keeps asking for a presentation? Sometimes it seems like a security blanket for them too. They seem to know that it distances the sales person and keeps them from asking lots of pesky questions about their business.
When this happens I try to keep the presentation more as examples for Q&A. I fill the front-end of the presentation with the questions and issues that we typically need to discuss and then jump around a bit to use examples I have to help dig deeper into their examples. But honestly, this makes me feel like I look unprepared to the client, since I'm not going through in one straight order.
"Presentations that come too early......are largely a waste of time." "A Presentation Is Essentially A Lecture" "Sales Presentations Do Not Focus Enough On The Client" "Presentations All Sound The Same" "“Don't present.” Instead, use a diagnostic approach—simply stated, conduct a thorough diagnosis to uncover problems and expand the client's awareness of their situation. "
Here's the deal and if you don't believe me ask someone who's been on a sales call with me recently. My presentation goes something like, "OK, I'll help you."
What happens before that is whatever it takes to turn the prospect into Low Hanging Fruit.
Is it magic? Is it accidental? Is it systematic? Is it learnable? No. No. Yes. Yes.
