Sales Presentation Tips That Pack a Punch

These days there are so many things to think about when it comes to constructing a powerful sales presentation. It’s not simply creating an outline, filling in the facts, images and pertinent data points, and then clicking save on your PowerPoint.  

You need to dig deeper to understand your audience. Uncover what messages will resonate with them. And determine how they like to receive that information.

In my career in business development, creating and giving a winning presentation versus one that misses the mark can mean the difference between riding high or second guessing what I could've done better. To help keep my numbers in the black I follow these tips. You should too.

5 Tips for a Persuasive Presentation

1. Do Your Homework

Key to an effective presentation is understanding everything you can about your audience. With all the information we have at our fingertips (thanks Google!) there’s no excuse not to do a little sleuthing. And no, I’m not talking about stalking. I’m referring to taking initiative to dig deeper than a prospective customer's About Us web page.

Go beyond reading their marketing spin on company mission, vision or values. Examine their body of work: what kind of projects have they completed? What’s the personality and tone of their messaging? What do they say or share on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter?

The more you can learn about your prospect, the more robust and engaging a conversation you’ll have with them.

2. Open Strong

It’s important to pull your audience into your presentation as quickly as you can. Whether you use a striking image, compelling video or relevant quote, present something that fires them up and makes them hungry to learn more. The more compelling you are out of the gate the better off you’ll be for the duration of your presentation.

3. Use Storytelling

Everyone appreciates a good story. We’ve been conditioned this way since infancy. So, use storytelling elements and a compelling narrative to engage your audience.

Relaying a real-life example of a time you solved a problem using your product or service is effective. Your tale doesn’t even have to be directly linked to your company or your product. As long as the takeaway from your story — maybe it’s about something that happened on the way to the office or while on vacation with your family — shows you understand the challenge or opportunity your audience is facing, your message will resonate.

4. Support with Data

People believe research and statistics. Including compelling data will make your presentation more credible. And showing you have command of that information positions you as an expert.

5. Deliver Your Message Powerfully

In our wired society, your audience is used to consuming information via the latest and greatest technologies. The bar has been set high so you have to be exceptionally engaging when presenting your message.

That means using tech platforms that are visually captivating and allow you to present even complex content in a way that’s easy to digest.

But don’t fall into the trap of choosing technology for technology’s sake. Be strategic. Choose a delivery vehicle designed to elevate your presentation and resonate with your audience.

Want to elicit a positive response from your audience? Start with a memorable story, powerfully delivered. That’s the hallmark of a great presentation.

ViewPoint excels at creating stunning presentations that resonate. You can check out some examples in this blog.