There are a variety of selling and presentational mistakes that cause confusion and frustration and kill the chemistry so critical to successfully getting to the winning two minutes. You will lose when you:
1.)Sell capabilities rather than solutions. If you spend time talking about all of the things you can do, the talents of your people, or your reputation in the marketplace rather than focusing on the specific needs of the prospect, you will not be successful often.
Clients care about solving their problems, not about all of your capabilities. The assumption is that you made it to the presentation stage because the client had a sense that you had the capability to do the job. Talking about capabilities simply wastes their time and yours. Leave the capability brochures behind and focus on a very brief and highly focused presentation.
2.)Sell people who aren't there. All clients know that the principals show up to do the selling and that the underlings show up on Monday to do the work. Even if you use principals to sell, bring the workers along. Introduce them and give them a meaningful part in the presentation. Let the client question them as a part of the presentation process. If you're selling bait and switch, it will not be a good basis for a long-term relationship.
3.)Are dull and unenthusiastic. Nine out of 10 presentations we view are lifeless, boring recitations of capabilities and the dropping of irrelevant names. If you're not interested in doing my work, I'm not interested in hiring you to do it.
4.)Talk in generalities. This may be the most grievous problem of all. It appears to the client that you are unwilling to be specific about the kinds of things you would do to solve the problem at hand. Sales presentations often dance around the central issues, wasting time and disillusioning the prospect. Speaking in generalities causes the prospect to doubt that you can focus on the work, or worse, to assume that you don't know what the problem is or how to do the work. You may get the question, "Is this the first time you'll be doing this?" - not exactly a confidence builder, either when it gets asked or has to be answered.
5.)Lecture. Even though prospects have problems that need help and assistance, that doesn't mean that we're the world's experts on all of their problems and issues. Stay lively, confident, specific, enthusiastic and assume that the prospect has some basic intelligence to manage its own life and affairs.
6.)Sweat (especially when fees and costs are mentioned). Prospects do notice that those making sales presentations sweat when asked about project costs. Every company should not only be prepared to talk about fees and charges, but be prepared to bring up the subject in the presentation. A very destructive tension develops quickly when it's clear that fees are not being addressed candidly.
7.)Ad-lib. We've witnessed many presentations, some from firms in the business for many years, where the principals appear to have had virtually nothing in the way of conversation about the prospect's problem and seem to be inventing their presentation on the spot. If you can't get it together as a company and new business presenter, how can the prospect be sure that you can organize, manage, and resolve its problem without a lot of sloppy and expensive work?
Tyler McKinna is a Marketing and Communications Consultant. More great articles from Tyler McKinna can be found at talksuccess.blogspot.com
