Does yours add to or distract from your message?
When I ask my clients, “How long is your sales presentation,” it scares me when they answer, “12 slides.”
Or if I ask, “How do you design your sales presentation,” it’s downright terrifying to hear them say, “We get the slide deck.”
If you start creating your sales presentation by organizing your slides, you may be sabotaging what could fundamentally be a great presentation.
PowerPoint is a valuable visual aid but a poor scripting aid.
Designing a sales presentation is a creative process, best accomplished on a flip chart, whiteboard, or legal pad. Once you have the outline of your new, improved sales presentation structure, you can ask yourself, “Where do I need help telling the story?”
How can you visually demonstrate what you are saying? Charts and graphs and diagrams are perfect in this medium. If your slides are complex, take the elements apart and put them together in a way that simplifies them.
Then use the following 7 tips for maximum impact:
- Use fewer words. It is impossible for your audience to read and listen at the same time. I recommend using more slides with less content. They will be more effective if you use the “build” feature when you bring up a talking point.
- If you want your audience to look at the slide, direct their attention to it. When you are telling a story or engaging the audience and do not need what is on the screen, turn the screen to black with your remote control or B for Black on your computer.
- Make your prospects feel special. Did you incorporate your prospect’s logo? How many slides are about them? Does it look as if you could have used the same deck yesterday for another company in another industry?
Don’t Wait. Create a PowerPoint that helps sell. - Visual aids don’t build relationships. If you only sent your PowerPoint to the prospective client, would you make the sale? Of course not. If you delivered the presentation without a PowerPoint, could you make the sale? Of course. This proves you are the most important part of the equation.
- Leave behinds. If your presentation is complex, create two versions. The one that gets left behind is to be read, and the one you deliver from can have more images and fewer words. Everything you say does not have to be on the slide. Everything on the slide does not have to be said.
- Be consistent. If you are like most of us, a presentation may draw on slides from different decks, and inconsistency can creep in. For example, is there a capital letter at the beginning of each sentence or bullet point, or are you going to capitalize every important word? Pick a style and stick with it. Beware of random acts of capitalization!
- Unplug, if necessary. No matter how impressive your PowerPoint presentation is, be prepared to deliver your sales message in the way the prospects want to receive it. If you hear, “We are sick of PowerPoint, can you just talk to us?” or “We prefer for you to use the whiteboard for your ideas,” you need to be ready!
Remember, if you sound the same as everyone else, you have no advantage.
“Your ability to hold an audience in the palm of your hand with a story is incredible. Your talent in turning a speaker into a world champion on the fly in front of a packed audience is even more amazing. When COVID-19 turned everything into a virtual experience, you were the first speaker and trainer I thought of to help us break through the noise and attract a crowd.
When our community hears you are presenting, the registration numbers skyrocket. Mixing your inspirational stories combined with digital elements like video keeps the audience engaged and wanting more! They keep asking “When can we get Fripp back?””Michelle Kabele, Channel Marketing, Zebra Technologies
“To watch how our veteran group of salespeople became involved in your Storytelling to Increase Sales was impressive. We are excited to continue your training with FrippVT Sales.”Jeff Walters, Vice President, North American Sales, Peak-Ryzex
Companies that want to drive sales and gain a competitive edge hire Patricia Fripp to help them improve their important conversations and presentations. Kiplinger’s Personal Finance wrote, “One of the best ways to invest in success is to learn presentation skills from Patricia Fripp.” Fripp was named one of the “Top 25 Women in Sales” and is among the “Top 30 Coaching Gurus.”
