Do You Want to Know What You Maybe Overlooking in Your Sales Process?

Rehearsal Is the Work in Sales Presentations

Oscar winner Sir Michael Caine said, “Rehearsal is the work; performance is the relaxation.” That applies equally to delivering a sales presentation.

When delivering a recent sales presentation skills training Dan, the national sales manager, told me, “It takes us a year to have the opportunity to deliver an hour presentation to executives from the company of one of our prospects. At that point, a new relationship is worth $5,000,000 to us.”

As a matter of curiosity, I asked Dan, “How long do you spend rehearsing for a presentation that important?”

What I expected him to say was, “A week before, the team locked themselves in a boardroom. We reviewed what we knew about the client and their expectations. We confirmed we had their comments woven throughout our presentation. We then delivered the presentation, recorded it, sat down, and reviewed it. We focused on what the team did well and what could be improved.

“We made more adjustments on the script and how we delivered the message.

“The next day we invited in some of our sales associates to observe and then delivered the presentation to them. They gave their suggestions. The second time we delivered it to them, they asked us tough questions and recorded our responses.

“Together we reviewed the way we answered and rehearsed our improved responses.

“Days three, four, and five we invited associates from marketing to listen. Again, we asked them to challenge our proven assumptions and ask us for special examples from other clients.

That is what I expected him to say.

Imagine my shock when Dan said, “If we have a run-through in the back of Joan’s car before we walk into the meeting, we are lucky.”

As a sales presentation skills expert, it shocks me how many companies like Dan’s invest major resources to get the opportunity. They fall short on creating a presentation and rehearsing in a way that maximizes the year’s investment of time.

If this rings true, perhaps we should have a conversation? Here is why…“Back in 2018, we invited you to help us with an important sales presentation, which we won. You will be as excited to know that it continues to reap dividends! Last year, we were awarded $1.6 million in business with them. We just received a $2.8 million order from them already this year, and it is still January. Your advice and coaching are awesome. What an ROI!” Michael E. Stryczek, President & CEO, AB&R® (American Barcode and RFID)

Our gift to you: 11 Biggest Mistakes Sales Professionals Make in Their Presentations