Sales Presentation
A well-prepared sales presentation will engage prospects with relevant information and entice them to make a purchase commitment.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Describe the characteristics of a sales presentation within the context of personal selling and sales promotion
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Key Points
- A sales pitch is a planned presentation of a product or service designed to initiate and close a sale. A well-prepared presentation should keep in mind the audience and their needs, as well as be clear and concise in tone and content.
- The first visual and audible impression upon a market or client can appeal to any of the five senses to initiate chemistry between the buyer and the seller.
- Usually the first sentence of a sales pitch is supposed to be either an attention-grabbing statement or a positive statement introducing the best information about the provider of goods or services. A method is usually selected depending on the attention span available from the prospective client.
Key Terms
- Fast-Moving Consumer Goods: These are products that sell quickly and at a relatively low cost. Examples include non-durable goods such as soft drinks, toiletries, and grocery items. Though the absolute profit made on FMCG products is relatively small, they generally sell in large quantities, so the cumulative profit on such products can be substantial.
A sales pitch is a planned presentation of a product or service designed to initiate and close a sale. A sales presentation is essentially designed to be either an introduction of a product or service to an audience who knows nothing about it, or a descriptive expansion of a product or service that an audience has already expressed interest in. A well-prepared presentation should keep in mind the audience and their needs, as well as be clear and concise in tone and content.
Elements of Sales Presentation
The first visual and audible impression upon a market or client can appeal to any of the five senses to initiate chemistry between the buyer and the seller.
At least a slight modification to what has worked in the past is always required for the pitch to be authentic and effective. Otherwise the tone would not fit the seller’s outfit, which might lead to the candidate deeming him a fake in a critical situation.
For a strikingly good pitch, one must know exactly what the other party wants and doesn’t want. The salesperson should have as much information as possible about the candidate being pitched to. It is important to focus on a virtual balance of the candidate’s needs and wants to maximize one’s leverage when pitching.
A salesperson gets only one chance to make a good first impression. At least two senses must connect: vision and hearing. But the more one can connect at a single point of impact, the better.
Opening Statement
Usually the first sentence of a sales pitch is supposed to be either an attention-grabbing statement or a positive statement introducing the best information about the provider of goods or services. A method is usually selected depending on the attention span available from the prospective client.
In case of consumer categories who have less attention span, the first method of attention-grabbing is usually a question or statement that might surprise or shock the listener. The listener likely turns back for an explanation, and then the remaining sales talk or pep talk happens. Normally ladies with children, shopkeepers, and people in a hurry give less attention. Sellers of low- value, fast-moving consumer goods are usually known to deploy the first method.
In the second strategy, a “positive statement” is adopted in solution selling and in direct selling to corporate and or high value and or capital goods selling. Here, the purpose of the positive statement is to emphasize a particular positive aspect of a provider to brand it according to seller’s situational need.
An effective sales professional must know how to combine effort on sales and marketing to overcome all resistance of a poorly prepared pitch.
Goal of a Presentation
All sales presentations are not designed to secure an immediate sale. Whether the objective is an immediate sale or a future sale, the chances of getting a positive response from a prospect are increased when the salesperson:
- Makes the presentation in the proper climate.
- Establishes credibility with the prospect.
- Ensures clarity of content in the presentation.
- Controls the presentation within reasonable bounds.
Billy Mays: Billy Mays was famous for his sales pitches on TV for products such as Oxi-Clean. He was energetic and memorable.