You’re in the big push for year-end closing of that big sale. Perhaps an award trip or big bonus is on the line. It’s the critical time when you must show that you understand the customer’s situation and have the best solution to achieve their goal or eliminate a problem. You have to persuade them that now is the time to make that important decision. Waiting could cause them to miss an opportunity or suffer further losses. But when you are under stress to make that sale, you can make a mistake that can be very costly.
As I mentioned in my previous posts, I have observed thousands of demonstrations, visited an untold number of clients, and performed many autopsies on lost sales. So here are 5 more mistakes in the demonstration or presentation for any product or solution that can make the difference between winning and losing the sale. That difference between a win and a loss can be as little as 2 or 3%. So consider the following list and eliminate these mistakes from your demonstration or presentation. You’ll be glad you did as it can make the difference between a great reward and a disappointing year end performance.
- Confused Customer – Several things can cause the customer to be confused and unable to connect the dots between your solution and their needs. First, you may be able to put it all together in your mind and link the features shown but the customer may be new to the technology or products and can’t make the link. Graphics and clear explanations can be a big help here. If you have not done enough discovery work and do not see a clear view of the solution, then it is difficult to communicate it. In this case, it is best to schedule more time with the client and any other players in the company to get the full picture. Use your internal resources or non-competitive network associates to get the job done. You may delay the sale, but it is a much better decision than rushing to a wrong solution or appearing incompetent as a result of lack of incomplete information.
- Prospect looks puzzled by your response to his/her question – In this case you may lack discovery information or were so busy that you did not have time to adequately prepare for the demonstration or presentation. You provide brief high level answers to your prospect’s questions and you continue to add on other features or marketing speak in hopes the customer will see value and purchase the solution. There is no substitute for good solid preparation. Consider the professional pilots who fly many hours every year. They still use a checklist to ensure they have not missed anything. Actors rehears scenes many, many times to get it just right. Doctors and accountants attend courses every year to stay up to date and sharp. Shouldn’t you practice the same professionalism habits? If you lack discovery information for your preparation, do as mentioned above and enlist support. If you are not ready, look at your calendar and re-prioritize items to allow enough time for preparation. To ensure you are prepared, you can click the link below this post and get our free checklist.
- The Dismissed Customer – There are two key points in this area. First is ignoring the customer’s question or providing a high level generic response. This communicates a lack of sincere interest in the customer. The customer is then left wondering if their question will ever be answered and they do not focus on the current message. The customer will not move forward to the next step in the sales process or the signing of the order. Remember this question may have been planted by the competition and it is important that you respond and also that you ask why that is important or how it relates to the need. If you do not know the answer or have a support person who can help available, write it down and get back to the customer. They will take positive note of your actions.
The other point in this area is providing a generic demo or presentation. Your company may provide a demo script or a deck of presentation slides, but they are your starting points. If you do not customize them to your customer, she will feel that you do not understand the need and are merely presenting a product to make a sale. It also shows a lack of respect indicating you did not value the customer enough to invest in preparation time customize the material to your customer and show how you and your solution can meet her needs
You can avoid this mistake by customizing the material and ensuring you link a client-specific value to the capabilities you present. You want to create a vision of what is possible and link the capabilities to their needs in context. You’ll make a much stronger impression if you do.
- Catch phrase – The catch phrase is typically a word or group of words used in a marketing message by upper management or a new marketing phrase in the industry. I’ve seen many reps include this phrase over and over in a demo or presentation and the customer’s reaction is annoyance or confusion. It may be a new word or phrase to him so his focus is on the meaning of the word and he fails to hear the other parts of the message.
You can avoid annoying or confusing the customer. If he looks confused the first time you use the word, explain it. Do a dry run of your demo or presentation for your manager or co-worker and get feedback to ensure you are not including a repetitive catch phrase. It is definitely worth the time and effort.
You may have also acquired some gestures or body language that can annoy the customer. The dry run can help you identify movements such as pencil tapping, pen clicking, jingling change in your pocket or turning the laser pointer off and on. The book Louder Than Words by former FBI agent Joe Navarro is a great resource for identifying both positive and negative body language.
- Don’t Argue – The customer may pose an opposing point of view. It is important not to argue but to get to the root of the issue. She may be confused about functionality or may not have the total picture. To avoid offending the customer or losing the sale, restate the point in your own words to ensure you have understood the meaning. Once you and the customer agree on the concern, let the customer know it is a valid concern and perhaps other customers have expressed the same concern. Then provide your response in terms of their needs. Ensure that you have cleared up any concerns and there is no longer an objection. Showing the customer that you have listened to her and understood her concern goes a long way in building trust and leads to getting more business.
Continue to build and improve your sales skills. Successful selling isn’t built on clever tricks or manipulation. It is built on a solid foundation of fundamentals, effective communication and developing trust.
Get your free demonstration/presentation checklist on our free stuff page @ www.salestrainingsolutions.com/freestuff
About the Authors: Phyllis Mikolaitis and John Switzer are sales coaches and developers each with over 30 years’ global experience. They are dedicated to taking you beyond the typical “how to” courses to the heart of persuasion techniques incorporating insights and stories to win the sale. Visit them at www.salestrainingsolutions.com.other where you can learn more about creating winning demonstrations and sales skills.