One of the biggest mistakes that people make in their strategic sales presentations is to make it all about themselves early in the presentation: this is who we are, how long we’ve been in business, our mission and values, our core competencies, etc.
That’s bad enough in itself, but it’s actually worse than it seems.
It’s not just that people talk about themselves too much in presentations, it’s that what they say about themselves is exactly the same as what their competitors say.
Once, just to prove a point, I talked to some executives from a company that is a leader in its industry. Using some web site quotes, I asked them if they accurately described their differentiators and advantages.
They responded as if I was wasting their time: “Of course, why don’t you tell us something we don’t know? What’s your point?”
The point was that the quotes had not come from their own web site. I had collected them from the sites of each of their next three competitors. In fact, without keeping track of the source of each quote, it would have been next to impossible to match the statement with the company.
When even the executives of the company don’t recognize the differences between what they say and what everyone else in the industry says, how can you expect customers to make sense of your message, to remember what you say during your presentation, or to care?
If you want to make an instant improvement to your sales presentation, go see what your competitors are saying about themselves. If it sounds just like you wrote it, go back to your own presentation and take it out or change it.
Part 1 explained the critical importance of anticipating all possible questions and objections that you might get before an important presentation, and if you go about it systematically you can make it almost certain that you will do a thorough job of it.
But if you’re not comfortable with “almost” bulletproof, here are four simple practices that will strengthen your presentation even more:
Talk to the people you’d rather avoid
There’s an old saying: “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer,” which applies in the case of an important presentation to a client. In mapping the decision process for your sales opportunity, you probably have identified opponents or blockers. It’s human nature to shy away from those people and spend more time with your coaches and champions. Yet some of the most profitable time I have ever spent in preparing for strategic presentations has been in talking to those most opposed to my proposal. I say something like, “I understand you have some concerns about my proposal; I’d like to take a few minutes to understand your perspective so that I can do what I can to accommodate your needs.”
The important thing in that conversation is not to try to argue with them or change their minds; it’s simply to understand. You have nothing to lose by doing this, and you can often gain information and respect.
Rehearse realistically
Present to a red team, a group of your peers specifically formed listen to your presentation and think of the toughest questions they can think of, as if they work for the customer. Tell them to interrupt you if they hear an opportunity to poke holes in your presentation. Visualize your toughest competitor being in the room when you present, whispering questions into the ear of the customer.
Question your answers
If you’ve gone through these steps, you’ve done about as much as anyone possibly can to anticipate the toughest questions you may get. It should go without saying that the next step is to write down your answers. But that’s where most people stop.
The reality is that your answers are only going to provide fresh material for really skeptical audience members to attack you even further, so you need to think a step ahead. Assuming you hit them with your carefully crafted response—what would be their follow up question to that?
Expect the unexpected
I know it sounds like an oxymoron, but it simply means that you should accept the fact that the combined imagination of your audience will often trump your best efforts to anticipate their questions. Don’t freak out when something comes up that you haven’t prepared for. If you’ve effectively answered the bulk of their questions, you can build up a cushion of credibility that will help you withstand the occasional glitch.
The last post defined an ideal sales conversation as:
Genuine and productive dialogue between individuals who share a common purpose.
It’s probably embarrassingly clear that most sales conversations don’t quite reach that ideal. What are the barriers that prevent it?
Lack of preparation: You don’t know enough about the customer and their situation to open the conversation to a subject that they care about. Or you demonstrate that you haven’t done the work to earn the credibility to establish trust and intimacy.
History and preconceptions: The customer may have had a bad experience with you or your company, or may have preconceptions about you (planted by competitors, perhaps). You may be afraid to bring up potential negatives, but elephants in the room will make their presence felt if they’re not acknowledged and addressed early.
Excessive goal focus: This can manifest itself in two ways. If you focus too much on what success or failure will mean to you in this sales call, your eagerness or fear will leak through and taint the conversation. The second risk is being so focused on what you’re trying to achieve that you don’t pay enough attention to the person in front of you. One of the reasons for excessive goal focus is this next barrier:
Falling in love with your plan: Planning is a good thing, but don’t fall in love with your plan. No matter how logical it is, the customer always has a vote, and you need to use your judgment to know when to stick with the plan and when to follow the flow of the conversation. Along the same lines, you may have crafted some exquisite questions, and then be so focused on asking the questions that you miss signals—either they have already answered the question, or they’re telling you that they want to talk about something else.
Conscious competence: You know the techniques you’re supposed to use to ask the right questions, listen actively, and manage objections, but you still have to think about them. You haven’t used them so much that they become unconscious habits, a part of who you are. Sports psychologists tell us that athletes choke when they think too much. When they trust the techniques they’ve practiced, hard-wiring and habits carry them to success.
Impatience: Two vital ingredients of ideal sales conversations are trust and willingness to change, and both take time to develop. Pushing either one too fast can backfire on you. For example, we love to sell solutions, so we often try to cram them into the smallest opening that sounds like a problem. In doing so we may solve the wrong problem or scare off the customer who is not yet ready.
Pride, Enthusiasm and Passion: Wait—aren’t these all supposed to be good things? Why would they be barriers to an ideal sales conversation? They are good, but if they’re not held in check they can keep you from seeing things from the customer’s point of view. I’m reminded of Churchill’s observation that “A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject.” Just remember, they’re not that into you or your product. If they ask what time it is don’t tell them the fascinating history of watchmaking.
If you remove these seven barriers, you’re well on your way to the ideal sales conversation. In the next post, we’ll examine the positive steps you can take to get the rest of the way.
If selling were simple and easy, the ideal sales conversation would sound like this:
Salesperson: “Sign here. Press hard and make three copies.”
Customer: “OK.”
Real life is not so simple and easy, of course. But it is possible to have a conversation with a buyer that is even better than that—one in which you establish an immediate connection, have a meaningful discussion that uncovers pressing needs, and agree on a way forward that leaves both sides happier and better off.
The first step in achieving this ideal is to get a clear view of what needs to be in place for it to happen. The ideal sales conversation is one that contains:
Genuine and productive dialogue between individuals who share a common purpose.
What does genuine mean? It means that the flow of ideas, information and insight moves along so naturally that it feels like two minds are in synch, like both sides have figuratively moved to the same side of the desk to solve a common problem together. You feel like you’re talking to a trusted friend, because you respect their competence and you sense their real concern for your interests. It’s informal and professional at the same time. It’s comfortable, but still contains creative tension.
What does productive mean? It moves the interests of both sides along, closer to an intelligent decision. While both sides may personally enjoy the dialogue, neither side loses sight of the fact that they are in the meeting to serve the interests of their employers. At the same time, both sides approach the conversation in a non-zero sum and long term spirit. To borrow a phrase from the real estate industry, it is the “highest and best use” of time for both sides.
What does dialogue mean? It’s not a monologue, and it’s not an interrogation. Both sides talk in proper proportion. We like to say that the best sales dialogues are those in which the customer talks far more than the salesperson, but that is not an absolute necessity. It’s one in which your questions get answered without you even asking. It’s kind of like a tennis match, because each side knows which court the ball is in without having to think about it, except it’s more like a long rally than anyone trying to score a quick point, and we usually let the customer bounce the ball on their side as long as they want. Listening is easy, speaking does not feel forced, and even silence adds to the forward flow.
What does common purpose mean? The common purpose is the improvement of the customer’s situation, which is reached by jointly developing insights about what they need to:
Achieve a goal
Solve a problem
Take advantage of an opportunity
Respond to change
Deal with risk.
In pursuing the common purpose, both sides think and learn.
In summary, you know the sales conversation has been ideal when both sides perceive the discussion as having been profitable and pleasurable. You know it has been ideal if both sides are proud to report it back to their managers.
