Read it and weep. That PowerPoint presentation your company dutifully customizes and sends to prospects is costing you business—I can almost guarantee it.
In my 15 years of work in marketing for the mortgage industry, I have rarely come across a sales presentation that reflected favorably on a company. Companies invest in experts to make their website, brochures and exhibit materials look sharp, but for some reason, they figure a salesperson can design and create their sales presentation.
Don’t get me wrong. A salesperson can certainly take the first pass at creating a presentation. But when it comes to making sure that the presentation reads well, looks professional and is visually appealing, marketing experts need to step in. The vast majority of salespeople aren’t equipped to write and design PowerPoints or brochures. It’s simply not their forte, so it’s unfair to expect such talents from them.
Here are four signs your sales presentation is losing you business:
1. Bullets upon bullets
Instead of illustrating essential text with clever charts and entertaining infographics that match your branding, you are under-impressing your prospect with an excess of bullets, clip art and words.
2. Placing emphasis on selling vs. consulting
You start the meeting with introductions, proceed with a company overview and then dive into your sales pitch. By doing so, you’ve missed a huge opportunity to get to know the prospect. Instead, it’s best to start with a slide that addresses the prospect’s challenges. It can lead to an invaluable discussion on their needs, which can segue into what your company has to offer.
3. Giving lengthy slide presentations
You confuse PowerPoint slides with brochures. It’s important to remember that presentations are supposed to be high level. Quickly get to the key reasons prospects should be interested, and then let them know how your products or services distinguish themselves from the competition.
4. A brand image that is less-than-extraordinary
Your marketing materials look like they were created by a professional artist, yet your sales deck looks like it was created in-house as an afterthought.
Anyone seeking to increase their odds of closing a sale should take their sales presentation seriously. This is no time to see if your salesperson has the writing and artistic talent to create a killer presentation. Get expert advice, and expect superior results. It’s quite simple.
Want to see how it’s done? Just reach out to us at Info@StrategicVantage.com or call (305) 971-6239.
By Rosalie Berg, President, Strategic Vantage