Powerpoint Sales Presentations Are Boring - Stop It!

As the meeting began, the project manager of the buying committee told me that the key decision-maker would miss the first 20 minutes or so of my presentation. This was a very competitive sale that I was working on at the time. There were about a dozen or so business-people from the prospect company that I was selling to in this meeting. The presentation was scheduled to last about 90 minutes. During the first 20 minutes I had planned to cover my "persuasive arguments" (that is my company and product benefits).

So how do you think that I felt about this wonderful news?

The fact that this decision-maker felt it to be an efficient use of his time to avoid the beginning of the sales presentation speaks volumes about the reputation of salespeople and our sales presentations. He judged that, he had better things to do than sit through a PowerPoint presentation about how many years we had been in business, how we were so customer focused, and how we were absolutely the best choice for their business. He chose instead to attend only the product demonstration part of the presentation.

The advent of presentation software like Powerpoint has allowed many people to assemble information for presentation very quickly. Unfortunately it also reinforces the all too common sales style of delivering features and benefits in the effort to persuade. Most buyers are too nice to tell us that they are bored with this approach. And so on it goes.

Engage your audience by telling stories. Begin the story even before doing introductions, agenda review, etc. Use this to get their attention and take full control. What kind of story should you tell? The best stories are ones that the prospect can relate to. How? Tell a story about one of your customers who had a big problem and how they solved it by doing business with you. Make the story engaging by describing it in vivid emotional detail - who was affected by the problem, how was it impacting them, and how did they feel, and how did the solution change all of this?

Take your feature benefit points and weave them into the story. They will have 10 times the impact and will be remembered when delivered this way. You can even say to your audience for emphasis "you might want to write that down". And what should you do with those PowerPoint slides that someone in marketing spent hours developing? Print them out as a handout, and give it to your audience at the end of your presentation.

Dont' stop with just one story. Create multiple stories for an interesting and persuasive presentation that will generate discussion about the customer's business problems and how you can solve them.

As for that decision-maker who blows off the first part of your meeting? All objections, stalls, and problems should be handled in advance. If you haven't yet secured access to the decision-maker, give your sponsor an agenda with the first items being "Customer Successes", followed by "Live Product Demonstration". Save the "Company Overview" for the end. No one cares that you have 735 employees until you have proven that you can help solve their business problems.

© 1999-2004 Shamus Brown, All Rights Reserved.

Shamus Brown is a Professional Sales Coach and former high-tech sales pro who began his career selling for IBM. Shamus has written more than 50 articles on selling and is the creator of the popular Persuasive Selling Skills CD Audio Program. You can read more of Shamus Brown's sales tips at http://Sales-Tips.industrialEGO.com/ and you can learn more about his persuasive sales skills training at http://www.Persuasive-Sales-Skills.com/

---

The Presentation After the Presentation

Allowing the audience to ask questions after your presentation is... Read More

Ten Tips on Using Flip Charts and Whiteboards

Flip charts are so common that we all think we... Read More

Creating Your Presentation Success With a Positive ?I CAN? Attitude

According to the Lamalle Report on Top Executives of the... Read More

Polishing Your Sales Presentation

Summer is here! It's time to bring out your summer... Read More

Presentation Skill Mistakes

Last week my husband and I attended an awesome 4... Read More

Quick and Easy Rehearsal Tips

Never rehearse at the last minute. This creates undue tension... Read More

How to Teach: Lecture vs. Discussion

WHEN ONLY A LECTURE WILL DO: Under certain circumstances, of... Read More

The Crucial Components of a Lesson Plan

MAKING INFORMATIVE LESSON PLANS: --The performance objectives should answer this... Read More

Too Many Choices - Dont Confuse Your Customers

Conventional wisdom is that the more choices customers have, the... Read More

Coaching Tips for Powerful Presentations

Tip #1 The purpose of your speech is to get... Read More

Practice Makes Perfect ? 7 Tips for Making the Most of Your Presentation Practice

Believe it or not, preparation is a better determinant of... Read More

Total Recall: How to Remember Your Speech Without Memorizing

We all fear that moment. You look out on a... Read More

Nonverbal Communication in Business

There are five key elements that can make... Read More

Trade Show Victory!

So you're going to have a booth at a trade... Read More

Top Ten Tips For Better Business Presentations To Asian Audiences

Audiences around the world are all different. Cultural, social and... Read More

Develop The Winners Edge Through Conversational Hypnosis

Communication is vital for survival in an age of information... Read More

If You Want Business - Throw a Seminar!

Why is throwing a seminar good for business?If you want... Read More

Presentation Skills: Be More Productive Using a Facilitator Mode

There are many definitions for presentations. When you present there... Read More

The Upside to an Auditory Rehearsal

Many experienced trainers feel that there is something lacking in... Read More

Be Bold, Branded, and Bespoke - Your Customers Want You to Choose

I had been working on a logo idea for several... Read More

Dump that Overhead Projector!

What is it about overhead projectors that causes us to... Read More

Show the World Your Wares Easily and Inexpensively

You've spent a lot of time preparing your PowerPoint presentations... Read More

Choosing the Right Work Shirts for Your Small Business

Company attire says a lot about your business philosophy to... Read More

Being Real From the Platform

"Let it be known, no person, thing, or situation... Read More

Keeping Meetings Productive

KEEPING MEETINGS PRODUCTIVE: Whether participants approve or disapprove of an... Read More

Wow! Is That ME? - Creating a Powerful One-Page Bio

First of all, what is a bio sheet and why... Read More

Can Stage Presence be Learned?

What is stage presence? Can it be learned?There are, undoubtedly,... Read More

Writing The Query Letter

The query letter is simply a business letter that serves... Read More

Steps to a Successful Audience/Trainer Relationship

A major cause of trainers being unreceptive to their audience... Read More

Incorporate Humor in Your Next Speech

Some speakers say, "I could never use humor in my... Read More

Developing Successful Demonstrations

SUCCESSFUL DEMONSTRATIONS: All of us have seen demonstrations in one... Read More

Beetle Bailey and Presentation Skills

In March 2002, the comic strip Beetle Bailey contained a... Read More

Chairing A Meeting The Most Effective Way

How many times have you attended a meeting where the... Read More