The biggest mistake sales professionals make in presentations – according to sales professionals themselves, in a survey – is to wing it rather than properly prepare. Not far behind are two other classic boo-boos: Being informative rather than persuasive and failing to close the sale.
The fourth unsettling mistake, which comes from survey participants watching others present is that the presentation was boring, boring, boring.
Many of us are less trained than sales professionals and may make far fewer presentations, but the results should help guide even those who are in other fields.
“If a pivotal presentation doesn’t move you forward, you’ve got to figure out why and change it,” consultant Terri Sjodin writes in Presentation Ready. A good place to start is with those four common mistakes, which could be hindering you.
Everyone is busy these days and often there doesn’t seem to be sufficient time to prepare for a presentation. Add to that the procrastination factor: Salespeople put off preparing and then there isn’t enough time to fully think through all aspects of the presentation. Besides, they are pros – they can improvise or ad lib, winging it through the presentation.
“The solution is to prepare, practice and channel your energy and effort into every task before you,” says Ms. Sjodin. That’s obvious of course. But you need to make it happen.
Sometimes, there may be legitimate reasons for not preparing, such as when the opportunity arises suddenly. She advises you to prepare in advance for spontaneous situations. Build a collection of go-to statements, phrases and pieces of evidence that you can memorize so you will be better prepared for out-of-the-blue opportunities as well as handling objections in pre-planned presentations. She compares it to a women’s professional basketball player who can sink a three-point shot consistently in critical moments because she has put in the time beforehand.
Data dumping is the second customary mistake. The presentation becomes overloaded with an excessive amount of information, often without proper context and explanation, and any argument gets lost. She warns that ironically listeners may love such presentations because they can use all your intel to negotiate another deal somewhere else. If you are getting lots of compliments on your presentations but not much subsequent action, that may be a sign you are falling into this trap.
The solution is to get clear on your role. “It is a teacher’s job to be informative. It is a sales professional’s job to be persuasive,” she advises. Understand the difference. Don’t linger in what she calls “the information zone.” You are not supposed to be unbiased. Your goal is to present a specific point of view, opportunity or way of thinking.
Many survey respondents told her they conclude a presentation – wrapping up what they want to say – but do not close it, offering a specific call to action. They fear rejection so they stay clear of asking for the sale or some next step toward it.
“It doesn’t need to be scary. All you are doing is inviting your listener to choose to move forward in some regard,” she writes. When people are being asked to part with money, she says it’s almost guaranteed they won’t do anything unless they are asked to do so. You need to decide on a specific goal with a clear call to action for the listeners at each meeting.
Too many presentations are dull and tedious. You may have attended some yourself. But when presenting, most of us, if accused of that offence, would say we were being informative.
“It’s the presenter’s responsibility to build and deliver an interesting message. You might think your data is interesting, but that doesn’t mean the audience will,” she states. Use analogies, anecdotes and rhetorical devices like alliteration and energizing words repeated regularly through your statements, as Martin Luther King Jr. did in his I Have a Dream speech.
The takeaway: Prepare. But don’t stuff your presentation with so much data and information that you are boring, boring, boring … or helpfully arming the listener with material that will assist them with another seller. And ask for the sale, or at least a next step toward that sale.
Quick hits
- In all, consultant Terri Sjodin found 12 presentation mistakes commonly cited in her survey. The others were: Verbal missteps, failure to create connections with listeners, misusing the allotted time, technology or demonstration failures, distracting gestures and body language, providing inadequate support to substantiate arguments and claims, ineffectively using visual aids and dressing inappropriately or unprofessionally.
- If you would like to be appointed to a board, you need a board bio. That summary is quite different from your resume. Northwestern University professor Victoria Medvec stresses it doesn’t list everything you have ever done or embellish executive skills like leading large teams, but instead focuses on your ability to interact well, listen carefully and give advice.
- Unspoken boundaries often cause frustration, so Atomic Habits author James Clear asks: “What is one area of your life where you would benefit from having clearer boundaries, but haven’t voiced them yet?”
Harvey Schachter is a Kingston-based writer specializing in management issues. He, along with Sheelagh Whittaker, former CEO of both EDS Canada and Cancom, are the authors of When Harvey Didn’t Meet Sheelagh: Emails on Leadership.