The Science of Successful Sales Presentations

There’s a man dressed in a business suit. His hair is slicked back maybe. Or it’s styled in a clean manner. He has that laugh. You know the one. The sales laugh. Equal parts boisterous and forced with a layer of charm. Have you visualized the main character of a sales presentation story? When many people think of sales, this is a typical perspective. But sales presentations involve several more aspects than meet the eye. It’s a technical process – a strategic communication between buyer and seller. And this communication is one that drives economies. In just the US, 1 of every 8 jobs is in full-time sales. That’s why we’ve looked into the components of sales presentations and the science presenters need to know to attain a greater chance of success.

1. The Angle

Sales presentations that see the most returns on their communication investments accurately identify the angle with which to approach their audiences. Will your product or service be a new tool able to transform their current operations or processes? Or is it a more refined, more beneficial version of a product or service your audience is already utilizing? One sales method is more difficult and less successful than the other. For example, providing a solution sells more customers on your product or idea than explaining details about your company and how you created your product or idea. According to an article by the Brevet Group, just slightly more than a tenth of customers have confidence in a salesperson ability to recognize their unique needs. Chanin Ballance, President and CEO of MobilePaks and Tim Riesterer, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer of Corporate Visions relay how a salesperson can address audience needs through his or her’s point of view. They argue that there are 4 stages of conveying perspective in sales presentations, including the following:

Insight: Delivering new material to the audience, garnering their attention

Unsafe: Creating a heightened awareness of the problem by describing the status quo as a dangerous situation

New safe: Positioning the product or service as valuable and worthy of change

Proof: Telling a customer or client story as evidence supporting previous information

In addition to point of view and perspective, there is a science to the language sales presentations and presenters utilize. A study conducted by 2 researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology discovered that the rule of reciprocity, scarcity, and social proof go a long way in presentations. The researchers analyzed copy for Kickstarter projects that were funded and those that were not funded. Phrases used in projects that received funding had a few distinct characteristics. They were confident; projects will, funding will help, pledgers will. They were clear about the goals and objective; secure the, around new, to play the. And they were future-facing; good karma and, and develop, gain a, future is.

2. The Priority

According to Pranab Bhalla’s Science of Sales, a salesperson’s effectiveness is impacted by his or her ability to prioritize the different elements of the role.

The Science of Successful Sales Presentations

Source: Science of Sales

While filling out sales reports and other miscellaneous documents may be a crucial component of your job, it isn’t responsible for creating relationships and generating revenue. A sales presentation should be regarded as a top priority in the day-to-day. Not only should sales presentations themselves be a priority, but also the audiences of potential customers or clients should be top of mind. Tell a story in sales presentations to relate with your audiences and increase message retention. Over 60% of attendees will remember stories, while only 5% will remember data and statistics. And since the action of making a purchase is an emotional process – our brain activity is 95% subconscious – storytelling only makes sense to incorporate in your sales presentations.

3. The Analysis

In The Science of Sales Presentations, PGI suggests testing various types of messages for the same sales pitch in your marketing efforts. Gather insight and data to reveal the best performing message and use it in your sales presentations. Try these tried and true methods of attaining success in your sales presentations:

  • Limit product/service offerings
  • Emphasize loss
  • Garner awareness of challenges faced without your product or service

Focus on the angle, the priority, and the analysis of your sales presentations. Science has shown that a strategy centered on those 3 pillars will be most likely to bring success. For more information about the science of sales and presentations, check out the resources below:

5 Pitch Presentation No-No’s

5 Elements of a Perfect Presentation Title

Anatomy of a Sales Pitch: The Moment of Reflection


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