Chapter 12: Creating Value with the Consultative Demonstration

Needs Satisfaction Presentation Strategy

 After you have configured a solution that matches the customer’s needs, you must
select which presentation strategy to emphasize
 Informative, persuasive, or reminder

Information Strategy
Informative Presentation—emphasizes factual information, which is often taken from technical
reports, company-prepared sales literature, or written testimonials from people who have used
the product.
 Keys are clarity, simplicity, and directness
 Used for new, highly complex, and technical products and/or services
 Welcomed by reflective and directive communication styles
 Salesperson must transition from an information conveyer to the role of a trusted
business advisor
 Selling the brand concept, getting the buyer excited

Persuasive Presentation—a sales strategy that influences the prospects beliefs, attitudes, or
behaviour and encourages buyer action
 Once a need has been identified
 Persuasion—a communication process by which you motivate someone else to
voluntarily do something you’d like them to do
 Transition stage where dialogue shifts from an intellectual emphasis to an emotional
appeal
 Requires a high level of training and experience
 Handled improperly, can trigger fear or distrust

Reminder (reinforcement) presentation—strategy that assumes the prospect has already been
involved in an informative or persuasive presentation and understands at least the basic
product features and buyer benefits
 Can be a dimension of service after the sale
 If the product requires care and maintenance
 Performance

Creating a Presentation that Adds Value

 Canned (memorized or scripted) presentation—is built around a standard set of steps,
ignores the unique needs of each customer, and is presented in the form of a respective
speech given to all customers interested in a particular item
 Likely be discounted by customer
 Takes away from product value
 Adapt the presentation to meet the unique needs of the customer
 Try to avoid depersonalization
 Cover one idea at a time and use an appropriate amount of detail
  Confirm understanding of each point prior to moving on
 Use proof devices to demonstrate buyer benefits
 Proof device—a device such as a statement, report, testimonial, customer data, or
photography that is used to enhance the salesperson’s credibility during a sales
presentation
 Builds confidence in solution
 Appeal to as many senses as appropriate
 More information and persuasive
 Balance telling, showing, and involvement
 If a buyer cannot participate, put literature or other items in customer’s hands
 Develop creative presentations
 Can gain attention, increase desire, and add value
 Enhanced by the capacity for divergent thinking and willingness to take risks
 Consider the sue of humour in moderation
 Choose the right setting
 May be unwilling to go “off premises”
 Document the value proposition
 Focuses on favourable points of difference between your product and the next best
alternative
 Describe the few elements that matter most to your customer

Persuasive Presentation
 Place special emphasis on the relationship
 Establish a bind early
 Adapt your communication style
 Use social media
 People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care
 Sell specific benefits and obtain customer reactions
 People do not buy things; they buy what the things will do for them
 Use a confirmation question
 Use of showmanship—an interesting and attractive way of communication an idea to
other
 Minimize negative impact of change
 Personalize the benefit; positive and realistic
 Place the strongest appeal at the beginning or end
 Use the power of association with metaphors, stories, and testimonials

Group Sales Presentation

1. Identify the titles and roles of the people who will attend
2. Check out the meeting room in advance
3. Ensure presentation is characterized by clarity and simplicity: Mental imagery
4. Anticipate diverse questions and prepare concise persuasive answers
Audiovisual Presentation
1. Do not rely too heavily on “bells and whistles”
2. Be sure the prospect knows the purpose of the presentation
3. Be prepared to stop the presentation to clarify a point or answer a question
4. Review key points at the conclusion of the presentation and allow for questions

Team Presentation Strategies

 Team members should:
 Have a clear understanding of what role to play during the call
 Share detailed information about the customer
 Understand the basics of a consultative sales presentation
 Be prepared to add value
 Not easily executed
 Salespeople who have well-prepared presale objectives know when to seek assistance
from another professional

Selling to a Buying Committee

 Need to satisfy the individuals and the group as a whole
 Be careful to:
 Determine the various buying influences
 Make all parties feel involved
 Find out if there are silent members

Adaptive Selling
 At the very heart of adaptive selling is the belief that every sales call must be tailored to
the unique needs, wants, and concerns of the customer
 Strategies that position yourself with the customers
 Tactics you will use when face-to-face

*Six-Step Presentation Plan

The Approach
Effective Use of Voice Mail
 Keep message brief
 Offer a compelling benefit
 Give best time to call back
 Say phone number slowly and completely
 Repeat number

The Social Contact

Converting the Buyers’ Attention and Arousing Interest

1. Agenda approach
2. Product demonstration approach
3. Referral approach
4. Customer benefit approach
5. Survey approach
6. Premium approach