How to Present Your Product Successfully

By bob portenier

Presenting your product should be a direct and simple process. But it’s easy for salespeople to become caught up in the details of their product and their company. Many salespeople get sidetracked and forget the original purpose of the call – to make a sale, as quickly and efficiently as possible and to move on to other calls.

The problem is that salespeople enjoy the sound of their own voices. Unfortunately, the salesperson is the only one who is impressed. The prospect isn’t impressed at all. In fact, the prospect becomes quickly bored with the one-sided conversation. She doesn’t care about the company history. She doesn’t care how much technology went into the product or service. She doesn’t care how much you know or how much your company knows.

Here are three key points every salesperson should know and remember when preparing a presentation.

Focus on the Prospect’s Problems

Everyone listens to one radio station. That station is WII-FM – What’s In It For Me? Before the prospect can learn what your product or service will do for him, you first must help the prospect discover his need or problem. This will give you the opportunity to point out the specific benefits your product or service offers to solve the need or problem.

Ask the Right Questions

The salesperson’s line of question must be designed to help the prospect discover the solution to his need or problem and immediately recognize a benefit from using your product or service. By thinking of the presentation as a road map and questions as signposts or direction markers, a salesperson directs the prospect into discovering a solution to his need or problem. The ultimate destination on this journey is to create a happy and satisfied customer and to get the order.

Be Concise

Whether you’re uncovering a need or a problem, get straight to the point. Eliminate senseless small talk that takes up valuable time (both yours and your customer’s), and don’t try to impress prospects with your knowledge, skill, company statistics or solutions to other managers’ problems. It won’t sell your product for you, but it might kill the opportunity for a sale.

Remember: State your benefits quickly and simply. Don’t tell, sell!