Blah Blah Blah, Get to the Point Already

Make it short and sweet and to the point. Well, who can argue with that? Every presentation should stick to the point and then make the point stick.

Paul Merlo, a sales rep for InterWest, a Sacramento, CA, commercial insurance broker serving midsize manufacturing firms doing $2 to $10 million in annual sales, distinguishes between two types of presentations: the fact-finding, needs-analysis presentation and the proposal presentation.

The fact-finding presentation is used to learn about the client’s organization, needs and prior experience with the product and service you are selling, or when taking a preliminary application from the client, if appropriate.

After a brief introduction in which he and the client learn about each other, Merlo asks about the company’s history with commercial insurance. “I ask general questions to find out what the potential client thinks their company needs. Then I ask specific questions: ‘Have you had a property or liability claim?’ ‘Have you ever estimated the total value of what you would lose if something happened?’ ‘Who have you used in the past for insurance?’ and ‘How long have you used that company?’

“If the prospect has been with the same insurance company for 10 years, they have developed a relationship. When I do my second presentation, I have to show that we, too, can develop a relationship.” Based on what the client says they need, Merlo asks them to complete an application.

The second presentation, in three steps, comes after Merlo receives the quote for the proposed policy.

Step One: Merlo gives another introduction, to bring any new participants from the clients’ company up to speed.

Step Two: He confirms the clients’ needs, wants, desires and top priorities.

Step Three: Merlo reviews the proposal with the client. He breaks it into small segments, each based on a different type of insurance, and constantly confirms that the policy is meeting the client’s needs and wants: “I do this confirmation three to six times during a presentation.”

Finally, in Step 4, Merlo discusses the price (premium). “If we’ve confirmed that the proposed policy meets the clients’ needs, price isn’t critical. I don’t worry about the price. Giving clients what they need usually wins the order. I’ve only lost three clients in four years, and they returned to me.”

John Teal, director of sales for Looney Bins, a Sun Valley, CA, supplier of large trash and recycling containers to construction companies needing a high level of reliability and service, agrees with Merlo that meeting the client’s needs is more important than price.

Teal’s reps rely on a five-step presentation process:

Step One: Observation.

Teal’s reps look for ways to build rapport with contractors. Possibilities include discussing photos, sports, vacations, books, common friends or business relationships, computers, gadgets or anything else that works.

Step Two: The Introduction.

“We make it short, sweet and to the point. We use gifts (usually T-shirts or hats) to break the ice. Then, in one sentence, we tell them what we do and what separates us from our competition.”

Step Three: Building Rapport.

Teal explains, “People buy from people they like and trust. We try to turn the conversation to something they want to talk about. People love to talk about themselves. We use observation and effective listening to make friends out of our prospects. Friends buy from friends.”

Step Four: Finding the Needs.

Features and benefits are useless unless they meet the customer’s needs. The more rapport you build, the more the prospects will share about their company’s needs or their present vendor’s shortcomings. Discuss their needs, find the problems and present win-win solutions.

Step Five: Asking for Their Business.

Determine if you want the prospect’s business, and then ask for it. That will produce either the order or objections. Knowing objections helps to close the sale, either before you leave or at your next appointment.

Merlo and Teal offer these additional suggestions:

Talk less and listen more. Some reps can’t shut up. They either don’t ask enough questions or they answer their own questions. Ask questions so prospects will share their needs with you. Don’t worry about the price. Give the prospect what they need and price won’t be a problem.

Learn to read body language and mirror your prospect. The tone of a prospect’s voice, how they act, eye contact, and other nonverbal cues can tell you if you are really addressing their concerns. Using the same body language as your prospect builds rapport and trust.

Look for common interests, to build rapport.

Patience is valuable. Sometimes, a contractor with whom Teal has scheduled an appointment is busy. If necessary, Teal says, “I see you’re busy. Let me leave you a T-shirt. Can I stop by tomorrow at (give a specific time)” Then it’s the prospect’s choice, and they don’t resent him.

Be willing to walk away from a job. If price is a problem, offer to be a backup if their present supplier lets them down. Then you can keep your integrity and your original price.