In your business, how long does it take for you to go from an inquiry to a serious sales presentation with the buyer or executive team? Weeks? Months? When the time comes, are you prepared? Do you know exactly what to say in order to customize your presentation to meet your client's interests?

Companies in all industries spend months training their sales professionals on product knowledge, the history of their company, and the reasons that their products and services are superior. The big void in the training, however, is the failure to teach them how to ask the right questions of their clients and then communicate their message from the prospect's point of view.

We shouldn't assume that these sales professionals can naturally tell the company story; they need to be trained on this, as we explain in this issue Promotional Consultant Today.

1. Forget your company history or industry jargon which might be the biggest "who cares" of all. A bored mind gets distracted and will likely cut your meeting short. Use phrases such as, "Based on 15 years of helping clients of your size and complexity, I have discovered ..." or "With the last five clients in your industry, I have found ..." or "In our 20-year history, our leadership has always …" Work that information into your presentation without belaboring the point and by focusing on their challenges, priorities or interests instead.

2. In the beginning of the relationship, remember that the key to connection is conversation, and the secret of conversation is to ask questions. The quality of the information you receive depends on the quality of your questions.

3. Take notes on what they say. When appropriate, feed back their words in your conversation and then in your proposal. Prospects never disagree with themselves. When you are discovering if they have a need or how big the opportunity is or how much it is costing them without your product or services, let them do most of the talking.

4. For your initial conversations, even if you know your discovery questions backwards and forwards, write them down. If you are part of a team, collaborate with your teammates and add their input to your list, since it's easier to be creative with a couple of minds working on the challenge. There is no true quality without consistency. Your company and clients are best served when everyone on your team, from novice to most senior sales associate, follows the same questioning and presentation structure.

5. Clarify how your prospects can benefit from your product or service. Based on their answers to your questions, structure your presentation around these points:

  • Congratulations on your success …

  • Thank you for the opportunity to present our solution …

  • You told us you are most interested in …

  • Here is how we can help you accomplish your goals …

  • Hundreds of our satisfied clients will tell you …

  • Based on what you have heard, what questions can I answer?

  • Our next logical step is to …

In the initial discussions, keep your sales questioning conversational; it's not an interrogation. During the formal presentation, answer the prospect's concerns in a way that brings in your past experience with other clients like them. Make sure you use more of a "You" focus than an "I" or "We" focus. Remember, they are more interested in themselves than in you.

Finally, don't forget to ask for their business.

Source: Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE, is a National Speakers Association Hall of Fame keynote speaker, executive speech coach and sales presentation expert.