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8 Steps to Outstanding Sales Structure

Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE | Articles > From the section: Presentation Skills

December, 2014 |

By Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE

The structure of your sales presentation is the skeleton under the flesh of your words. This simple, 8-step process frees you to make a seamless argument leading to a conclusion.

Even if you’ve made a compelling presentation, it often takes weeks or months before you get an answer. As a result, the goal is to burn vivid examples and key ideas into the prospect’s mind—ideally, in a way they cannot forget what makes you different from your competition. This is especially important if you are one of several individuals or teams competing for the same business.

The challenge is to design and deliver your presentation in a way to be remembered and repeated. Yet, what is the average structure?

“Hi, I am Fred Smith. Let me introduce you to my team: Tom, Dick, and Harriett.

Thank you for your time.

We are from the ABC Company…

This is what we do…

This is how long we have been in business…

This is what we are known for…

These are the clients we do business with…

We would like to work with you…”

That is a dreary “who cares” presentation at its worst. So, what’s a more effective structure? Take these eight steps to create one that’s focused on the potential client:

1. Sincere compliment. Start off with something that they are proud of—and that shows you’ve done your homework:

“Congratulations on the success of your recent product launch.”
“Your latest advertising campaign is spectacular.”
“Your stock price is up three points when most of the market is down. Your strategy is on track.”

2. Introduction to their challenge or problem. This is not the time to mention your product or solution. A better approach is to say something about their current responsibility, challenge, or opportunity. Depending on which you pick, you must follow up with why:

“This is the right time to make a bold move and…”
“Your board of directors has challenged you with…”
“Your competition is increasing in…”

3. Differentiate from your competition. Everyone else thanks prospects for their time…so don’t. Instead, say:

“Thank you for the opportunity to discuss how our company (be specific with your service or product) can help you accomplish your goals.”
“…minimize your risk in...”
“…expand your markets in…”
“…to demonstrate how our technology will be able to...”

4. Thank and make heroes of your contacts. If you have a champion, or have interacted with individuals who have helped prepare you for the meeting or taken you through the discovery process, now it is appropriate to thank them.

“Thank you, Mike and Theresa, for your generosity of time and knowledge to help us understand the ABC Company’s goals, commitments, and challenges.”
“Mike tells us that your vision is to” or “…your priorities are...”
“In the next 30 minutes (60 minutes, three hours)…you will hear (learn, discover, see demonstrated)...how our solution (company, technology, unique methodology) can help you achieve that goal.”
Never say, “I am going to talk about” or “What I would like to do…”

5. Provide examples, experience, and social proof. Knowing about your product or service is not enough. Your prospect must understand how it could improve their business—and how you are not just a salesperson but rather a trusted advisor. Tell about satisfied clients through stories and case histories. Screenwriter Robert McKee says, “Stories are the creative conversion of life itself into a more powerful, clearer, more meaningful experience.”

6. Review your key ideas. This can be accomplished with a rhetorical question or simple statement based on your premise:

“So, how is ABC Company better off by doing business with us?”
“As you heard...the way our company would approach helping you accomplish your goals…”
“…our technology would increase your efficiency…”
“…our training would improve your...”

7. Head into the close with confidence, not a question. One mistake many of your competition makes is to close on questions. No. No. No. You need to close on a high and let your last words linger. Make sure they’re yours. The warm-up to that is a question, though: “Based on what you have heard, what are your specific questions?” After you answer their questions (and possibly objections), your goal is to drive the sale forward. Depending on the complexity of your offering, or how many people are involved, you may want to say:

“At this point, our most logical step is…”
“At this point, may I recommend we…”
“At this point, our best clients select to...”

8. Reinforce your key idea. Your last words are arguably the most important ones you’ll say, so never introduce a new idea you have no time to develop. Good copywriters will tell you they often write the P.S. of a sales letter first because it confirms the key idea in the letter. Your approach might sound something like this:

“Again, thank you for the opportunity to demonstrate how our approach could well be what you have been searching for. We look forward to our next meeting. In your discussions, remember the results of [other successful client]. They invited us in with the same time line you have. You have the security of knowing we pioneered this industry.”

Depending on the situation, you could also talk about how you are “more nimble than our competition,” “can get started as soon as you say yes,” or “a one-stop shop.”

Most professionals are fairly smooth when they get into the body of their presentation. Very few, however, know how to open and close effectively and memorably. Take these eight steps you’ve just read, and apply or adapt what is appropriate to your situation. Script your opening and close for specificity and brevity. You are not going to read it but should work from an outline. In the middle of the night, if your spouse elbowed you and asked, “How are you going to open and close next week’s sales presentation?” your automatic response needs to be exactly what you will say.

Patricia Fripp is the ultimate authority on powerful persuasive presentations - your competitive edge! She is a Hall of Fame keynote speaker, executive speech coach, and sales presentation skills trainer and coach. Meetings and Conventions magazine named her "One of the 10 most electrifying speakers in North America.” Kiplinger's Personal Finance wrote, "The sixth best investment in your career is to attend a Patricia Fripp speaking school."

Fripp is now virtually everywhere through her interactive virtual training www.frippvt.com. Trusted by clients such as ADP, Cisco, VMWare, IBM, VISA and Genentech.

Patricia Fripp helps individuals and companies who want the competitive edge that comes from powerful, persuasive presentations.

www.fripp.com, www.frippvt.com, [email protected], (415) 753-6556

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