Presentation pitfalls: 4 more to avoid

Here’s the scenario: You’re about to make a sales presentation. You have the right experience, the right products/services and competitive pricing. You’re an ideal fit for your prospect’s needs. This should be a winning sales formula. But all too often, it isn’t. Vendors end up making dumb mistakes during presentations and lose business.

As a marketing consultant, I often source professional services, so I’ve seen a lot of sales presentations. Some are great; most are not. I’ve watched many fully qualified vendors (even ones I was rooting for) miss the mark during their presentations and walk away empty-handed.

Here are four more things to guard against when making your presentation:

1.    Bungling the Q & A. The customer asks a question, and the sales team is confused about who should respond or gives a weak, unfocused answer. Anticipate questions in advance, have answers teed up and be sure the entire team knows who’s supposed to take the lead on each topic.

2.    Checking smartphones. Never, ever let any member of your sales team pull out a smartphone during a presentation (unless you’re showing your customers how great their new website will look on a mobile device). Being unable to resist the use of your smartphone during a presentation shows a lack of interest and self-discipline. The prospect deserves your full attention. Don’t even check the time on your smartphone—wear a watch.