Audience

• Know your audience. You need to understand the problems and needs of prospects before you can prepare an effective selling presentation. Prospects want to know what’s in it for them. You can’t just spew out a lot of reasons why your company is great; you must relate to a prospect’s condition.
  
  

Attention

• Prospects are flooded with information and contenders for their time. Even if you have an opportunity to get in front of a prospect to make your presentation, that prospect can easily get distracted. For example, he may be thinking about a problem he has to deal with or an appointment coming up. To grab a prospect's attention, begin your presentation with something very compelling that will rivet a prospect to what you have to say. Tell the prospect what the presentation will be telling him to build anticipation of the value that will be coming.
  
  

Understanding

• Demonstrate to the prospect that you understand his situation. You will show a genuine interest in a prospect if you demonstrate that you took the time to learn about a prospect’s needs and how you can address those needs.
  
  

Benefits, Not Feaures

• Don’t tell prospects about all the features of what you are selling. A prospect does not buy based on features. He is looking for the benefits that he will receive by buying your products or services. To develop benefits, list all the features. Next list the benefits of those features. After listing benefits, list what pain the prospect will experience if he does not get those benefits.
  
  

Objections

• Understand objections a prospect may have to buying you product or service. Be prepared with responses to objections.
  
  

Ask for the Order

• Many new sales people forget what may seem obvious — to ask for the order. Include in your presentation a request that the prospect buy. If it does not make sense to ask a prospect to buy after the presentation (based on your sales process) make a call to action. A call to action tells a prospect what to do next.