Before making the sales pitch, know what problem your client needs to solve and what their expectations are. This makes it easier to select the best presentation technique and tactic.
First, you need a great presentation idea.
Are you focusing on practicality like Volkswagen? Or, as renowned author, Jim Aitchison, presented, will you capitalize on the advantages of being second like Avis Rent-a-Car?
Are you looking to attack the competition like when 7-Up presented itself as the “uncola”, the opposition of Coca-Cola and Pepsi?
Before starting on your PowerPoint deck, come up with a simple but powerful strategy to guide your presentation ideas.
1. Know Where You Stand
Are you a startup? An established company with a credible reputation? Are you somewhere in between?
Regardless of your business size, it’s important to identify your position as opposed to the competition. Inc contributing editor, Darren Dahl, suggests that one of the most effective ways to do this is by determining your company’s financial standing.
Once you know how you stand in relation to your competitors, define what you can offer through your corporate presentation. Find out what advantages you have over the competition and capitalize on those in your sales pitch.
2. Know Your Client’s Business
Clients may call on other companies for a briefing or a factory tour. According to ad veteran Luke Sullivan, this builds your credibility because:
- You give the impression that you care and want to know more about your clients.
- You get to speak to them in their terms and their language.
Talking in their terms makes it easier for clients to understand your pitch.
When consulting your clients, ask them everything you can. Study their PR materials, look at how they do business with their customers, where they stand in the market, etc.
Your winning presentation idea can be found in your client’s business.
3. Know Your Customers
Find out how your customers see you.
Show your clients that you have satisfied the people you’ve done business with before, and they’ll be more easily convinced to invest in your proposal.
If clients can’t give you the information you need, answer the one question they always ask: “what’s in it for me?”
4. Know the Competition
Knowing how your competition does business tells you how they present themselves. Analyzing your competition’s presentation techniques tells you how to counter them in your own pitch.
If your competition banks on their advantages over the rest of the market, emphasize one thing they don’t have. Avis stated that the lines at their car rental counter are shorter than the leading brands’.
Even the fiercest competitor in your industry vertical will have a weakness you can exploit.
The Final Act: Simplify Your Strategy
Once you have the information you need, make your corporate presentation strategy as simple as possible.
You can emphasize the benefits of being the second place market performer, or boast about a pocket-sized device that holds a thousand songs.
As brand communications expert, Carmine Gallo, puts it, you can talk about how your new gadget achieved a comparable market share to the rest of the competition within its initial shipments.
Whatever benefit you choose to emphasize, make your point at the start of your pitch.
Having a great idea and communicating it well isn’t enough. To truly maximize this, you need a professional corporate presentation designer. Take a few minutes to talk to us and start getting the profits you deserve.
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“Ad Agency Tricks: Outsell Competitors in Sales Presentations.” SlideGenius, Inc. 2015. Accessed June 26, 2015.
Aitchison, J. Cutting Edge Advertising: How to Create the World’s Best Print for Brands in the 21st Century. Singapore; New York: Prentice Hall, 2004.
Dahl, Darren. “How to Evaluate Your Company’s Financial Position.” Inc.com. August 30, 2010. Accessed June 26, 2015.
Gallo, C. The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience. New York. McGraw-Hill, 2010
“Great PowerPoint Presentations Need Great Main Ideas.” SlideGenius, Inc. 2015. Accessed June 26, 2015.
Sullivan, L. Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This: A Guide to Creating Great Ads (3rd Ed.). Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, 2008.
