When giving a presentation the most important piece is the presenter. The salesperson (presenter) has already established enough common ground with the prospect in order to secure their interest in a presentation. Now the salesperson needs to follow through with a focused presentation.   Appearance The more professional the salesperson's appearance, the more confidence the prospect will have in what is being said. Whether you are presenting or asked to support or attend a presentation, wear appropriate business clothing to reinforce the message that you are serious and professional. Wrinkled or stained clothing is an immediate turn off. An unkempt personal appearance will also leave a bad impression. Make sure your hair is neatly cut and combed. Maintaining good hygiene is not only important for health, but also for displaying professionalism. Just as going to the gym and maintaining good body weight can be considered part of a television or movie personality's job, part of a salesperson's job is to maintain a professional wardrobe and appearance.   Speaking

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Make sure that the first words of your presentation draw interest and excitement. Keep the interest level high throughout the presentation by varying your voice pitch and octave level.

Any prolonged speaking portion of the presentation can easily lose the interest of the prospect. The best way to avoid losing the crowd is to work on your presentation skills on a continuing basis. Avoid filler words such as "hmm", "well", and "um". You can ask someone to listen and throw a light object like a stress ball your way when they catch you saying such a word, or you can record your practice talks and your presentations and count how many times you're adding words that distract.

Focus your presentations. Streamline the charts as much as possible. Bring along back-up charts to help answer anticipated questions, but do not present all information on all related topics. If it wasn't a question in the prospect's mind, it will be seen as too much information and distract from the qualities your prospect is interested in.

Avoid humdrum talks. Practice does makes perfect. Practice in front of different groups of people, perhaps friends, family, or colleagues. Join a group that helps you learn how to give an effective presentation speech. If you see eyes starting to drift or glaze during your presentations, move on or ask a question to bring the discussion back to what the prospect is truly interested in, or to better bring attention to why the point is important.

Throughout the presentation you should avoid using industry jargon, as your audience may not understand the terminology. Use language and present value that they will understand.

We stress again, keep the presentation short and to the point, as dragging out the information can become tiresome for the audience. This is best accomplished by being well organized and prepared. By limiting the presentation time, you will show respect for the prospect's time and you will allow for a highly effective question and answer session. The Q & A time will give you the opportunity to find out what the prospect really needs and what their reservations may be. It provides the perfect opportunity to build trust and close the sale.

Effective presentations are essential in sales. They help the prospect fully understand the benefit they will receive from the offering. The presentation also gives you the chance to display your expertise on the offering. This will likely cause you to receive more leads and make more sales.

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