Learn How to Create a Killer Presentation by Asking the Right Questions with Tim Wackel [Episode 495]

The presentation is a pivotal moment of your sales process. Are you ready to level up your presentation game?

Tim Wackel, top sales trainer and leading expert on making better sales presentations, joins me for the second time on this episode.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Tim sees too much activity without accomplishment, as the single biggest challenge facing sales reps. This is driven from the top. Tim stresses working on the fundamentals first.

Your sales process needs to be set up to make the human interactions within the buying process as value-laden and impactful as possible. Tim cites the art of conversation.

Metrics are set by management. Reps need coaching on basics more than on metrics. Tim says executives often don’t know what’s going on in sales, but they want more of it. The real metric is, how much business are you producing?

They must put their own stamp on the process. Don’t work robotically. Top performers have unique ways of doing things. Have the confidence to shine.

Sometimes the manager doesn’t have the right process for you. Tim tells an anecdote about following up, and a rep who lost a prospect, and why he lost them.

Every interaction needs to provide value. Tim’s first manager asked him if his clients valued him so much, would they be willing to pay for a sales call?

Tim talks about the two opportunities you may have to make a presentation. At either time, a poor presentation will prevent a sale. Don’t deliver everyone else’s presentation.

A presentation is not always necessary. You engage in relevant conversation, tell your story, and the laptop stays closed (even though you had a presentation ready). Tim says, design it in analog, deliver it in digital.

Presentation clumsiness is a failure. People leave their practice until they have a presentation. Practice all the time. Don’t rely on the deck. Rehearse it in an environment similar to the client’s boardroom. Make it about the client, not you.

Delete the corporate capabilities of your company. The client has already researched you. Focus on three things, what, how, and why. What is the concern? How can we fix it? Why are you the right vendor? This is the last, and easy part.

Tim says, remember, it is Powerpoint, not Powerparagraph. It is a visual aid to support your story. Make the story more important than the slides, and use the slides with images to keep people engaged in your story.

Presentation, like sales, requires methodical deliberation. How will this presentation engage the customer and move the sale forward? Sell on purpose. There is a pattern of success.

The Sales Enablement Podcast with Andy Paul was formerly Accelerate! with Andy Paul.