Relationship-Building During Sales Presentations

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(gentle music) (upbeat music) Welcome to Relationship Building During Sales Presentations. You'll now learn the significance of identifying characteristics of your audience and how this can help establish a strong rapport. These lessons will demonstrate how to connect with your audience and how to hold their attention by staying focused. You'll learn how to stay on topic during your presentation and demonstrate enthusiasm for what you're presenting. As a sales professional, you'll always want to do your best to establish a connection with others. By building a solid relationship, your sales presentations will have a greater impact. You can develop closer relationships by: Knowing your audience and environment well. Recognizing your customers' interests and needs. Communicating your ideas clearly. And demonstrating enthusiasm and showmanship. You may believe you've fully prepared yourself and polished your presentation thoroughly, but there are still a few steps you can take to ensure that your connection with your audience earns you success. One of the best ways to ensure a connection is to make sure that the information you are providing is relevant and current. For instance, if your target audience is made up of small businesses with fewer than 20 employees, then providing selling points and information relative to larger corporations will likely be ineffective. It's important to do research and be prepared to appeal to your audience's interest so you can convince them that your product or service will satisfy them. This goes back to researching your audience. Do your best to make it apparent that you know who you're talking to. You can also connect with your audience by determining their level of understanding about your product or service and customizing your approach. If you provide a technical or complex presentation about the features of your product or service to an audience that only has a basic understanding of your business, then you may lose their interest and possibly a sale. So make sure that your presentations are informative and digestible. Another thing to keep in mind when learning your audience is that the people you're presenting to might not necessarily share your point of view or background and experiences. This can also include your manner of conducting business. For instance, some people prefer to conduct business through casual conversations over a meal, while others prefer to keep things formal at a conference room meeting. Make sure you're aware of what your customer or target audience prefers. Especially when it comes to conducting business on a global scale, it's important to remember that not everyone can be given the same sales presentation. Other people may have different religious beliefs and cultural norms than you're familiar with. Some social constructs, such as handshakes or making direct eye contact may be seen as acceptable in some cultures, but not in others. You might notice that people attitudes and opinions, sense of humor and communication methods vary widely. Even someone from a small town may have different biases than someone from a major metropolitan area. Try to customize your presentation by speaking their language and being respectful of their own beliefs and mannerisms. Knowing your environment is also particularly important. For example, if you're giving a presentation at a large conference, you might consider: What equipment you might need for your presentation. Whether you'll be presenting outside or indoors. How much space you'll need to accommodate your audience. And how many attendees there will be. If you have a slideshow to present, make sure that you have the proper tools or equipment, such as a projector and the space to set up. If you have questionnaires for attendees to fill out or handouts to provide, make sure that pencils or pens are provided to make comments and take notes. If you'll be presenting outside or in a large indoor area, consider having a microphone and adequate sound equipment so everyone can hear you.