Being able to communicate the value of what you’re selling effectively is a key skill to have. When you can do that, and the prospect agrees that this value outweighs the cost, then you’re in for a winner.

Good salespeople are almost always better at communicating value than underperformers. While underperformers talk about features and benefits, top performers talk about what the prospect cares about, and what it means for their individual business. 

So, how do you give a winning presentation that communicates the value of what you are offering right away?

Starting strongly

From the very start, you want to build rapport. But what is rapport?

It definitely isn’t spending tens of minutes chatting about football, or the weather, or the newly decorated living room you have. This can be difficult to avoid if the prospect initiatives the conversation, but you need to either give off the impression that you are very busy, or understand that the prospect is very busy. Bring the conversation back round to where you need it be in a natural manner. Never be rude.

The fastest way to build rapport, which earns trust, is to acknowledge the prospect by all, and anyone else in the meeting, and show them the research you’ve done on their company. That basically tells the prospect you’re serious about this. And if you are taking it seriously, they are more likely to take it seriously. Show you’ve got expertise, you have done your prep, and you are the best placed person to speak about the topic. Instant credibility.

Get the prospect on your side

A relatable statement helps here that will get prospects nodding in agreement and align yourself with the buyer. This helps get the prospect on the same page as you. Here’s an example for if you were selling hand sanitiser systems (appropriate, right?): “Today, we need to be extra careful with hygiene and the spread of germs.” It’s a relatable statement, albeit not the best, that everyone should agree with.

The start of a winning presentation should be fairly broad, and from there on it should begin to narrow down as the meeting progresses. By the time you get to the focal point, you want to have built credibility and trust.

Add context

Following the relatable statement you want to add some context to start narrowing down what you want to talk about. For example, following on the spreading germs statement with: “We shake hands with and touch, on average, 25-30 people a day.”

Use the power of storytelling

Then, follow up with a story to introduce the product: “So if we only wash our hands on average twice a day, then that’s potentially coming into contact or spreading germs with over 20 people a day. And each person does the same, multiplying the effect.”

Introduce emotion

Then, play on the business pains and add in some emotion: “If one of those people is ill or hasn’t washed their hands properly or, worse, not at all, that could lead to the spread of sickness and germs in the office.” Obviously come up with something powerful here, and if you use numbers make sure you do the maths right.

Hook them

Then the hook: “Competitor X purchased our hand sanitiser systems as part of a push of hygiene and office cleanliness and saw sickness rates reduce by 20% within three months, which improved overall staff productivity by £120k within 12 months.”

So you’ve got them on your side, you’ve talked about the pains, and you’ve hooked them with the numbers, or the return on investment. That’s communicating the value. You’ve highlighted the exact value the prospect will get from your product without talking about features or specifications. Really simple. 

Lots of salespeople spend time at the start talking about the specifications and capabilities of the product, without relating it to the prospects’ business. Try using this really simple 5 step structure to start strongly and then take the prospect through the journey by relating your product or service to their business. The more you can tailor your statement and story to their business, the stronger your presentation will be.