Make it memorable and avoid the Closing Ceremonies syndrome!
Photo credit: Dailymail
Like so many worldwide, I spent a fair amount of time over the past couple of weeks watching the 2012 Olympics in London. I tuned in for the opening ceremonies and was impressed by the presentation and theatrics. It was packed with talent, spectacle, comedy, and insight. A great start to what turned out to be a great games!
I found myself getting excited for the closing ceremonies. What would they present? Who would perform? Two weeks had an amazing buildup to what would certainly be a great celebration at the end. Well, the buildup was there, but the celebration waned. The London 2012 Olympics will be remembered for its great start and the intense competition throughout. However, there was no punctuation at the end.
This same phenomena occurs in sales from time to time. How many times have we earned the right to present our product or service through a well presented prospecting call, built a great presentation, only to have the sale stall. Often it is the direct result of a weak finish to an otherwise strong presentation.
Buying, no matter what the product or service, is an emotional thing. How will I be affected? How will I feel after buying? Does this iPhone make me look fat?
So, how do I avoid the London 2012 Closing Ceremony syndrome in order to get the deal? Open your presentation reminding your prospect of why they accepted the meeting by explaining the outcome it will provide them. Present the features, functionality, and references to support your claim. Finally, close by once again hitting on what it will do for them.
A VP of Sales wants to increase sales in his organization. If you sell a sales automation platform like InsideSales.com that is geared toward increasing contact rates and increasing sales, you want to focus on the fact that such a platform can double and triple their contact rates…potentially increasing sales by that same rate. That VP of Sales will be a hero to the other executives and to the board of directors, his bonus increases, and his marketability grows. Paint that picture to close and you’ll be signing contracts in no time.
By: Brian McFadyen
I think this issue you discuss can be solved by pre-call research. I found this link a great resource for those conducting virtual web demos: http://blog.smartbear.com/software-quality/bid/202423/Learn-from-the-Masters-to-Deliver-a-High-Tech-Demo