Sales training ideas – Make sure you’re selling this in your sales presentations.

When you deliver a sales presentation you must focus on what the prospect is really buying. When the prospect buys your product or service, she is buying the feelings and emotions that she believes the benefits of your product or service will give her. She is not buying the features. People don’t want pieces of paper with deceased notables—otherwise known as money—they want freedom and power. People don’t want just the new boat, Corvette, or Harley, they want excitement, status, a feeling that they belong—perhaps they even want to be “cool.” A woman buys a hot new outfit because of how it will make her feel when others see her in it. As a result, you want to focus on this end product when putting together a sales presentation. While it’s sometimes important to mention the features in your sales presentation, you will tie them directly to the benefits. For example, “This car has front and side air bags; thus, your family will be twice as safe in the event of a crash.” Now, you may be thinking that your sales presentations will be different because your business is different. Perhaps you sell copiers and you’re thinking, “How can copiers create feelings or emotions?” We’re here to tell you that copiers evoke emotions too. When someone buys a copier, some of the benefits—or feelings and emotions—she might be buying are image, luxury, peace of mind, security, and a raft of other emotions. Seem far-fetched? Let’s take a closer look. Suppose she selects a copier that works only 60 percent of the time and has constant problems. What do you think that will do to her image in the eyes of her boss and co-workers? Do you think her boss will trust her with larger decisions? How do you think this will affect her peace of mind and self-image? She’ll cringe and feel about two inches tall every time she walks by that faulty copier. On the other hand, if the copier does work well, she’ll have the luxury of using a machine that makes her job easier. Now, assuming this copier really stands out and she got a good price, she knows that only good things can happen to her image. Her boss and colleagues will be impressed, may trust her with bigger decisions, and she may eventually get a promotion. All these possibilities lead to peace of mind, security, and myriad positive emotions and feelings. It’s also important to note that most of the mental pictures your prospect makes about your product or service are future pictures. The prospect sees himself driving down the road in his new car, the envy of his neighbors. The prospect sees herself in Paris standing in front of the Eiffel Tower, looking up with awe. Whether it will happen in fifteen minutes, two months, or two years, it will be future enjoyment. And it is the mental pictures, these future dreams, that make the sale happen. As a result, you want to help the prospect paint these pictures during your sales presentation. Here are some of the most common feelings and perceived benefits the prospect is buying: Peace of mind. A feeling of safety or security. In addition to physical security, this feeling is also about job security. Status or a feeling of being important. A better standard of living. The feelings of being young and energetic. The feeling of looking good or being more attractive. Longevity or longer life. Something that will be around after the buyer is gone; leaving a legacy. Fun, excitement, adventure, or thrills. Feeling better about themselves. Attention diversion. Keep these feelings in mind when developing your sales presentation. Which of the above benefits does your product or service provide? Be creative. The more you come up with the better. Through proper questioning, both in the cold call and in your sales presentation, you will know which are the most important to your prospect and where you can help. During your sales presentation, sell the benefits, sell the future, sell the dream, the big picture, and sell what the product or service will do for the prospect. Don’t spend all your time talking about the features. The more you focus on what the prospect is REALLY looking for, the more effective you’ll be with your sales presentations.