TOP 10 SALES PRESENTATION MISTAKES

Top 10 Sales Presentation Mistakes:

1. Dumping information rather than telling a story.  Sales novices "spray and pray," hoping that some of it will stick.  Sales pros tell a story in which the endgame is the close.
2. Trying to impress the audience.  Customers aren't going to buy from you because you have the fanciest slide pack.  Remember: It's not about you- it's about your message.
3. Using a busy background template.  Don't pick a format with colors and shapes that overpower the words and pictures on the slides.
4. Using fonts that people can't read.  Stick with simple fonts, such as Ariel or Times New Roman.  Avoid boldface, italics, and uppercase.  And don't use typefaces that are too small to read.
5. Graphics that don't indicate what's important.  One picture may equal a thousand words, but only if that picture makes sense to the customer.  Highlight the date point that's crucial.
6. Statements of opinion without supporting data.  Unsubstantiated "facts" such as "We're the leading reverse mortgage lender," destroy credibility if you can't back them up.
7. Jargon that's meaningless to the target audience.  Jargon is fine, as long as it's familiar jargon.  You don't want your customers scratching their heads.
8. Jokes or anecdotes that don't reinforce the message.  It's fine to pace a presentation with a joke or two, but remember that your not a standup comedian.  Make it short and relevant.
9. Talking in the wrong tonality.  Talking too fast makes you seem nervous and insecure.  A monotone makes you sound bored.
10. Presenting more information than anyone wants to know.