Make It All About Them: Winning Sales Presentations

IV  Twenty-three Elements of the Experience

In this final section before the tool kit, I have outlined all the things—big and small—that have an impact on the sales presentation experience. Some are reminders of many of the ideas throughout the book; others are brand-new thoughts and tips.

1. All Communications Leading Up to the Presentation . . . and the Tone in Which They Are Sent

Every interaction that you have with the client prior to the presentation—every e-mail, telephone call, conference call, and face-to-face meeting—sends a clue about who you are and what you will be like to work with.

Have you ever noticed what cues you pick up in an e-mail from someone you have never met before (or maybe just don't know very well)? There seem to be several different types of e-mailers. Some people prefer to send e-mails that are short and curt; they just get to the point without any salutation or signature. They leave behind basic grammar and literary rules, such as capitalization and punctuation.

On the other extreme are those who are thorough and friendly. They start with some sort of salutation (“Hi John”), then go into a little drum roll (“I hope you are enjoying this beautiful day”) before getting to business, and they usually end pleasantly (“Warm regards,” “Cheers,” or “Thank you”).

If you have been through a styles or personality assessment, such as Social Styles, DiSC, or Myers-Briggs, then you are quite familiar the varying communication styles of different personality types—as ...