Salespeople are always on the hunt for a creative presentation method that will be convincing and compelling for the customers. Being unique while effective is the key to the presentation’s success (Croxton par. 1). The four presentation methods include memorized, problem-solution, need-satisfaction and formula presentation methods. The difference between the methods is the amount of control held by the salesperson during the presentation. Thus, memorized presentation is structured and requires up to 90% of control on the salesperson’s part. Formula selling is semistructured, although, unlike the memorized presentation, the salesperson has to have some knowledge of the buyer and allow flexibility. The need-satisfaction sales require questions, comments, and discussions between the buyer and the seller. The problem-solution selling is similar to the need-satisfaction although it is much more complex in performance (Futrell 269).
Closing the sale is a skill that can be learned only from the experience with other components of a sales presentation. It is a summary of a complicated process that requires having good skills in being an effective salesperson (McPheat 1). Stephen Schiffman states another popular opinion about the closing: “It cannot be taught. You either have it, or you don’t” (Schiffman 3). If a salesperson already knows the customer’s needs, the closing will be even much more effective. Thus, skipping the part about the customer’s needs and going straight to the closing is a method that will save time as well as allow underlining the main aspects of the sales presentation without repeating the known information.
When it comes to the use of the formula sales presentation, it requires some knowledge about the customer, as it is used with a repeated customer. It is very effective in repeated purchases or when the customer’s needs are already determined. For the formula method to apply, the main information needed is the customer’s objectives and needs, as well as having general knowledge about the company the client representing, its history and previous business methods and strategies applied.
The Need-Satisfaction presentation is connected with the premise that for attracting the customer, a salesperson has to get to grips with the customer’s selling viewpoint (Need Satisfaction Selling 1). This type of selling requires the use of questions and discussions between the salesperson and the customers to allow interaction. The steps are taken for the need-satisfaction method to apply include summarizing the situation for the customer’s attention and interest as well as clearly stating the marketing plan and explaining it for desire and interest, and, in the end, the salesperson should suggest an easy next step when a buyer is at the conviction stage.
A modern salesperson is the one who works together with the prospect for identifying any problems a customer has and then uses the acquired information for solving the problem. Before making the actual presentation, the most complicated part of the method is making sure that the problem stated by the customer is indeed an actual problem that needs resolving (Sales Presentation Techniques 22). After completing an analysis of the customer’s needs, the next selling steps include agreeing with the problems and preparing the proposal for a solution to the given needs. The sales presentation has to be closely intertwined with the analysis and the proposal made.
Works Cited
Croxton, Justin. Effective Sales Presentation Tips & Ideas – Win More Business. 2014. Web.
Futrell, Charles. Fundamentals of Selling: Customers for Life through Service. 13th ed. 2013. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education. Print.
McPheat, Sean. Closing the Sale. n.d. Web.
Need Satisfaction Selling. n.d. Web.
Sales Presentation Techniques 2010. Web.
Schiffman, Stephan. Sales Presentation Techniques That Really Work, Avon, Massachusetts: Adams Media, 2007. Print.