PowerPoint sales presentations can be a great tool
for salespeople when used the right way. Of the many PowerPoint sales
presentations I've sat through -- some very good and some less good -- nearly
every PowerPoint sales presentation followed this sequence:
- An introduction of what will be covered in this PowerPoint sales
presentation (as in the old adage, "Tell them what you are going to
tell them.")
- An overview of the speaker's company, product line, customers, executives
and major strong points: Why they are qualified to sell to you
- The details of the company's product features
- The benefits of the company's product features, plus other benefits of
doing business with the company
- Opening the floor for questions and answers
Overall, that's not a bad presentation flow; in fact, it's better than many.
But what's wrong with this approach? Plenty:
- The tell-you-what-I'm-going-to-tell-you introduction is a good approach in
an educational setting in which people are looking forward to learning from
you. However, it is less effective in a selling situation, in which your
prospects or customers are shopping for the best and most economical deal.
But the biggest problem with listing what you will talk about at the
beginning is that it's just not interesting.
- At the end of a presentation, you don't want questions. You want a
specific action to take place: either an order or a positive step leading to
an order. When you open the floor to questions at the end of a presentation,
one of two things usually happens:
- You get no questions, which leaves you with a dead room and little
opportunity to say anything except "Thanks."
- You get challenging questions from those in the room who are most
opposed to your solution, raising doubts among those who previously
leaned in your favor.
Television's Storytelling Approach
To explore a better approach, let's look to an entirely different medium:
television.
Whether a drama or sit-com, most TV shows use a fairly consistent story flow:
- There is a teaser of some kind to make the show look interesting. The
network doesn't tell you exactly what the show will be about, but you see a
few highlights designed to spark your interest and curiosity.
- The show introduces a problem: a murder to be solved, a challenge in the
workplace, a love to be won. In the case of a continuing series like E.R.,
the show begins with a few scenes from prior shows to remind you of
unresolved issues.
Note that they don't cut away to a commercial until they have covered
these first two steps.
- The show introduces details. This is the body of the show, and it
represents most of the air time. During the body, the original problem is
referred to frequently. There also are a few new problems. And new
characters and settings keep the pace moving.
- Finally, there is the conclusion, which can take one of two forms: The
problem has been solved, or the show's characters reflect on the original
situation and review how they successfully put it to bed.
- For some shows, there is a fifth step. In a show like E.R., the
show deliberately leaves a few issues open so the network can sell you on
watching next week's show to see how it works out. In this case, the network
even gives you scenes from the next show as further inducement to tune in.
Tune in to most any TV show, and you'll see this same basic story flow -- Friends,
Law and Order, even Jeopardy! and Judge Judy.
There is no coincidence here, of course. You can read Hemingway, Shakespeare,
Ovid or the Bible, and you'll see this pattern. Few TV producers are willing to
experiment with something new; they generate maximum advertising dollars by
going with the proven formula.
So what's a TV show got to do with your PowerPoint sales presentation? Most
of your audience members have sat through fewer sales presentations than TV
shows. Everyone who views your PowerPoint sales presentation has spent many more
hours watching television shows, movies and plays that all use the same basic
storytelling sequence, so they are trained to respond to this sequence. And, as
everyone from Sophocles to Seinfeld has discovered, it works.
Applying The TV Storytelling Approach To A PowerPoint Sales Presentation
Now, let's apply this same four- to five-step storytelling approach to a
PowerPoint sales presentation.
Ralph Anderson sells grinding wheels used in the manufacture of auto parts.
His company has a new line of wheels that last longer and cost less per part
made, but there is often buyer resistance because his wheels require a few
changes in the way grinding machines must be set up. And his customers are
resistant to change.
Ralph's goal for his PowerPoint sales presentation is to convince buyers to
conduct a test with the new grinding wheel. Here's the story flow for Ralph's
presentation:
- Rather than start by telling his audience members what he is going to
discuss, he piques their interest with an anecdote:
"On Saturday, my wife, kids and I took a drive through
Mission Valley to admire the fall colors. It was a beautiful day, and we
had the windows down. But before we arrived home, a light rain began to
fall. So I unconsciously touched a button, and all four windows quietly
closed. That's the way it should be -- a mechanism so reliable that we use
it every day for years and never even think about the fact that it's
there. But I couldn't help thinking last Saturday that I'd be with you
today, with the people who make those motors that just keep on
working."
Result: He has their full attention. A few people are smiling; they like
where this is going.
- Now that he has their attention, Ralph states one or more problems he
knows they face.
"As a manufacturer of precision automotive parts, such as
electric door locks and power window motors, you face enormous pressure to
reduce costs through greater production efficiency -- which usually means
altering your manufacturing processes. But whenever you make a change, you
run two significant risks: The result could be a reduction in the quality
of product you produce, which is unacceptable. And the promised
improvement may not even take place."
Result: At this point, several heads in the room are nodding. They feel
the pressure to reduce costs, and they have been disappointed by past
efforts to improve productivity. This guy Ralph really understands their
problems.
Result: At this point, several heads in the room are nodding. They feel
the pressure to reduce costs, and they have been disappointed by past
efforts to improve productivity. This guy Ralph really understands their
problems.
- Ralph now goes into the details: how various grinding wheel technologies
affect productivity and quality, his company's new grinding wheels and the
programs his company has put into place to help manufacturers like this one
successfully implement the new wheels with minimal risk.
- Ralph sums up by restating the issues he raised in the beginning and
repeating highlights of how his company's products and program address them.
Steps 2 through 4 create a "sandwich." Step 2 is the first
piece of bread, presenting one or more problems. Step 3 is the meat of the
presentation. Step 4 is the second piece of bread, responding point for
point to the original problems.
- Following the E.R. model, Ralph's show isn't over at the end of his
presentation. He must sell the next "episode": the test. So, while
enthusiasm for him and his products is at a peak, he says:
"As the next logical step, here's what I suggest. I noticed
that you have a small area that makes power seat motors for older GM
models. Since they use the same machines as you have on your larger lines,
that's probably a good area in which we can safely conduct a controlled
test to verify both quality and productivity. If you can give me the name
of the man who runs that department, I'll get together with him to work
out a test plan and then report back to you on the details."
Storytelling Makes Your PowerPoint Sales Presentation Great
When you design your next PowerPoint sales presentation, think of what you
sell in terms of a story. Grab your prospect's interest. Lead with a problem.
Develop the details of the problem. Show how your product or service is the
solution to the problem. Then sell the next episode: the order.
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