Four Ways to Make Your Sales Presentation Pop

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Making a great product is one thing, but being able to sell your product is another. A fantastic pitch can make or break any product and put any entrepreneur’s ideas on the map for investors.

The importance of a solid presentation cannot be understated. A weak or lackluster presentation can destroy your product before it even reaches consumers. Fortunately, there are many ways to improve your presentation skills. Here are five ways you can make your presentations pop.

KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT YOUR PRODUCT

When you are making a presentation, you need to be knowledgeable about what you are getting into. That way, investors know that you can succeed in whatever industry you are throwing yourself into.

Being knowledgeable means you need to do as much research as you can to familiarize yourself with said industry. Update yourself on any market trends surrounding your product. Depending on how old your product is, understand its costs and revenue for the previous year or quarter.

Investors are going to want to make sure that you know your product inside and out, so put yourself in a position to tell them that by doing plenty of research.

PRACTICE/THE MIRROR TEST

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Being knowledgeable is important, but you need to make sure that you explain said knowledge in a palatable and intriguing way. An easy way to be confident in yourself is to do your presentation a few times before making the final pitch. This could be in front of a parent, a close friend, or a mentor. Be sure to ask them for tips and pointers when you are done, or even if they have any questions for more prep.

Why mention a mirror in this context? Well, speaking to yourself to a mirror is a great way to hone your presentation skills and physically see yourself. You can get a gage on your body language, the speed of your voice, your eye contact, and your general comfort speaking. Obviously, this is different from talking in a group setting, but being confident in yourself before stepping into that meeting makes a presentation pop.

The way you speak is just as important as the product itself, if not more important. Using the mirror test allows you to see yourself as you are making your presentation. Of course, having people to practice in front of is useful as well. Just be sure that you take the time to work out your presentation in detail before you take the stage.

VISUALS, VISUALS, VISUALS

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Your body language and knowledge alone are not enough to sell your product. We are living in a visual world, where simple graphics and images can make or break a product. Incorporating popping images and graphics make your presentation stand out in ways you cannot imagine.

This does not mean that you have to be a Photoshop wizard, but it does mean that you should put time and care into making your presentation look good. PowerPoint is your best friend; it allows you to play with different designs and styles. This allows you to avoid having a presentation that looks generic. Play around and find a look that fits your product and your brand.

When you can, involve images or videos. These can be graphs showcasing sales data or trends surrounding your product or a tutorial detailing how you use your product. You can even insert screenshots and examples of how you are going to use a website or use social media to promote your product. Images and videos are more appealing than just words on a page and will make your presentation stand out.

Presentations do not have to just be you standing and pointing at a PowerPoint. If possible, bring in samples of your product for investors to see. Bring small tokens and giveaway items to your investors that will help them remember your product when they go home. Give them an in-person tutorial of your product so that they can see your passion and skills in action.

Whatever way you can, make sure that you include as many visual elements into your presentation, because those sights and sounds will make your product stand out.

BREATHE

At this point, you have done everything you can do to make sure that your presentation is going to go well. Of course, the most important element of any pitch is the salesperson. So, try and go into the presentation with the right mindset. Remind yourself of the work that you have done to get this product off the ground and into the public’s eyes.

During your prep, take breaks and breathers when needed. Rest the night before and eat a good meal before you go into your presentation. Your personal health and mindfulness are crucial to putting all of the pieces listed above together into a wonderful presentation.

This may sound generic, but it’s true: be sure to relax and take a deep breath every once and a while when you need to because you need to be in the right state of mind to sell your product.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

These skills listed above are simple but they are everything in pushing across your product. Great service will go nowhere if you cannot put together a clean, coherent, and engaging pitch. Communications theory philosopher Marshal McLuhan famously stated, “the medium is the message” and this is the case for your presentation. The way that you conduct yourself in a presentation is what the public will connect to your brand and your product.

Most importantly, your presentation is an extension of yourself and your passion. Through your presentation, you are giving an argument about why you feel that your product is necessary in a world filled with stuff. No matter how far you take your product, never forget that the product that you made exists to innovate your respective industry. (Make sure you make it pop!)