Tips For Acing Your Sales Presentation

Tips for Acing your Sales Presentation

Part of our job as sales recruiters is to support our candidates through the interviewing process. We understand that looking into the possibility of changing careers can be very stressful. Being able to interview well and give convincing presentations are skills that can be practiced, developed and honed over time. While we do not have the ability to make or break our candidates' interviews, we can offer what we hope are some helpful tips and guidelines.

Interviewing

Confidence
Always present yourself with confidence. Be careful, however, that your confidence does not translate into arrogance. Our recruiters advise not to pretend to know what you do not, or claim to be an expert at something you have only read about. If you are unsure about something, don't be afraid to say so. Use it as an opportunity to show your eagerness to learn. Engaging the interviewer with eye contact shows both respect and self-assuredness as well as being a good way to make an immediate connection.

Research
If you only do one thing to prepare for your interview, do your research on the company. You'll know what kind of questions to ask, what their style is (you can often read this from the way they market themselves), who their main clients and competition are and thus be able to "sell" yourself as the ideal candidate. By doing all your homework, you also show that you are a hard worker and will be an asset to the team. Our recruiters say to make sure you understand the position you are applying for and focus on the attributes you possess that make you the best person for the position.

Listen
If you want to be a successful sales person, you have to know how and when to listen. This is an important aspect of the interview as well. Remember that the interview is not only about the company getting to know you, but about you getting to know the company. When the interviewer is talking, make sure you are really listening and not just planning what to say next. By listening you will know how to respond and be able to ask good questions. You will also demonstrate your ability to have a genuine conversation, another important aspect of being a successful sales person. Interestingly enough, our recruiters have discovered that a sense of ease can be created in the room just by taking the time to make sure you are really listening.

Sales Presentations

Once they are further along in the interviewing process, our candidates are often asked to give 90-180 day sales plan presentations. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

* Be specific - design your plan as if you were actually going to start putting it into action. Being general and vague will only make you seem ordinary and won't show the employer how you could be an asset to the company.
* Use visuals - When executed correctly, PowerPoint presentations can help to demonstrate your points as well as serve as a reference for your interviewers after the actual presentation. Just make sure not to use it as a crutch. You should never have to read off a slide or let the PowerPoint be more interesting than you are.
* In addition to laying down your action plan, talk about the results you expect to see from each step you intend to take.
* Include specific start and roll-out dates.
* Discuss ongoing and dynamic initiatives you would like to see take place.
* Ask for questions - and be prepared to answer them! Do all the necessary research, but also expect that there are still things about the company that you do not know. Be sensitive to comments from those you are presenting to. If they see a problem with your plan, be prepared to offer an alternative.