The Steps in an Effective Presentation

There are already available in the market, volumes of books written about the sales process by writers like Dale Carnegie and Zig Ziglar . In these volumes on selling, the bottom line emphasis is 'selling with integrity'. It is all about finding a need and filling those needs that will result in happy, satisfied customers.

What I am going to teach you now is not totally new knowledge. It was taught to me many years ago and therefore I cannot claim full credit for it. But I can take credit for implementing the techniques and reaping the desired results from them. It is "The Six Step System of Selling". They are: 1) Approach- To gain rapport, 2) Interview- To identify needs, 3) Demonstrate- To explain features and benefits, 4) Validate- To prove your claims, 5) Negotiate- To work out problems, 6) Close-To ask for a decision.

Let me simplify the system by putting it on a time frame; how much time you nee3d to spend on each segment of the SIX STEP SYSTEM. Most sales people get it wrong the first time. So, let me give you save you the trouble of going through the process of trial and error. The most ideal percentage of time to be spent at each segment is as follows; Approach = 50 %, Interview = 80 %, Demonstrate = 5 %, Validate = 2 %, Negotiate = 7 %, Close = 1 %.

These are the personally tested steps that work best in allocating time to cover each phase of the selling process. There is logic behind these sequence and do not skip any part of it because it will weaken your selling effort.

Another important point to remember is to be a good listener at each and every phase of the presentation. This is vital for selling success. This is a much different process than that used by most sales people. In my experience, there is a natural human tendency to hear oneself speak. All too often when engaging in conversation, many people are already formulating their response before the other person has finished speaking. You have probably seen or experience this happening yourself.

If you follow the order of the six step system, you will always have a road map to guide you. To follow your road map accurately, you should stick to the following rules: