6 Secrets to a Great Sales Presentation

by Lois Wong

What's the secret to giving a great sales presentation? Besides practice, practice, practice, you should: know your topic well, be enthusiastic, use simple color graphics, stick to 3-5 bullet points per slide, maintain good eye contact, concentrate on voice projection..... well, maybe you know these basics.

So, what are some of the secrets that the most successful speakers share once they've mastered the basics?

1. Open with a grabber to excite the audience.
2. Use metaphors and analogies to explain complex information. It will most certainly help the audience do what I call ‘retain & explain' the concepts to someone else.
3. Use humor to make a point. Not jokes but levity inserted in the right places.
   
4. Tell stories. Everyone loves to hear stories. Short stories.
5. Ask relevant questions right up front to involve audience participation and interaction.
6. And remember not to drink ice water which constricts the vocal cords, milk which causes mucous, or to have too much caffeine.

While hosting Congresswoman, Anna Eschoo in an executive meeting at Xerox PARC 15 years ago, she gave me advice that's still relevant today. To find out her advice and the 5 other major mistakes to avoid - tune in to tomorrow's blog post!