I have seen the future of the sales presentation.
International expert on computer presentations, Bill Whitley, and his creative genius associate, Arny Pickholtz, of the Charlottebased, Whitley Group (with offices in Atlanta and Gainesville, Georgia) sat me down in my living room, plugged in their laptop Macintosh and portable overhead projector total of seven pounds and proceeded to show me a computerized sales presentation that I’m still reeling (and buying) from.
It was just an ordinary 3.5 inch floppy disc, and an 80mb Macintosh laptop but it contained animation a cartoon character named Norm who was smart, funny and prepared to sell, they added 3D computerized graphics that moved and talked, they incorporated an actual video tape clip that was somehow imported into the presentation, and Norm closed me at the end. I was sitting on the edge of my chair the entire time (less than 12 minutes). I was stunned. And I was sold.
These guys aren’t on the cutting edge of sales technology they’re in the cutting edge.
The technical, tactical and persuasive advantages of a computer assisted sales presentation are powerful and compelling:
- It’s a sales tool, an educational tool and a training tool all at the same time.
- It makes you look professional and builds instant buyer credibility.
- It sets you apart from your competition an incredible competitive advantage.
- You are seen as a leader a computer presentation is the leading edge of technology.
- It keeps you on course and eliminates omissions a complete presentation that never fails to make it’s impact even after 1,000 repetitions of the same pitch.
- It’s fascinating to the prospect it will have the prospect leaning forward in the buying position from the first 5 seconds.
- It answers prospect’s questions before they’re asked the right presentation takes the prospects questions into consideration while it is being created and anticipates them as part of the pitch.
- You can put in a qualifying test that the prospect takes the answers to which can lead you to a sale.
- It can be programmed to overcome objections specific to your product or service when you hear an objection you can alter the presentation to overcome the specific objection and close or go back to the pitch.
- It can be used to ask a closing question or a series of closing questions and the prospect interactively answers with ordering information or information that confirms the sale.
- It’s so good it’s scary.
Yeah, you say, but how is it in a group? Better. I went to a dinner for 300 BB&T employees that unveiled three new banking products. They used a giant screen and the Bank’s regional president, David Crowder, to make the interactive, animated, song and dance presentation. The people loved it. At points in the presentation they were actually cheering wildly (remember these were bankers, people who don’t get excited until you miss a payment). But most important they were sold. When it was over I just sat there staring into space contemplating the possibilities.
Think about it. You walk into a sales appointment, plug in your computer, pop in a disc, the prospect (mesmerized) watches a state of the art presentation, the computer gets him interactively involved, answers all his questions, overcomes all his objections, leads him to a close, and gets him to type in his name address and quantity ordered all without the salesperson saying a word.
How much does it cost? According to Whitley, presentations start as low as $1,000 and all you need to get it going at the fundamental level is a laptop computer of any kind. “Small companies are not price precluded from this market,” he says. “I think it’s a wise move to start at any level possible and sophisticate your presentation as profits permit.” Obviously, elaborate presentations can get quite expensive, but consider the possible results as you consider the investment.
And if you’re thinking I’ll wait until the price goes down I’ll bet your competition’s not.
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The future of the sales presentation is a laptop computer
and a portable overhead projector.
