Electronic Sales Presentations Are Perfectly Acceptable

Michele Warg
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In the past, a salesperson couldn't succeed without giving face-to-face presentations and staying in touch with customers. There are many benefits to personal contact with customers, but this approach is very costly for companies trying to sell new products and services. Fortunately, electronic sales presentations make it possible to talk to your customers one-on-one without having to travel to their offices.

Electronic sales presentations aren't very different from on-site presentations. You still need to personalize your presentation, discover the pain points faced by your prospects and use other traditional sales techniques to sell products and services. You should also take time to identify and overcome objections, or you won't make very many sales. If you deliver electronic sales presentations via online video conferencing, you'll still be able to see your prospect's facial expressions and body language, making it easier to adjust your presentation as you go along.

If you prefer to use a lot of visual aids, electronic sales presentations can save you a lot of time and effort. When you visit customers in person, you have to carry brochures, product samples and other visual aids with you, making it difficult to navigate narrow hallways or set up for your presentation in tiny conference rooms. Online video conferencing eliminates the need to fill your trunk with boxes of brochures or carry heavy products from your car to a customer's office. Done right, electronic sales presentations allow you to give product demonstrations and show customers the same visual aids you would use during a traditional sales call.

Web conferencing is also an option for busy salespeople who need to deliver dozens of sales presentations per month. One of the biggest advantages of Web conferencing is the ability to show your customers growth projections and project specifications without having to travel to their offices. If you choose to deliver electronic sales presentations via this medium, you'll have the opportunity to create dynamic presentations in advance of each appointment, giving you plenty of time to customize your presentations according to each customer's needs. The biggest drawback of using this method is the inability to see your customers.

If you just want to gauge interest in a new product or service, you can even use online text chatting services to talk with customers. This type of service allows you to provide product specifications and find out each customer's specific needs. Online text chatting is also an ideal way to follow up with customers and let them know you are working on solutions to their problems. If you decide to incorporate online text chatting into your sales strategy, limit its use to gathering information and following up with customers. Do not use the service to try to make sales; you won't be able to use proven sales techniques if you can't see your customers or hear the tone of their voices.

If you've been doing a lot of traveling, talk to your boss about the possibility of delivering electronic sales presentations instead. Giving presentations via online video conferencing or Web conferencing makes it possible to reduce travel expenses without sacrificing personal contact with your customers.


Photo courtesy of pat138241 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 

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