MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY
IMPROVEMENT IN CRITICAL SALES SKILL #4: PRESENTATION SKILLS
PRESENTATION SKILLS are best when Company/Product capabilities are presented as solution to a need that the salesperson and the customer had previously agreed upon. When Company/Product capabilities are presented by first restating the Customer’s need and then explaining the capability and benefits of the capability, the customer will perceive what you are presenting as a solution to their needs. Great presenters follow each solution presentation with a question that helps them understand if their solution is hitting the mark. This question pulls the customer into the conversation.
REMARKABLE FINDINGS ABOUT PRESENTATION SKILLS IN THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY
- The Manufacturing Industry had exactly the same scores as the Universe in Knowledge of Presentation Skills.
- The enormous gain in the Application of Presentation Skills showed tremendous improvement in the use of this critical skill.
Overall skill gain was significant at 77% (slightly lower than the Universe at 86%). Key skills that were enhanced included Sales Call Planning, Presentation Skills and Gaining Commitment. Most of the salespeople in Manufacturing see themselves as industry salespeople. They will describe their jobs as connected to the industry they work in. Examples include: “I’m a technology salesperson.” Or, “I sell heavy equipment in the mining industry.” This connection frequently confuses the need to develop sales skills over product knowledge. However, the increases in sales performance improvement from the elevation in selling skills was greatly appreciated in Manufacturing since selling skills allow salespeople to better leverage their product knowledge into delivering differentiated solutions to the customer.