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Balance Your Roles as a Sales Presenter So You Can
Successfully Influence Others
Giving a successful sales presentation can be like balancing on a high
wire…the stakes are huge, you need to stay focused, your timing has to
be just right, and you cannot lean too far in one direction or the
other. It is a feat that requires lots of training and practice.
You understand the analogy. The stakes are enormous; they may not mean life or death but they may mean
a deal that will make or break your year. You get the focus…you need to stay on target and not be
distracted from the message you want to convey. You get the timing issue…you need to maintain a good
pace and stick to the schedule you and the client have agreed upon. But how does the analogy of not
leaning too far to one side or the other apply?
Sales presentation training professionals maintain that to succeed you need to achieve a balance
between the apparently conflicting roles of a sales presenter—delivering a compelling message vs. flexing
to shifting client needs and serving your company vs. serving your customer.
Expert vs. Partner
On one side, you have been asked to speak because you are a recognized authority on the subject at hand.
The client has given you a platform because you have expertise that they need. On the other side, you
need to listen carefully to your client. Are you working together? Are you addressing real needs? Should
you be asking more questions than telling what you know?
Balance the client’s desire for a solution from you as a subject matter expert with the client’s need to be
understood by you as a collaborative partner.
Customer vs. Company
A second balancing act requires that the successful presenter be both empathetic and single-focused.
Successful salespeople know their clients…both personally and professionally. What challenges do clients
face in the workplace and do they have other challenges at home? To be persuasive and accepted as a
trusted advisor, you need to show that you care about your client’s success and for that you must be
aware of what responsibilities they carry. On the other hand, you have an obligation to yourself and to your
organization. Your job is to provide a solution and seal deals. To deliver, you must maintain a strong focus
on your goal of a sale. You need to inform, persuade and work toward an outcome.
Balance your understanding of the client with an understanding of your role as a salesperson. The best scenario
is when these two goals are fully aligned.
Achieve a balance of roles and you can approach that high wire with confidence.
To learn more about Sales Presentation Training visit http://www.lsaglobal.com/sales-communicationsales-
presentation-training/