Selling is visual

 

In my last article I talked about how I think selling has changed, particularly in the last decade.  Obviously this is largely down to the rise of technology and social media making all aspects of our lives much more immediate and to hand.  The ability of  most people in business to be able to hook themselves up to the internet and to their email system anytime and anywhere means that we, as salespeople, have to be able to grab and hold their attention from the outset.  A recent study has shown that the average attention span these days is less than 8 seconds – a goldfish could potentially take more notice of you!

 

So, how can we engage with a prospect and keep them listening right to the end of our pitch?  Words are not enough.  There are too many potential distractions that will stop them focusing on your verbal presentation – the beep of an incoming text or the buzz of a new email.  To stop them looking constantly at their phone or device you have to include visuals and props in your presentation.  Not just pictures and photos but short video clips, all of which can include sound, both music and spoken word, presenting information in brief clips so you keep them engaged and wanting to know what is coming next.  Your presentation needs to be the sales equivalent of the morning Breakfast TV show – at any given point during the programme you have the presenters talking, visual clips of the stories they are telling you about,  a running information strip at the bottom of the screen telling you what is coming next, a constant update on the weather forecast all over the country in the corner – there is always something to get your attention and keep you watching.

 

One point that needs to be made – when I talk about including visuals in a presentation what I don’t mean is that you sit your prospect through a slide show where you read what is written on each picture – that’s the 1970’s approach!  The visuals used should speak for themselves independently of what you are saying, they should illustrate the benefits of your product and be bright, clear and appealing.

 

Why not take a look now at the pitch you are using to sell your product or service?  Is it a list of facts about what makes it superior and reasons for them to buy, or is it informative, attractive and interesting, giving basic facts and focusing on the benefits?  Think about what you can add visually to the presentation to keep your client focused on what you are offering – you’ll be delighted by the changes to your conversion rate!

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