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The 3 Presentation Skills Every Salesperson Needs to Master

There will always be a need to present, either professionally or personally in life, and being able to deliver a compelling message is key to reaching or exceeding your goals — whether that’s trying to talk your significant other into going to Fiji on holiday, talking your way into a promotion at work, or influencing decision makers to buy your product or service.

Forbes Magazine states that the fear of public speaking, called glossophobia, is the most common one. To calm any butterflies you may have (I heard one presenter refer to them as “bats” in his stomach), find your presentation zen. Learn some relaxation and visualisation techniques to get over this hump.

“There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.”

– Dale Carnegie

The key is to realise that for most people, presentations don’t come easily or naturally.

Improving your Presentation Skills

To increase your chances of nailing your presentations, there are 3 presentation skills that every salesperson should master to make the most of your opportunities.

1. Keep it simple

Philip Crosby states, “No one can remember more than three points.” Your three points should be the core of your message and you should be able to express it very briefly. Can you easily state your message in 30 seconds or 15 words or less? A focused and brief message is more likely to be heard and remembered.

Everything you say should be centred around your 3 core points, and if it doesn’t contribute, don’t say it. Also, if you use PowerPoint slides, remember the 10-20-30 rule:

a. Use no more than 10 slides

b. Talk no more than 20 minutes

c. Use a font size no smaller than 30 points

2. Engage your audience

Salescrunch.com reported that audience engagement levels are highest (92%) when attendees do most of the talking. No one wants to listen to someone drone on, and the more you interact with your audience, the more it will feel like having a conversation. You’ll also seem more relatable. Don’t be afraid of questions either. This is a fantastic way to learn more about your audience and tailor your comments to their needs and wants, engaging them and reaching them better. Walk around the room and include those sitting in the back if you can. And most importantly, make eye contact with everyone in the room. Don’t focus all of your attention on the decision makers because others in the room may have more sway than you know.

3. Be yourself

If you try to imitate someone else’s style, you’ll come across as inauthentic and won’t connect with your audience. My personal style is to use humour to connect with an audience. I like to lighten up the room a little and especially poke fun at myself. Another favourite presenter of mine uses a calm, unhurried approach to talk to an audience, almost like she’s sitting down with a friend and having a leisurely chat over a cup of tea. If I tried her style, I would probably end up sounding like a monotone bore, and if she tried to adopt my style, she might come across as the crazy cat lady from next door. Whatever your natural style of presenting is, use it to show passion for your topic.

Presenting needn’t be anything to fear when you master these 3 simple skills. In fact, you might find that you’re a natural at it and just never knew.

Unsure of what your true presentation style is? The experts at Natural Training can help you identify what you do best and how to capitalise on those traits to engage and compel any audience through effective presentation skills training. Call today and make this year your time to shine.

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