How to make your demonstration much more effective for doing sales beyond norms ?

It will not be out of place if it is told that demonstration is a part of sales talk presentation. Therefore, what factors make sales presentation more effective, same points hold good. In other words, the factors that strengthen the sales presentation are use of sales portfolios, models, samples and gifts, electronic media, product demonstration, written proposals and quantifying the solution. The students are to refer the foregoing pages for the same.

Essentials of a Good Demonstration:

Demonstration an effective demonstration – has certain salient features of its own. These salient features can be called as the essentials or requisites of a good demonstration. These cots are those given based on rich experience of veterans like F.A. Russel and F.H. Breach and others.

1. It is clear:

The demonstration is expected to be as clear as crystal so that the possible doubts of respects are totally eradicated. Clarity in demonstration can be brought about by use of certain tools. These are:

A. Inject Heavy doses of Showmanship:

Clarity in demonstration can be achieved by injecting heavy doses of showmanship, showmanship stands for showing or exposing the prospect than mere talking to him. It is because eyes are powerful than ears. It is because seeing is believing.

B. Use the Language of the Prospect:

Language is the vehicle of thought and the bridge of meaning. Effective communication seas are possible and paying if the prospects are told in their language. A salesman may be having mastery over English language. If he wants to sell his products to the prospects who do not know English language, there will be no two-way communication. To catch the imagination of such prospects he should use flowering language consisting of figures of speech. The language used should be simple but not very simple. He should use rescinding words appealing to his ears and brain.

C. Test the Pulse of the Prospect:

Testing the pulse of the prospect means probing the mind of a prospect to determine the extent of clarity he has of what sales person has already said or explained. Testing the pulse of the prospect is nothing more than asking the prospect whether he could understand as to what he explained in presentation or demonstration. The frank replies by the prospect will help the salesman to measure clarity reached.

2. It is Complete:

Good demonstration by its very nature aims at creating conviction and desire. A prospect is said to have been convinced when the sales talk brings out all the wavering and tilts to stand still and he is brought to a stable situation of mind. Demonstration becomes complete when the salesman prepares a standardized sales talk, conducts it in a very planned way and organized manner giving all the comparative features, merits and benefits of his products or service Demonstration proves what the salesman says. Proving means, proving to a prospect during presentation that his products benefits, merits and features are true and whatever he says is matching legitimately to all the points in which he is interested.

3. It Gains Confidence:

As a salesman is to conclude the sale, he does it so only when he has won the confidence of his prospect in the proposition to a certain degree. Winning confidence is the major milestone in the selling process. Because the salesmen have reputation for exaggeration very often the prospects are skeptical of claims made by them. A salesman can increase the prospect confidence and trust that the product claim are accurate by incorporating proof statements in the presentation. Several useful proof techniques are : Customers pass sales figures, the guarantees, testimonials company proof results and even research findings. These proof statements are to be presented through the use of visual aids. This is essential because people retain approximately ten percent of what they see. Again, visuals retained – reinforce the message, reduce misunderstandings create unique and lasting impression and prove that the salesman is really professional.

4. It Eliminates Competition:

The pertinent question that arises very often is whether the salesman should discus- competition. Competition is some thing that all salesmen contend within a day to day business One must compete with others when he sells a comparable product or products. Then the question is how to handle competition? The sales people have three courses open in this respect

A. Don’t refer to a Competitor unless it is Inevitable:

A good salesman tries to present the sales proposal without specifically referring to particular competitor and his products. Speak of your firm, how it is going to help you in meeting his needs. Never refer competitor in sales proposal.

B. Acknowledge your Competitor or Competitors:

In case the prospect brings it up then the best thing is to acknowledge and drop it. It is safer and better to come back to your product. One should not knock at it but acknowledge of positively.

C. Make detailed Comparison of your Product or Products with those of Competitors:

It becomes necessary and appropriate to make detailed comparison of the company product or products with that of a competitor especially when products are identical or similar. Whether to discuss competition or not is dependent on individual prospect. Depending on salesman’s selling philosophy and knowledge of the prospect, he can take recourse to any of the alternative. However, he should remember that he is a professional where he is not to talk ill of his competitors. Competition is to be taken supportively and not cutting the throat of another. It is because; it is like creating a problem and solving it.

D. It creates its own Image:

By nature, every business involves competition. Competition is there in all the fields and all the walks of life one cannot avoid it. However, a wise salesman tries to build the image for his products, his company and himself. He does not make a comparative account. The salesman explains about his company, his products and himself. He speaks clearly and loudly about his products in terms of various dimensions as to weight, colour, variations, design, varieties, price-ranges, quality standards, of durability, performance, utility fatness, how they match the needs of a prospect. It is the prospect to tell that really his products are much better than others are or competitors. A salesman selling calculations – he can speak of how it works on different sources of energy, say solar, electricity mode or dry cells and so on. This is how he creates his existence and superiority.

6. It permits Handling and Testing:

A good demonstration allows the prospect to handle the product himself or herself. As the prospect has the sensory purchasing approach, he confirms and is convinced of what the salesman is telling. This quickness the process of arousing at decision to buy. At the same time, effective demonstration has room for conducting tests of various kinds depending on the nature of product. Let prospect conduct the tests to his hearts content as it helps him to prove as to what is being claimed by the salesman.

For instance, milk feeding bottles are replaced by high quality plastic material. Such bottle can be banged to wall, thrown on ground, thumping on a table like a child. If a person is to buy ‘gun metal’, a stone used in rings, can test it by burning test. The test is that the gunmetal is held under single layer of a cloth and a burning cigarette or lighter is held to expose the cloth; if the gunmetal is pure, the cloth does not get burnt though, it is in direct contact with cloth. Thus, the demonstration that allows variety of tests strengthens it and its value in converting prospect in a final consumer as his doubts and reservation ire fully cleared.