My first video tip this week is to polish your presentation… by recording it. We teach our clients a new way of presenting, and that’s where our value resides. The most important step of selling value is the presentation. A good presentation shows that you understand the critical business issues that your prospect is facing. If you can align your solution with their problems they will see you as a good fit.

Within one’s own organization, many people are selling the same product. You would expect then that everyone would have a similar sales record. The difference is in the way you present your solution. People buy you, before they buy the product. If you want to earn a trusted advisor status, your message has to come from the right place and it must solve the right pain. Include in your presentation the dollarized value your solution provides to each of the critical issues you uncovered. To help attach a dollarized value your prospect will believe, use past results from your current customer base. These results demonstrate how your new prospect could benefit from a similar solution.

Keep your first value discussion at a high level and simple. Now is not the time to talk yourself into a corner so be ready to address questions surrounding the company you claim to have researched. Tell them that you would like to verify these numbers with a member of their organization and come back with a verified business case stating the value that they confirmed.

Develop your own style of speaking, but watch your video and eliminate your nervous gestures. If a value message is not received well, you are most likely not speaking at the right level. If you believe you have reached the right level and they still don’t get it, move on, this prospect is not your zebra. Spend your time and resources pursuing prospects that you know you can win! When your presentation and value proposition is solidified it will take pressure off of proposals and prevent your product from turning into a commodity.