Utilizing Presentation Software to Boost Outside Sales Success – Part One

By Ingage. 

Ingage shares why learning how to use presentation software to your team’s advantage can help reps close more deals when out in the field.  

Closing on a difficult outside sales call can be a challenge, especially in the day and age of homeowners having access to endless information at the touch of a button. With so many options on the market, it is crucial that sales teams have every possible advantage they can get to stand out among competitors. Utilizing presentation software can help field representatives close where competitors might not without a visual aid.  

Considering the difficulties, it’s vital to make sure your sales team is armed with the best tools available when meeting with potential customers. For example, companies must empower their sales reps with the best presentation software on the market when sending them out into the field. A great presentation, crafted with intent and savvy, can make or break a sale. They provide a clear, concise, defined message to customers and help build a positive business foundation. 

 However, despite their importance, presentation quality often winds up an afterthought for many companies. They are thought of as a “nice-to-have” extra, instead of a key tool in your rep’s arsenal. The reality is, a good presentation can sway a customer’s entire decision-making process. When designed correctly, they are a powerful medium and one that will serve to assist every rep. 

 But in order to do so, they have to be treated as the valuable resources they are. A static collection of slides serves a rep very little purpose, besides operating as a background novelty. Considering the shift to eCommerce, basic presentations are even worse — they lose your audience’s attention quickly and lose you the sale shortly after. Not to mention that without a presentation software that offers analytics data, it’s impossible to quantitatively assess performance. 

 The importance of quality presentation software cannot be stressed enough. It enables agents to create intentional, supportive presentations that engage and inform customers. In addition, they provide an excellent structure for managers to track and measure a rep’s performance and professional growth. 

Is sales presentation software a must? 

A good presentation can seal the deal on a pitch. But just as importantly, a bad presentation can drag one down. As Google engineering director Peter Norvig says, “PowerPoint doesn’t kill meetings. People kill meetings. But using PowerPoint is like having a loaded AK-47 on the table: You can do very bad things with it.” Having a thorough understanding of the structure and power of presentation software before applying it out in the field is a must. 

That being said, it’s hard to go without a presentation in a pitch, especially in today’s sales environment. Thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, much of both B2B and B2C commerce has moved into the digital sphere. The days of pitching a product in a conference room with a slideshow behind for backup reference are long gone. In many virtual pitch situations, your presentation is all the visual your audience will have to go off of. Considering this, yes, sales presentation software is integral in modern sales. But only with software that can actually rise to the occasion, and a team that knows how to use it. 

Your sales team needs the latest and greatest when it comes to this essential technology, and you should spare no expense. The standard static PowerPoint just won’t cut it; you need advanced presentation software built for the realities of today’s field sales landscape. For example, any modern presentation software should at minimum offer the ability to craft engaging, dynamic free-flowing content. It needs to function intuitively for both the audience and the crafter and have a wealth of eye-catching animation options. 

Furthermore, it should also serve as a support channel for your team behind the scenes. For example, Ingage’s cloud-based software allows users to work collaboratively, anytime, anywhere — all they need is the internet. This allows your team to stay updated with the timeliest information out in the field, and to make adaptive changes in the moment to suit clients’ personal needs. Meanwhile, everyone stays on the same page. 

Good software is one that includes analytics data as well. In order to chart a course forward, you need to know where you’re starting from. Advanced presentation software like Ingage offers a robust array of analytic details, so you can measure engagement along with your key performance indicator (KPI) metrics. Use this data to figure out what is and is not working in your presentations and adjust accordingly. 

 Top-notch presentation software is a must for your agents out in the field. And the best software will serve them out of the field too. Whether you’re building a pitch for a client, preparing training material for staff or just need an easy collaborative interface, software like Ingage offers a full suite of diverse possibilities and uses.  

Do not limit presentations to one device 

Gone are the days of the desk-bound pen-pushing rep, if it was ever truly a reality. Today’s offices are mobile. They exist in a nearby coffee shop, a car or even a home office. However, carrying around all the essentials they might need out on their own can prove challenging. Toting around an armada of brochures and samples, or a delicate-yet-cumbersome laptop from venue to venue is unnecessary and time-consuming. Not to mention that with the ease of information access today, your reps’ paper aids might already be outdated before they even head out the door. 

Today’s customers, believing forearmed is forewarned, wait at the ready with a barrage of questions. Agents need to provide seamless solutions to the questions thrown their way. They need to have accurate information at their fingertips with clear and concise messages at the ready. Therefore, using software that enables them to work from anywhere is crucial. 

Innovative sales presentation software such as Ingage is the perfect solution for agents in these situations. Ingage enables field sales reps to design stunning presentations from the comfort of their iPad or mobile device, as well as their laptop. The intuitive nature of the platform makes it easy for an rep to learn. If your reps have built a slide — any slide — in the past, they will have no problem creating fully interactive presentations with the Ingage suite. 

Since the platform stores all information in a digital cloud, reps can access this information at any time they need. Adjust models and incorporate new content in real-time so your presentations always reflect the most accurate data. Reps can even personalize presentations on the go for an audience, targeting at a current situation instead of trying to make generic content “fit.” 

Implement team collaboration and sharing  

Field sales teams are only as effective as their support base. The relationship between sales and marketing teams is critical — one simply cannot exist without the other. 

Both equally important, these two departments often lose sight of their interdependence and end up at loggerheads — a situation that results in unqualified leads and/or frustrated prospects. Meanwhile, a healthy collaborative relationship between sales and marketing works synergistically. When sales and marketing move in tandem, it results in well-crafted buyer personas and marketing materials that actually relate to target audiences. This generates more quality leads, which in turn generates more revenue. Additionally, this avoids unneeded stress in the workplace. And a happy workforce almost always translates to happier clients. 

Ingage’s collaborative tools can extend between departments. Use Ingage Teams to coordinate in the field with team members back at the office. Build and share presentations in real-time with one another! A variety of permission settings allow you to control who can view or edit presentations while empowering team members to work in unison. Managing content across departments with cloud-based software brings your sales and marketing teams together in working toward their shared goal. Making the sale is an “all hands on deck” affair. Give your staff the tools to contribute successfully. 

Read part two to learn how to leverage presentation performance analytics. 

Original article source: Ingage