Sales Presentations

7. Finishing off

The end of your presentation should be upbeat and decisive.

7.1 Provide any handouts the audience may want.

• Handouts are a useful way of making sure your audience can think over the message of your presentation at a later date.
• Avoid giving out handouts any earlier in your presentation. The audience may read them instead of listening to you.

7.2 Get feedback from the audience.

• Ask key contacts or decision-makers if they are interested in what they have seen. Get them to tell you why.This allows them to sell the product to themselves, or gives you the chance to deal with any objections.
• Ask for the chance to demonstrate your product or service in action. For example, with a trial order.

7.3 Establish the next step and discuss dates.

• Make a note if you need to get back to the customer to follow up points that have been raised or respond to questions you were unable to answer in the presentation.
• If you see the opportunity, be ready to close the sale (see Selling technique).