Press Play to watch this tip on how to have the right mindset when closing a sale from stage:

Making A Sales Presentation: The Art of Closing From Stage

One of the most common questions I get asked from my members and subscribers is how do I make the transition from doing my talk to making my sales presentation?  So in this article I want to give you a few tips so that next time you are making an offer at the end of your talk, you feel confident to ask for the sale.

1.    Make sure your mindset is in the right place. 

The biggest reason most people get tied up in knots when it comes to moving into their offer is that they actually think about it as a separate part of their presentation. 

I hear this all the time:  “I’m fine delivering the information, but when it comes to asking them for money I go to pieces”.  The assumption is that the sales presentation is somehow different to the educational presentation.  Not so.

Think of your presentation as a whole and that the part we refer to as the “close” or the “offer” is just the last chapter of a book.  Like a book the final chapter makes no sense in isolation and the whole book would make no sense without the last chapter.

For more insight into the mindset watch this video.

2.    Have a good segue.

That said, you do need to have a segue: a graceful way of moving from the content to the offer. This should only be a few seconds long, and exists just to get permission from the audience to reveal your product.

It could be as simple as

• “As you can see the process I’m sharing with you is a simple one, but there is an even simpler and easier way to get started.  Can I share that with you now?”
• “In summary, the key is to take action.  Can I now show you what I believe is the smartest action you could take as you leave here today?”
• “During the break I had some questions about the next steps, can I share the next step with you now?”

See what I mean?  It does not have to be a big deal.  Just some way of linking what you’re saying with the offer that you’re about to make.

3.    Don’t change your energy.

The biggest mistake I see newbies and seasoned professionals alike make during this process is changing the style of their presentation between content and offer.  They may have been fun and relaxed and humorous during the content of their talk, and as soon as they get into the offer they get all weird and loud and pushy.  Why?!

Your energy and style should stay consistent from the moment you step on the stage to the moment you leave.  There should be variation throughout the whole presentation from moment to moment- but not a big shift between content and offer. If anything the only slight change should be to go a touch faster during the close, as speaking faster is a quick and easy way to build excitement.

That said…

4.    Don’t rush.

Hang on- I’ve just said speed up, now I’m saying don’t rush!?  What I mean is yes, you can speak a little faster, but that does not mean you want to leave out crucial descriptions and draw out key points in your offer.

The close is the most important part of your presentation.  If you have done a good job of your content people will want to hear what you have to say about your products, so do them the favour of taking them through it sanely, step by step and giving them the full picture of what they are about to invest in.

One of the main reasons people don’t buy is because they are confused.  So take your time to outline things exactly- you can speak quickly- but don’t jump all over the place and do a rush job.

5.    Focus on the benefits.

As you describe your product make sure you don’t focus only on the features of your product.  So the car might have ABS brakes (feature).  But what does that mean for me? Well, the benefit is “so you can rest easy knowing you and your children are safe, even in the wet” (benefit).

You get the idea?

To turn a feature into a benefit, ask: “what does this mean for my client?”  Then spell it out in terms of emotions.

6.    Don’t apologise.

Don’t ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, eeeeeever apologise for your sale.  Never assume they don’t have the money, or they don’t want to take action today.  That’s your mindset, not theirs! 

You delivered great content, you did a good job- your audience WANT to hear about the next step.  Confidently and with your normal style outline the offer, and confidently ask them to take action.  Then let them decide the best course of action for them.

The main way to get good at this is practice practice practice!  So get out there and deliver as many presentations as you can.

Do you have any other tips or experiences you would like to share? Let me know by posting a comment!

Cheers,