Yes! Your foot is literally in the door. Your lead generation activity landed you a bona fide presentation to decision makers who are ready to buy.

First and foremost, you need to deliver a top-notch presentation. There is nothing worse than the blah, blah, blah, bullet, bullet, bullet, click to next static text-heavy PowerPoint slide. Check out these examples for ideas on how to zip up your show.

As you proceed through your killer presentation, incorporate several stopping points along the way where you take a moment and hand out a sheet of sales collateral to each person in the room. This will get everyone to re-focus on you, each other, the topic at hand, and on the reason they should buy.

  1. Something 3D: You may want to start off by handing out branded pads and pens for attendees to take notes. These are always well received and put you in the position of immediate appreciation for being there.
  2. Infographic: Pause the presentation and hand out a graphic visualization of how your product fits in the marketplace and why it is superior. Invite questions to break up the presentation and give people a chance to interact.
  3. Case Study: Tell a good story about how one of your clients experienced great, perhaps unexpected, success with your products and services. Deliver the case study details on a one-pager.

Close your presentation with a Q&A session, after which you can ask for the sale supported with a formal proposal, contract, or order form. Ideally you can get to “Yes” right there and then. Otherwise, include them with other leave behinds that might help close the sale.

Other tips for your presentation’s printed materials:

Have them professionally printed. Whether you’re sharing single sales sheets or perfect bound booklets, it’s extremely important that the quality is noticeable.

  • Hand out updated, crisp business cards. No one wants to receive the last card from the bottom of your briefcase with dented edges. Have as many fresh ones as you need, ready to go.
  • Include not only your branding on each piece, but also the prospective client’s logo and name to keep it personal.