Sales Presentation Success Part III: Sealing the Deal
When you’re hosting a sales presentation – or participating in any other presentation or panel that can be used to draw in more business – proper planning is crucial. Not only do you need to be prepared to make your contribution, but also your firm should strategize regarding the best ways to “deploy the troops” to interact and build relationships with attendees. However, all of the preparation and tactical maneuvering that you do will be for naught if you fail to follow up after the event.
After the event has concluded, the time is right to “merchandise” your presentation. Post the content of your speech – or even a well-recorded video – to your website or send the content out as an e-blast to your online mailing list. Identify the prospects who were unable to attend the conference that would be interested in the subject you covered, and send them highlights of the presentation. If it’s possible to convert your presentation into a press release, do so and get it out to journalists who are covering related topics. Alternately, use the content to create an article that can be submitted to industry-focused publications.
Additionally, if the event was sponsored by an association or third-party, part of your follow-up process should include identifying additional ways to participate in the organization’s activities. Consider looking into other professional initiatives that the organization sponsors, identifying additional presentation opportunities, and looking for ways to offer your services on a pro bono basis.
To really seal the deal, however, you will also need to follow up with the contacts that you made at the event or presentation. Take the time to enter all contact info from the business cards you’ve collected (as well as from survey responses and event feedback comments) into your CRM or other contact database, then start building relationships. Follow up on any questions you were asked, find pretexts for making direct phone calls, and extend lunch invitations to those attendees in your area.
As with all firm marketing, put yourself in the prospect’s role. What kind of outreach would you appreciate if you’d been in the audience? What would maximize the value of the event for you? Generally speaking, the answers to these questions – along with marketing best practices that your firm has already established – can provide direction. If you can add value and be helpful to your prospects, you’ll have identified actions that are worth making!
