• Unit 5: The Presentation and Demonstration

    You finally get a face-to-face meeting with your customer. Many salespeople consider the presentation the most exciting stage of the selling process. This is your opportunity to shine! You can show the prospect that you know your stuff – and get the chance to deliver value by putting your problem-solving skills to work. Remember, as a sales professional, you are helping your customer find a solution to their problem. In this unit, you will learn important tips to implement when meeting with a customer, from preparation to learning how to adapt to the selling situation, how to dress, and how to handle the logistics. You will also learn about the different dynamics of selling to an individual versus a group selling situation.

    Completing this unit should take you approximately 4 hours.

    • Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

      • apply strategies to get the customer engaged in the sales process;
      • compare and contrast features and benefits;
      • analyze the importance of listening; and
      • analyze how technology can be leveraged during a sales presentation.

    • 5.1: Asking Probing Questions to Determine Needs

      A good salesperson will ask carefully worded questions to learn about customer needs. The more we know about our customers, the better we can solve their problems. A good salesperson will do more listening than talking.

      • SPIN Selling Page

        The theory of spin selling suggests that success in the sales process is centered on the relationship you build with your customer. Remember that no two customers are exactly alike, so we need to learn about them, their company, and their needs. Complete the exercises at the end of the section.

    • 5.2: What's in It for the Customer

      As a sales professional, your job is to articulate how a feature can benefit the customer. The product's feature is meaningless unless it can be expressed as a benefit to the customer.

    • 5.3: The Importance of Listening

      Believe it or not, good salespeople will listen more than they talk. The more the customer talks, the more the salesperson can learn about their needs and problems and offer solutions to their problems with the benefits of their product.

      • Active Listening Page

        In this video, you will learn how to improve your communication skills with active listening. An active listener will focus on what the other person is saying and repeat it back to them to demonstrate that they are listening.

      • The Power of Effective Communication Page

        In this section, you will learn the elements of effective business communication. Pay particular attention to the tips for active listening, focusing, asking questions, and note-taking. These tips will help you demonstrate to your customer that you are listening and that what they say to you is important. Complete exercises 5 and 6 at the end of the section.

      • Effective Listening Skills for Managers Page

        This video will raise your awareness about the impressions made by your verbal and nonverbal cues and your ability to ask questions to improve your understanding of the customer's needs.

    • 5.4: Leveraging Technology in Your Sales Presentation

      Technology has rapidly revolutionized the business world and the selling profession. A salesperson has unlimited data at their fingertips, which they can utilize in preparation for the sales call and during the actual presentation.

      • Making Your Presentation Work Book

        In these sections, you will learn when a videoconference makes more sense than a face-to-face meeting. You will also learn about the dos and don'ts of a PowerPoint presentation.

    • 5.5: Product Demonstrations Engage the Customer

      Production demonstrations and presentations in general are an important part of the sales process. The more the customer understands your product and how it can solve their problem, the more likely they will consider your product or service as a final solution.

    • Unit 5 Study Resources

      This review video is an excellent way to review what you've learned so far and is presented by one of the professors who created the course.

    • Unit 5 Assessment

      • Unit 5 Assessment Quiz
        Receive a grade

        Take this assessment to see how well you understood this unit.

        • This assessment does not count towards your grade. It is just for practice!
        • You will see the correct answers when you submit your answers. Use this to help you study for the final exam!
        • You can take this assessment as many times as you want, whenever you want.