2 FREE AudiosSales Presentation Training & Techniques
Posted by Deb BixlerDirect Sales Presentation Training
People always listen to stories with greater interest than they do facts. Tell stories at your direct sales presentations and you will keep the attention of your audience. All sales consultants give quick tips and education to their guests at shows. The whole environment of party plan is successful because of the unique blend of product knowledge, one-on-one customer service and fun. Adding stories into your program to make the tips and information more interesting will increase the fun factor and keep the attention of the audience.
Improve Your Presentation Skills
Stories will improve your sales! One of the concepts that all professional presenters incorporate into their program is the use of pictures, parables and principles. Principles are facts, rules or knowledge. Pictures are well… you know what pictures are, they are pictures. You can include pictures by actually drawing them as many presenters do, or you can draw the picture with your story. The parable part is the story. Put them all together and pictures, parables and principles will increase sales in any environment, and your home party is no exception.
Sales Consultants Share Product Knowledge
In the home party, the “principles” are the sales consultant’s product knowledge or tips. This is the educational part of the show. But product knowledge alone will never sell the products. Most new consultants focus on product knowledge and that is a good thing, but is not the end-all of your show. You will develop more product knowledge the longer you are in business, so put focus on the other areas because pictures and parables will do more for selling your product.
Sell More At Home Show Presentations
You will sell more products at your home show when you paint pictures with stories. Think about your reasons for being in business. What are the top 20 reasons why your products are the best thing since sliced bread? Seriously, make a list!! Depending on your product line, you could have well over the required twenty.
- Skin care: Petroleum-free, hypo-allergenic, botanical-based, etc.
- Cookware: Solid anodized aluminum, non-stick, oven-safe, etc.
- Vitamins: organic, preservative-free, high antioxidants, etc.
Professional Speaking Technique
All professionals speakers use the technique of telling stories. Tell a story using your top 20 reasons why your product is the best thing since sliced bread. First, write down the 20 features that you want to focus on similar to what we did above. Then take those product features and turn them into benefits. Following that, create a story that will draw people in emotionally and paint a picture that they can relate to. Here’s an example:
- Feature/Product Knowledge: The skin care product is non-allergenic.
- Benefit: My daughter who is hypersensitive and has allergic reactions can use it.
- Picture and Parable: My freckle-faced twin daughters who burn very easily, and usually cannot spend any time out in the sun, spent all day at the beach building an enormous sand castle with their Dad and did not even get a burn.
Recruit Direct Sales And Marketing Consultants
You can apply the same concept to your organization’s direct sales recruiting efforts. Have your team create the top 20 reasons why their marketing business is the best thing since sliced bread!
- Feature: Free Trips
- Benefit: I get to take my hubby on a free vacation.
- Emotionally Charged Picture and Parable: Last year I took my husband, Jake, on an all-expense-paid vacation. We had a second honeymoon lying on the white sandy beaches of Cancun for a week… it was heaven!
Teach your team that principles, parables and pictures concept and they will become awesome presenters and will increase sales and recruiting at their home party presentations.
Deb always provides, instant tips I can implement right away, ideas I can circulate and principles that will explode my business!!!
Thanks Deb…great tip and meeting workshop ideas too.
I’ve been in sales one way or another for most of my life and have always believed we all are – whether we’re selling ourselves, our services, whatever. Because of that personal truth, I have spent much time thinking about sales, marketing, new techniques; in general, just much thought. Deb BLOWS ME AWAY with the simple truths she comes up with. The depth of understanding of how we all ‘work’, her simple truths have got me thinking about so many new ways to look at my business. AND looking forward to her next GREAT idea!
I love the tips that Deb Gives. They are no nonsense and without all the bells and whistles. I am making my sliced bread list today! Thanks Deb!
Deb -
Thank you for this article. The hardest part of my job is product knowledge (thousands of products!), so I feel inadequate. But, I never thought about using “Pictures” or “Parables” – I use the products everyday and can easily tell a story (and the story can change all the time!).
Thank you again!
Hi Belinda, Yes tells stories and maybe if you have a huge product line pick a couple of groupings that you can learn about then move on to others. The CashFlowShow program focuses on teaching how to pick what you should show at your shows: http://www.createacashflowshow.com/home-party-plan-sales If you learn about a group of products often times you can share about one item but cross sell others in the group that you do not have with you or may not be as popular.
I love telling stories at shows. It adds that personal touch.
Without even knowing I was doing it, I had been telling stories and seeing the positive results from doing so!! Thank you for the examples of Pictures and Parables!! They are very helpful.
Ive been in direct sales for over 13 years. But I am constantly re-inventing myself, through articles, online training, etc.
This is such an important part of our party plans..you just really have to learn to do it in a way to captivate your audience and not bore them
Quick, easy reminder about why we do what we do. If you share your story, your guests will love you/your product(s) too.
Think I learned from Zig Zigler that product knowledge tells but stories sell!
Great idea Deb. I haven’t done many home shows yet.
Looks like you have two Barbara’s together. Mine was about Zig Zigler.
I learned that if you tell stories, give quick tips and educate your audience, it adds to the fun factor. Always remember that the 3 P’s (Principles, Pictures and Parables) sell your product. Now, I need to list today the top 20 things about why Touchstone Crystal Jewelry is the best thing since sliced bread (that will be easy!). I will take these benefits and weave it into my own personal story. I already have a personal one….it involves a lost wedding ring! So I will look forward to working on this later on today.
This is a great reminder! It is so easy to get wrapped up in product info, and bore them to death! Stories make the difference. Thanks for the memory jog Deb.
For beginning consultants, these principals can REALLY help while she builds her product knowledge. Using just one or two stories and/or pictures, she can put on a fun, informatative presentation without having to feel the need to immediately be completely knowledgable. If anything comes up that she isnt familiar enough with, her enthusiasm and comfort level will be high enough to help customer find the answer together.
I noticed a big difference in my sales when I changed from just giving the “facts” about the products to telling stories about how I use them and how other customers use them too. However, it’s especially important for new consultants to know the products inside and out so they can come up with new ways to use the products to tell their customers.
Telling stories really get either your potential customer buying or your potential recruit signing up.
Thanks for explaining this principle. I have been doing a lot of storytelling without recognizing it. Your explanation will help me better explain to my team what to do with presentations. Thanks!
This is a great article. I have definitely found the best way to sell your product and your business is to make it personal. Why do YOU do what you do, and why do YOU like this product or what do YOU use it for?! People are much more likely to relate to a story that just hearing about the benefits of the product or business.
During presentations I always use interactive questions, such as “What do you think?” or Don’t you agree? And let the guests tell of their experiences too as they are “KNOWN” to the others for the most part and their testimonials are huge to adding credibility to my presentation.
As far as knowing everything about every product, it’s not necessary in my opinion, but it’s very necessary to know the ones you talk about through and through. You are more passionate about the items you use and like so be sure to demo some of those!
This is a great reminder. I’d heard this before, but had forgotten the power of the ‘sliced bread’ and 20 reasons. AWESOME
I love these tips! Even though I have not done Avon “parties” I do hold open houses, events, etc and these tips would still apply. Thanks!
These tips are great – I will make my list of top 20 for both our products and our business opportunity! Thanks – Terry
Storytelling is entertaining and will draw the audience in. I like the idea of listing features, benefits and an emotional story that people can relate to. Thanks!
Sales presentation – seems like when I started 8 yrs ago it was all about product knowledge,now I am seeing more trainings on tying the benefit with knowledge as well as a story. Which makes it more comfortable to sell your product.
I am glad I read this because I learned something new today and I will be using this method in the future. Thank you!!!
Love the idea of making a list of the top 20 reasons why your products are the best thing since sliced bread and incorporating them into your presentation! Deb, I’m so glad I found your website and radio show! You are the reason I am going to be so successful in 2012!
Love this tip of story telling it brings lots of inter action
I try to tell stories but always find myself going back to the technical and the facts!! Definitely going to do the top 20 reasons and use them!!
I never thought about presenting this way…I always just am boring and tell about the products and how it works. Its funny how small changes can make a big difference!
Working on my list now! I don’t want to be a boring presenter anymore!
Making my list now. I don’t want to be the same boring presenter anymore!
LOL – I doubt if you are boring, Shannon!
Its so easy to get away from the basics. This makes more sense of the old saying “don’t sell the steak, sell the sizzle”. WE might be more impressed about the features, but party goers only want to taste it!
Thanks Deb, for making me make my top 20 lists.
Yes, that is another way to say the same thing, Nathalie! I wish there was the ability to “like” each one!! Like FB. Thanks -
I have always tried to inject something personal into my presentations – I learned a long time ago to ask myself “If I was listening to me present would I be interested in hearing this?”. I agree that a heartfelt personal story will usually sell something much faster than just a list of that item’s attributes. The trick is being able to merge the facts with the personal story.
Lots of food for thought here – thanks Deb!
Great tips, Deb! I also like to put humor in my presentations
(I’m sure that surprises you, right??!!) By the way, I think YOU are one of the best things since sliced bread!!!
You know, Phyllis – I can not come up and comment on all these articles but watching them come into my email is cool and this one made me LOL!! Believe it or not I actually have people googleing the keyword choices “best thing since sliced bread”. Now that is not really what I expected to get branded for!! LOL (BTW EVERYONE: Phyllis is the president of the Deb Bixler fan club this month)
LOL Deb!! Have you seen the movie, “Misery?” The famous line, “I’m your #1 fan.” Ooooo scary!!! haha Okay had to leave for awhile… now back to reading this awesome Top 10 list!!
This is on our list to do this week, thanks for the reminder and the DRSU, where I originally heard this.
Blessings!
I Love the Preparation involved here to improve the presentation. By listing these things and including them in every presentation, the level of education to the prospect raises too. Thanks Deb!
Terrific information! I appreciate how you show simple steps so we can easily create our own stories to share. Thank you, Deb!