Presentation Tips: Five Mistakes that Lead
to Over Selling And Losing the Sale

Over selling is probably the most common mistake that a person makes when giving a presentation. Over selling is basically talking oneself out of a sale. We have all done it and will probably do it again. There is a fine line between giving too little information in a presentation, to giving too much. It takes preparation, practice, and discipline to fine tune the skill of giving a powerful presentation.

Listed below are five key mistakes presenters often make:

1. Not being prepared. Plan in advance. Know your information inside and out. Bullet point your ideas and outline them on a piece of paper. Repeatedly practice your presentation out loud until it becomes natural to you. If possible, do research on the person or persons you are giving the presentation to. Insight on your client can help you gear information to them.

2. Not listening. Sometimes we can become so anxious to give the presentation, that we are not listening or asking important key questions. If we do not understand their needs, we will not be able to show them the value of our service or product. We live in a fast pace society and no one has time to sit and listen endlessly to someone talk. You do not want this to go to the other extreme. Keep control of the presentation.

3. Talking about themselves. It is appropriate to bring up a personal testimony or establish credibility. However, getting into lengthy details about one's personal life will only frustrate and alienate the client or customer. The presentation should be about what benefits you can give them.

4. Not being considerate of the other person's time. If you tell your client that it will only take half and hour, then only take half an hour. They are taking time out of their busy schedule to let you present to them. They are expecting you to honor your commitment by valuing their time. It is important to understand that it is hard to hold someone's attention if the presentation becomes too lengthy. Another aspect of giving a lengthy presentation is that you will look desperate for the sale and not confident in your product or service.

5. Giving too much detailed information about your product or service. People can only absorb so much information at one time. Too much information will confuse them and lose their interest. It is better to leave them wanting more, than to give them too much and leave them frustrated.

Having the opportunity to give a presentation to a potential client is invaluable. Following through with a well-communicated presentation can have significant results. It is an opportunity you do not want to waste. The main purpose is to highlight, show value and display credibility. Beyond that you run the risk of over selling.