Whether You Present First or Last, Have a Plan
By Dave Stein
Here is a question I get asked often by my audiences and readers:
“Is it better to present first or last during an evaluation?”
Over the years, I’ve gone first, I’ve gone last and have been in the middle. (I just won an engagement presenting fifth out of six contenders.) When you present is certainly a factor, but most important is how you position yourself from the buyers’ point of view.
Sales professionals who consistently win big deals know that their approach when presenting first must be different from when they go last. Contrary to what many believe, going first can provide you with a competitive advantage. It’s a calculated risk, but if you have accurately assessed the opportunity, when you should go will be apparent.
Ideally you want to present when your solution will be perceived as
1. the most unique
2. having the highest business value, and
3. meeting more of the prospect’s requirements than your competitors.
Of course negotiating the order of vendor presentations with your prospect is a whole other story. You can read about how to do that in Chapter 9 of How Winners Sell.
Are you presenting first?
You’ll want to go first when you know that there are gaps between your competitor’s true capabilities and what they will say and do in their presentation. You’ll use those gaps in your planning to professionally set them up for failure by:
* Being highly credible by completely understanding your prospect, their issues and requirements and your capabilities;
* Setting the bar too high for your competitor to reach, forcing them to misrepresent their capabilities;
* Immunizing the prospect against what you know the competition will say about you (without being defensive);
* Having a strong ally in the account who will work on your behalf to ask probing questions during your competitor’s presentation, which will expose those gaps.
There are risks in going first, even if you are able to differentiate yourself and build credibility, but a preemptive strike can put you ahead, permanently.
Are you presenting last?
You’ll want to go last when:
* Being highly credible by completely understanding your prospect, their issues and requirements and your capabilities;
* You are certain that your competition has an ally who will report to them exactly what you did and said, with enough time for that competitor to devise a strong counter to your value proposition;
* You don’t fully understand the opportunity, whether it be the prospect’s requirements, their buying criteria or who your competition is;
* When you don’t know a lot about your competitor.
You’ll need them to “show their hand” first and get information about what they said and did from your coach within the account. With that information you can effectively plan your presentation to highlight your unique value.
Dave Stein is President of ES Research Group, the only independent source of intelligence and advice on sales effectiveness, sales productivity, offering technologies and tools, as well as comprehensive information on different sales training companies. After an early career as a professional trumpeter, Dave held many diversified technical, sales and executive positions: programmer, systems engineer, sales representative, sales manager, director of worldwide sales development, VP of sales, VP of international operations, VP of client services and VP of strategic alliances. Dave is quoted and recognized in leading business magazines and websites, including Fast Company, The New York Times, BusinessWeek, Inc., Fortune, and Forbes. He writes the featured monthly column for Sales & Marketing Management magazine. Visit his website
Dave,
Great answer to a very common question.
Steve
Comment by Steve Waterhouse — February 12, 2010 @ 9:54 am |
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Trackback by uberVU - social comments — February 12, 2010 @ 4:15 pm |
If you have to present early I think it’s a good idea to find an excuse to get in to the account just after the final presentation. It’s doubtful the customer will allow you to have a full “second go” at the presentation. But if you can engineer a visit to sort out an accounts issue, your regular visit is due, you can get to visit your ally… then you may be able to get some useful feedback and make a last minute amendment to your proposal if required.
Comment by Mark Goodson — February 18, 2010 @ 11:02 am |