Sales Pitch, Tablet Style: Using Tablets for Sales Presentations
The sales pitch is when you get to sparkle.
It’s when you ideally dazzle the client with the benefits of your solution, demonstrate your understanding of their problems and needs, and overcome the final objection that stands between you and a signed contract.
You may have plenty of sales support tools at your disposal — flyers, sell sheets, PowerPoint presentations, calculators and product information. But ultimately, the sales presentation is about you and the prospect.
That is where a tablet can be a surprisingly powerful sales tool.
A tablet gives salespeople a lightweight, interactive way to present information without putting a physical barrier between themselves and the customer. Instead of sitting behind a laptop and clicking through slides, you can keep the conversation going while bringing the information you need directly into the discussion.
A Tablet Makes the Presentation More Interactive
A tablet provides a fluid and interactive way to share a variety of content with your prospects.
You can move quickly between a presentation, a PDF, product photographs, a video, pricing information or other supporting material without interrupting the conversation.
The touchscreen also makes it easy to:
- Zoom in on information your prospect wants to see
- Move quickly between different types of content
- Demonstrate products or solutions visually
- Let the prospect interact directly with the information
- Search for specific information while you're talking
- Adjust the presentation based on the direction of the conversation
That's important because a good sales presentation shouldn't feel like a presentation.
It should feel like a conversation.
Don't Let the Technology Get Between You and the Customer
One of the biggest advantages of a tablet is that it can make the technology less intrusive.
A laptop can create a physical and psychological barrier between salesperson and prospect. You may find yourself looking down at a screen, manipulating a keyboard or turning the computer around so the customer can see it.
A tablet can be much more natural.
You can hold it, lay it flat on a table, put it on a stand, or pass it to the prospect. The customer can see what you're doing and, when appropriate, interact with the content themselves.
The technology becomes part of the conversation rather than the focus of the conversation.
And that's exactly what you want from a sales tool.
The Benefits of Using a Tablet for Sales
There are several practical advantages to using a tablet in the field.
Lightweight
A tablet is easy to carry into customer meetings without adding much weight to your sales bag. It can replace some of the paper, binders and other presentation materials that salespeople traditionally carried.
Fast
Information can be accessed quickly while you're in the field.
Instead of searching through a folder or flipping through printed material, you can find the information you need in seconds.
Easy to Use
Touchscreen navigation is intuitive, making it easy to move between applications and presentation materials without needing to be particularly technical.
Professional
There's still a certain WOW! factor to a well-designed tablet presentation.
More importantly, however, a tablet can create a modern and professional way to present your company, products and solutions — provided the content itself is good.
Technology doesn't make a bad presentation better. It can, however, make a good presentation more engaging.
Adaptable
A tablet can be used in different presentation modes.
You can hold it in your hand, lay it flat on a table, or use a stand when you want the prospect to view something for a longer period.
Interactive
Perhaps the biggest advantage is the ability to involve the prospect.
Instead of simply telling the customer about your solution, you can ask them to explore information, look at an image, watch a demonstration or interact with the content themselves.
That can turn a one-way presentation into a two-way conversation.
Access to More Information
A salesperson can carry an enormous amount of information on a single device.
Product specifications, case studies, pricing information, presentations, videos, proposals and other resources can all be available when they're needed.
That can be particularly useful when a prospect takes the conversation in an unexpected direction.
The Tablet Should Support Your Sales Process — Not Replace It
There's an important distinction here.
A tablet is a sales tool. It isn't a sales process.
The best salespeople don't walk into a customer meeting with a tablet and start flipping through slides. They understand the customer's business first, ask questions, listen carefully and then use the appropriate information to support the conversation.
In other words:
The conversation comes first. The technology comes second.
That principle applies to Salesforce as well.
Your CRM and other sales technology should support the way your sales team sells. The technology should make the sales process easier to execute, not force salespeople into a technology-driven conversation.
That's why we put Process before Platform in our approach to Salesforce. The technology should reinforce the behaviors you want from your sales team.
Learn more about our approach to Salesforce Process
Use the Tablet to Demonstrate — Not Just Present
There's another opportunity that is easy to overlook.
A tablet doesn't have to be used simply to display a presentation.
It can be used to demonstrate your solution.
That distinction matters.
Instead of saying, "Our software can do this," you can show the prospect how it works.
Instead of describing a product, you can display it.
Instead of talking about a result, you can walk the customer through an example.
Demonstration creates involvement. Involvement creates conversation. And conversation gives you the opportunity to better understand what matters to the customer.
Keep the Presentation Focused on the Prospect
The technology can be impressive, but don't let it become the star of the show.
A polished tablet presentation with beautiful graphics isn't going to compensate for a salesperson who doesn't understand the customer's needs.
The best sales presentations still depend on the fundamentals:
Ask good questions. Listen. Understand the problem. Connect your solution to the customer's needs. Demonstrate value.
The tablet simply gives you another tool for doing those things effectively.
If you're looking to improve the way your sales team uses Salesforce and other technology in the sales process, our Salesforce Training Academy offers hands-on training designed around practical sales use.
For teams that need training built around their own sales process and Salesforce environment, see our Custom Salesforce Training.
The Bottom Line
Tablets changed the way many salespeople could present information to customers.
They made presentations lighter, more interactive and easier to adapt to the conversation.
But the technology isn't what makes the sales pitch effective.
The salesperson does.
The best salespeople use technology to enhance the conversation — not replace it.
And whether you're using a tablet, Salesforce, or any other sales technology, the same principle applies:
The technology should support the sales process. It shouldn't become the sales process.
If your sales technology isn't helping your team sell, it's worth taking a closer look at the process behind it.
