How to Reuse Your Sales Presentations at Trade Shows
If you're like most sales executives, you've probably spent a lot of time and effort crafting the perfect sales presentation. But what do you do with it after the big meeting? If you're not careful, your great work can end up collecting dust on a shelf somewhere. Fortunately, there is a very powerful way to reuse your sales presentations to get more value out of them. By repurposing your content as an interactive exhibit for a trade show, you can engage with a far broader audience long after the initial presentation is over.
‍Design Considerations for Sales Presentations You Plan to Reuse
Of course, every sales presentation is a sales opportunity. But if you're only using a dull PowerPoint presentation, the resulting product at a trade show will be yawn-inducing. Here are design considerations you should consider for the creation of more compelling content. They’ll help your pitch long before you’re on a conference floor.Â
Non-linear presentations
One of the best ways to make your presentations stand out is to break away from the linear structure that is so often used. Non-linear presentations will enable your audience to explore your content in a more flexible way, which can be more engaging and interesting. It also helps to keep their attention focused on the presentation itself, rather than letting their minds wander.
Non-linear presentations give the presenter the ability to adapt their talk on-the-fly to user interest. You can jump around from one section of your presentation to another, based on what your audience seems most interested in.
Interactive Infographics
There are a few different ways that you can make your sales presentation more interactive. One way is to use interactive infographics. These are visual representations of data that include touchable elements. You or your audience can touch the different parts of the infographic to learn more about the data that you're presenting.
Compelling Visuals
Another way to make your sales presentation more interactive is to add compelling visuals beyond text and images. Videos are a great way to capture your audience's attention and hold it throughout the duration of the video. You can use videos to demonstrate products, show customer testimonials, or even just tell a story that ties into your product or service.
If you're looking to make your presentation more impressive,3D models are the way to go. They not only help audiences visualize your product better, but they always look great when someone is manipulating them with their hands. It's like something out of a science fiction movie!
Surveys and polls
Finally, you can use surveys and polls to gather feedback from your prospect during the presentation. This is a great way to gather insight about your audience and have it aggregated with data collected during other pitches.
No matter how you choose to make your sales presentation more engaging, the important thing is that you do something to make it standout from the rest.
Transforming a Sales Pitch into an Interactive Trade Show Display
Once you've created an effective sales presentation, you can easily repurpose it as a trade show display. In fact, if all you do is run your presentation on a touch display, you’ve already got something very interesting. However, to ensure optimal design, there are some factors you should consider.
Self-Service vs. Assisted
Who is your target audience and how is your content best presented? If self-service is your preference, larger screens are better, with at least a 42" diagonal. The goal is to attract attention and wow your audience. Make sure the design encourages an approach even at a distance. Ask yourself, what would draw a crowd?
If your presentation is for a one-on-one conversation, go with a smaller screen. Ideally, you should be able to move it around so you can have privacy with your prospect. Tablets work well in this case since they're more portable. If you have concern about hardware safety and security, consider kiosks or wall mounted displays as an alternative. The more private the conversation, the more discrete the mount needs to be so your audience will feel comfortable.
Online or offline
If you're planning to use the internet during your tradeshow presentation, be sure to ask your event organizer about web access and fees. Many times, the show's offering is expensive and/or unreliable. You might want to consider presenting offline instead. The trade off is that offline content risks getting out of date. Plan ahead and be prepared to be flexible.
Be wary of sound
Show floors can be very loud, so if your presentation has audio or video components, be aware that they may not be audible. If your video relies on audio, add subtitles to it.
Consider takeaways
You can use your experience to give the potential customer something to take home with them. Flyers are outdated. Get them to scan a QR code, or have them fill out a form so you can send follow-up information. This is also an excellent way of ditching the typical lead retrieval systems that tradeshows organizers rent at an exorbitant price.
Â
BONUS: Transforming an Interactive Sales Pitch for in Office Communication
Once you've transformed your sales pitch into an interactive presentation at a trade show, it is easy to also use it for communication inyour headquarters for when prospects visit your office.
Interactive presentations are super effective whenever you want to make a strong impression on prospects. If used in your office, they can help build trust and credibility with potential customers by providing them with a more intimate view of your company. Additionally, it can also help nurture relationships with clients and partners by serving as a valuable resource that they can revisit time and again.
Define your audience & goals
There are a few things to keep in mind when reusing your interactive presentation for office communication. The first is that your audience is probably different from prospect you meet at a tradeshow. Because they are coming in your office directly, they know more about your company already than prospects at a tradeshow who may have never heard about you or your services.
There's also a good chance that your in- office presentation's goal is different than your trade show goals. When exhibiting at trade shows, you might focus on generating awareness and collecting leads, while presentations given in-office are more likely to aim for making the sale. This would require proof of your expertise or quality, as well as ensuring trustworthiness.
Consider Location
When presenting in-office, you'll also have to take into account the location of where you'll be giving the presentation. Make sure that you have a space big enough to accommodate your display, and make sure it will not interfere with other people working in the office. You'll also want to think about how much time you have for your presentation. An interactive sales pitch at a trade show is usually limited to around 5 minutes, but an in-office presentation can be much longer - giving you more time to go into detail about your products or services.
Adapting your content
The great thing about having an interactive presentation is that it can easily be adapted to different settings and audiences. For example, if you're giving a presentation to a group of decision-makers, you can focus on the features of your product or service that are most relevant to them.
If you're presenting to a group that is already familiar with your company, you can use the opportunity to show off something new that you're working on. Whatever the case may be, make sure that your content is tailored to the specific audience that you'll be presenting to.
By transforming your interactive sales pitch into an office communication tool, you'll be able to make a strong impression on potential clients and partners. Keep in mind the differences between presenting at a trade show and presenting in-office, and adjust your content accordingly. With a little bit of adaptation, you can use your interactive presentation to its full potential.
Conclusion
Interactive sales presentations are a great way to engage potential customers and partners at tradeshows. They can also be used in-office to create trust and credibility with prospects, as well as nurture relationships with clients and partners. By tailoring your content to fit the specific audience you're presenting to, you can make sure that your interactive presentation is effective no matter where you use it.
‍