Don't ignore the details...

Anybody can see the whole picture.

In sales, however, we are supposed to pay attention to some critical details, because they sometimes hide the clue to which direction we may take in our presentation. We should take notice, among other things, of the following:

• What part of the presentation creates a sparkle of enthusiasm and acceptance, and emphasize that point.
• Specific comments that undercover their needs and wants in relation to our product or services.
• Shortcomings (like hearing impairment, short attention span or comprehension) or strengths (previous knowledge of our product or service, strong rapport).
• General signs of acceptance.
• If talking to two or more people, we should notice who is the least interested and involve him/her. We may do it directly or by creating a situation where the most interest party does the selling for us.

Much time and effort could be saved if we stay alert to those details. It may sound overwhelming to pay attention to our presentation and at the same time watch for specific signs from our clients. In time, as we master our scripts, it becomes natural and actually interesting to play this double role.  All we are doing, as we present our message, is "testing the waters" as we go deeper into the presentation, so we can, accordingly, quote past clients feelings and reactions, or change our voice tone, body language or speech speed.

There is plenty of free information that our clients are going to volunteer if we only pay attention. This information sometimes guarantees a closing, that otherwise could pass unnoticed. If we only avoid second-guessing and get the facts, straight from the client, we will be better off.