Easy Mistakes to Avoid in Your Underwriting Sales Presentations

You just gave what you felt was a great sales presentation. It was a convincing pitch. You were confident and enthusiastic. Then your prospect said, “I’ll think it over and get back to you.”

But your prospect didn’t get back to you. Something you did wasn’t effective.

Here are some pitfalls to avoid if you want to give great sales presentations that truly connect with your prospect and her needs. 

1. Don’t jump into the presentation at the beginning of the meeting.

Use this time to ask questions and confirm what your prospect previously had said are his challenges. Your presentation should follow that discussion, not precede it.

2. Resist the urge to rattle off every benefit of underwriting.

Prospects don’t care about every benefit. They only care about what addresses their specific needs. Find that hot button. Everything else at this point is secondary. Focus primarily on your prospect’s challenges.

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3. Let your prospect interrupt.

So now you’re sailing through your presentation (and your inner voice says “keep going, you’re on a roll”) when the prospect shows that she has something to say or ask. It could be a gesture or facial expression, or a verbal comment. When this happens, stop and let her interrupt you. What your prospect has to say is always more important than what you have to say.

4. Be brief.

It’s okay to show your passion and knowledge about underwriting, but don’t be so excited that you ramble on for long stretches during your presentation. You don’t want your prospect to lose interest. Keep your presentation as short as possible, focusing on the aspects of what you’re offering that meets her specific needs.

5. Don’t wait too long to find out if you’re hitting the mark.

After you make a key point about your product, ask the prospect for feedback with a question such as, “Does this make sense for what you want to achieve?” By asking, you are prompting your prospect to either give his approval or explain why it doesn’t make sense. When you get his approval, he is beginning to close the sale for you. If he tells you it doesn’t make sense, that’s your opportunity to adjust your presentation to increase the potential of closing the sale.

How do you improve you sales presentations? Please share below in the comments.