Step Two: Pre-Demonstration

The most important aspect of a sales presentation for window or films is the actual product demonstration. That's why this whole section is devoted to setting the stage for the demonstration.

Like an appetizer prepares a diner for Filet Mignon at a fine restaurant, the time leading up to the product demonstration must put the prospect on the edge of their seat, anticipating how well your window will perform and being anxious to feel your product in their own hands.

Uncover their Wants and Needs

Now is the time to let them continue to talk. Now is not the time to talk about your product. This point in the presentation is about painting a picture of what is wrong with their current situation and how it could be better in the future. Pay very close attention to what they have to say because you will use this information to close the sale.

Point to keep in mind:

"You can get anything in life you want if you just help enough other people get what they want"
     - Zig Ziglar

Many prospects simply want the cheapest windows available - they don't realize that quality costs. Initially, price will be their main criteria to base their window purchase on. Maybe they’re not sure they need new windows at all. If this is the case, ask yourself this: How are they going to react when you come barging into their living room saying your window is sooo special, and they need to buy this, that, and the other thing? Probably not very positively. You know that your high quality window will pay for itself in the long run and be a worthwhile investment, but they may have to go through the process of coming to that realization themselves.

Build Trust in your Company

You must make sure that your prospects will be comfortable doing business with you. You must convey your company’s commitment to excellence, establish credibility, and ensure your prospect that they can put their trust in your company’s name.

To do this, simply bring out the strong points about your company like the number of years it’s been in business, the professional organizations it belongs to (like the Better Business Bureau, etc.), and other satisfied customers who gave testimonials.

Convey a high level of pride and excitement you and your company have in offering it’s high quality product, and talk about how you will stand behind the product. Give examples of other window companies in your area that have come and gone since you have been in business (remember, don’t trash your competitors – just give them the facts).

Set the Stage for your Product Demonstration

Now that you know more about your customer, their interests, needs, and the problems they are facing, you essentially know what they want in a window. Remember Zig Ziglar’s quote: "You can get anything in life you want if you just help enough other people get what they want."

Now that you are about to extensively talk to them about your product, you have the opportunity to do something extremely important: Getting away from the idea of selling them a window, and moving towards the idea of offering them an opportunity to invest in a product that will satisfy their wants and needs while it pays for itself.

For the rest of the sales presentation, you must talk about your window in those terms - an investment that will meet their specific wants and needs. Now this isn’t to say that you don’t teach them about all the other great aspects of your window and company, just put the most importance on the factors that are the most important to your prospects.

Make them expect a hefty price tag / build value into your product

Michael Zabec talks about Price Conditioning in his excellent book “10 Steps to High Definition Selling.” The goal here is to create a perceived value of your window that is greater than the actual cost of the window, so when you eventually quote the price, your prospect will be pleased or even pleasantly surprised.

Explain the amount of research that went into producing this great window and how your company stands behind their warranty. Use strong words that relate to the quality and innovations of your window.

In short, be sure they understand you have a high quality window that is a long term or permanent solution to their needs. After all, we're not talking about a cheap quick fix here.

This can also be a great time to remind them about their wants and needs you uncovered before. For example, mention how long engineers worked on developing a certain feature on your windows with the goal of blocking the most heat from the sun as possible. Inform them that this is one of the ways that your windows are going to help them save on their energy bills.

To achieve this effect, break the window down and talk about all of the great materials within the window. Talk about how and why they are better than materials that your competitors use (be careful, don’t trash your competitors – just give them the facts).

Make the Shift

You: So you're telling me you would appreciate lowering your utility bills?
Prospect: Yes
You: Well let's take a look at how this window will do that for you.

You: So would you say it's important for your windows to protect your (fill in the blank) from UV damage?
Prospect: Yes
You: Well why don't we see how this window compares to something similar to your windows or other windows you might be thinking about investing in.

Regardless of their purchasing criteria when you first stepped in the door, you have now gotten your prospect to say, realize, or admit that a high performing window benefit them. During your demonstration, you will make them realize that your high performance window will be the one to meet their wants and needs.