Presentations are a deal-breaker for most people.

A bad presentation will turn prospects away from closing the deal. What is a bad presentation? One element is the lack of organization of the material.

The material is in the wrong place, incomplete or missing information. The overall look of the final content includes the format it's presented in such as a video or slide deck. Bad sound or inappropriate background music. The lack of confidence or experience of the presenter. Weak opening or closing of the presentation or timing of the presentation.

Tip: Plan it out and review it over and over

Plan out the presentation weeks in advance.

This means working on it in small sections. Take time to write out the information for each sector carefully. If creating a slide deck, make each section short and include an image to help get the main point across. Break up each section according to the point. One section could be an opening, followed by the main pain point of the prospect with facts to answer the problem.

Once all of the sections are done, go back and organize them. If you are branding the business, use the right colors for each slide.

Make sure to edit and proofread everything at least three times. Save your work often.  Go over it and make sure it flows smoothly and images or graphics match the content. Remove or add sound as needed. Make sure the sounds are of excellent quality and do a practice review with someone.

Tip: Build Confidence with Practice and Close the deal Easier

Experience comes from the repetition of a given task.

The mistakes are guiding points to improvement. Many deals have been lost due to a bad experience from a presentation. Practice in front of mirrors if need be. Slow down and don't rush through speaking. It will be ok, also watch out for a monotone voice. It's important not to sound like a chipmunk either. Calm down and talk with genuine enthusiasm.

A weak opening will put people to sleep.

It could make them cancel the meeting and move to something else. A bad closing can waste time and energy. They will hurt your reputation, especially if you come across as pushy. The opening should introduce the subject matter but not give away too much. The ending has to wrap everything up nicely and entice them to take action.

Practice and review all of your presentations before the big day.

Tip: Relax and stay focused on a problem

One of the hardest tasks is to stay calm in a storm.

Things go wrong and some presenters lose their minds and can't cope. So, they end up losing the meeting. They go home frustrated and defeated. Not a good mindset and sometimes they give up and quit on everything. This is a rare occasion but in reality, those who do fail will try again. However, they may not have a good goal for the next time.