It's time to toss the pitch book in the trash.
The pitch book, or presentation book, is a tool that many contractors have used over the years to help close the deal with a prospective client. These presentation packages vary from contractor to contractor; from a couple of printed sheets to an entire binder bursting with documents and photos.
Presenting information to a potential client to support your proposal is always going to be a solid sales tactic, but the way you present that information is changing. Here's why.
Attention Spans are Shorter
Goldfish used to get a bad rap for their nine-second attention span. But goldfish have one up on us: the average human attention span has dropped from 12 seconds to eight-seconds since the year 2000.
Blame the digital revolution, but you can't expect clients to flip through your big presentation binder without losing their attention somewhere along the way.
But you can capture their attention if you use a medium that people are used to paying attention to. That's why your pitch book needs to go digital.
Use Technology to Amp Up your Presentation
If you've been using a paper pitch book or presentation package with pictures up until now, you know that images can have a big impact. But a digital presentation can include more than just before-and-after pictures.
If you really want to capture your client's attention, then your proposal should include rich, multimedia content such as:
- Videos
- Slideshows
- 360 degree photography
- 3D models
So what's the easiest way to present a visually rich and compelling presentation to your client in a way that truly captures their attention?
Tablet vs Laptop
Which is better for client sales presentations, a laptop or tablet?
Business owners and sales teams are finding that tablets are becoming an indispensable tool in the construction industry. Not only does it allow you better communication and collaboration, access to the latest construction technology apps and software-- it is the ideal presentation tool, too.
While a laptop allows you to share pictures, proposals, brochures, testimonials, graphs, charts, certificates, and other persuasive materials as part of your pitch, it does falls short in one area:
Client interaction.
With a tablet, you can hand your presentation over to your client. They can swipe through images, select upgrade options, and zoom in on product details. By handing a tablet to your client, you are allowing them to feel like they're in the driver's seat. Invite them to interact and participate in your presentation, and they're already a part of the project.
The size and physical shape of your laptop creates a physical barrier between you and your potential client. But a tablet's small design does not. It's easy to see that a tablet not only serves your basic business needs, it's also the preferred tool for digital presentations.
A Paperless Pitch
When you ditch the pitch book and upgrade to a digital presentation, you save money in the long run.
You've been customizing and personalizing each sales presentation to each client, so you've been printing new materials for each pitch. Over time, those paper and printing costs add up.
Going paperless also helps your business be more eco-friendly and sustainable. And this can be a selling point all on its own if your client has expressed an interest in green renovations or sustainable building materials.
Advances in technology are helping you run every aspect of your business better, faster, and cheaper than before. Mobile devices give you instant access to the internet, email, construction software programs, and amazing construction apps. And now they have replaced your paper sales presentations, too.
Your tablet is the pitch book of 2016. It is the perfect visual aid; an interactive way of supporting your client presentation with:
- Rich, interactive multimedia content
- Charts, graphs, pictures, videos, online brochures
- Access to apps and industry specific tools
- Instant access to your credentials, company info, and insurance certifications
- Reviews, testimonials, and before-and-after pictures and videos
Walking into a client's home or office carrying a single tablet, you look polished and professional. And with the built in capabilities that tablets have, you are able to provide a richer, more interactive experience than you ever could with a binder bursting with papers. It's time to give an overhaul to your sales presentations: toss the pitch book and go digital.
