Sales is about People, not Presentations

Your slide deck may be the best in the world.  Your pitch smooth as butter.  Your suit as fine as none other.  Yet, you continue to lose the sale to Alex, who uses no slides at all.  You better wise up and realize that sales is about people, not presentations.

Alex understands what sales is... and here is what he knows.

1. If you can't engage with the prospect, and get them talking, they will never remember a thing you say.
2. If you don't understand the needs of the prospect, both functionally in the business and personally, you will never be able to "show him the solution".
3. No matter how much you love your solution and think its the best, there are always alternatives and selling is showing that your option is the one that best solves the prospect's need.

Where are your slides Alex?  I have some, but I'd rather send them to you after our meeting.

Why is that, that is odd?  Yes, I hear that, but I would rather spend the time learning about your problems than looking at my pictures...  if there is a fit, we'll find it together and I'll give you materials you need to sell internally.

Sales is about people.  Them not you.  Please, please, sales-people, stop with the slides already.