Subject matter experts (SMEs) are often the backbone of B2B sales pitches—so it’s crucial they stay calm during a sales presentation.
After all, they have deep technical knowledge and the ability to address specific problems faced by your clients. However, while SMEs are skilled in their fields, many are inexperienced in the nuances of public speaking and sales presentations. As a result, they may experience presentation anxiety, nervous energy, or difficulty navigating a room of decision makers.
Below, we offer five actionable steps you can take to help your SMEs stay calm, confident, and focused during a high-stakes sales pitch:
1. Provide Pre-Presentation Training and Practice Sessions
Preparation is key to helping SMEs stay calm during a sales presentation.
While SMEs know their subject inside and out, they may struggle with conveying this information in a way that resonates with a potential client. Hosting regular practice sessions is the best way to help them get used to presenting. These sessions can involve the entire sales team and simulate real-life B2B scenarios.
In these mock presentations, encourage SMEs to focus on delivering a clear value proposition while addressing the specific needs of the target audience.
Use sales decks and visual aids to support their presentation, ensuring that key points of your presentation are easy to follow. The goal is to help them understand the purpose of a sales pitch: not just to share knowledge but to actively engage potential buyers in a conversation about their pain points.
But Remember, Good Practices Requires a Good Presentation
“Practice makes perfect” is easy enough to understand.
But what many people miss is the simple fact that you need to practice a good presentation. If you practice a terrible presentation, then you’re going to be a terrible presenter!
The focus should be on practicing a well-organized, clear, and impactful presentation that centers on the audience’s concerns, not just showcasing expertise.
By working on a strong, simplified message that directly addresses the prospect’s needs and pain points, SMEs can build the confidence they need. Repetition of a presentation designed around solving the audience’s problems will reduce anxiety and make them feel more at ease when it’s time for the actual face meeting.
The goal is to speak to what matters most to the potential client, ensuring the presentation resonates with their priorities.
2. Develop Clear, Easy-to-Follow Sales Decks of Just Three to Five Key Concepts
SMEs often feel overwhelmed by the pressure to share everything they know during a presentation. As a manager, your next step is to help them simplify the content into a clear, focused sales deck.
Visual aids can serve as an essential tool for guiding SMEs through the presentation without losing the prospect’s attention… But only if they’re built upon the foundation of a great presentation in the first place!
The better organized the presentation is to begin with, the easier it will be for everyone (not just your SMEs) to stay calm during the sales presentation.
When developing a sales deck, it’s important to include only the most pertinent information:
- Focus on three to five key points of your presentation, ensuring the SME doesn’t overload the prospect with too much data
- Emphasize the value proposition and how your product or service solves the prospect’s specific problem
- Focus on solving the customer’s needs, not just the technical features
Having a structured deck gives the SME a “roadmap” that can guide them through the sales pitch example without feeling lost or overwhelmed. This preparation allows for better control of emotions and a more successful sales pitch.
3. Teach Breathing and Relaxation Techniques to Help with Pre-Presentation Jitters
Every member of your presentation team contributes to the pitch, like the wheels on a truck.
And if one of those wheels gives out, it could be a disaster. In the same way that a truck can’t run smoothly with a damaged wheel, a presentation team can’t deliver a great sales pitch if one of its members falters under pressure. If even one of your “wheels” isn’t able to withstand the pressure of the pitch, the entire presentation risks veering off course.
The reality is that you may have a group of SMEs who are amazing at what they do but very inexperienced in giving presentations. So, while you might not be able to make up for experience in a short period of time, what you can do is help them with practical techniques to calm their nerves.
One such trick is diaphragmatic breathing techniques. Teaching SMEs how to take deep breaths before and during a presentation can help regulate their heart rate and control their flight response:
- Reduces stress levels: Diaphragmatic breathing helps to calm nerves, lowering the symptoms of anxiety like shaky hands or a racing heart.
- Improves body language: When SMEs feel in control of their breathing, their body language becomes more relaxed and confident, making a stronger impression on the audience.
- Increases focus: Deep breathing allows SMEs to center their thoughts, preventing nervous energy from taking over and helping them to focus on the task at hand.
- Creates a calm attitude: With regular practice, breathing exercises instill a sense of calm that SMEs can carry into any sales presentation, resulting in a more confident delivery.
4. Encourage the Use of Personal Stories and Case Studies
Personal stories and case studies are excellent ways to make a sales pitch more engaging while reducing anxiety for SMEs.
Instead of focusing purely on technical details, encourage your SMEs to share personal experiences or success stories that showcase how your product or service has benefited other clients.
Using real case studies not only builds social proof but also shifts the focus away from the SME’s fear of public speaking. It’s easier for SMEs to tell a good story about a previous client or their own experience than to recite sales data. This approach also allows them to present in a way that feels more natural and relatable to the prospect.
Preparing your SMEs with some stories to present as part of the sales pitch will help them feel more at ease, communicate to the prospect how their needs will be solved, and requires very little memorization.
This storytelling approach leads to a more compelling sales pitch and often brings about better results.
5. Build Rapport Before the Presentation to Create Real-Time Support
When training new public speakers, one of my favorite pieces of advice is to have them look for a smiling face in the crowd. The reason is that, when it feels like you have someone “rooting for you,” it helps you feel more at ease.
But in a B2B sales presentation, the audience often consists of decision makers who may not provide the kind of visible, positive feedback that would help calm an inexperienced presenter.
Therefore, it can be difficult for subject matter experts (SMEs) to gauge how they’re being received when they’re met with blank stares or neutral expressions. At worst, it can even heighten anxiety during the presentation.
The Hidden Benefit of Showing Up Early
To counter this, one of the best ways to create real-time support for your SME is by encouraging them to arrive early and engage in conversation with potential clients before the presentation begins.
Building rapport with the audience ahead of time allows the SME to establish a connection, making the presentation feel like a continuation of a friendly conversation rather than a formal sales pitch to strangers. This approach helps alleviate some of the nervous energy by making the situation feel more familiar and relaxed.
By establishing a connection early, your SME will have friendly faces in the room they can look to for subtle feedback, like a nod or smile, that can reinforce their confidence. Plus, if your group is the only one taking the time to converse, it might just help you stay top of mind when it matters most.
At the end of the day, being proactive about rapport-building is an essential tool for helping your SME feel more comfortable and supported during the presentation, even when the formal part of the pitch begins. This helps create a more natural and confident delivery, leading to a more successful sales pitch overall.
Staying Calm During a Sales Presentation Is All About the Training Leading Up to It
Helping SMEs stay calm during a B2B sales presentation requires a mix of preparation, support, and practical techniques. By providing pre-presentation training, developing clear sales decks, teaching relaxation techniques, encouraging storytelling, and offering real-time support, you can help your SMEs overcome presentation anxiety and deliver a confident, effective sales pitch.
Incorporating these best practices will not only help your SMEs manage their stress level but also lead to more compelling sales interactions with potential customers. With regular practice and the right tools, your SMEs will have an easier time presenting, resulting in more closed sales deals and long-term success.
