If it’s appropriate to thank the host organization or the program organizer, by all means do so, particularly if you’d like to be invited back.  An e-mail message the next day is OK, but a hand written thank-you note has more impact.  You might also ask that person how they felt the presentation went.

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If possible, ask someone who was there for a critique. He or she may view the presentation differently than you do.  What was it like from the audience perspective?  Was your message clear and concise?  Were there other things that should have been addressed?

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If you have access to a means of recording your speech, record it and listen critically to the playback. Are you using good vocal dynamics?  Are you speaking too slowly or too fast? Are the pauses in the right places?

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Even if there’s no formal Q&A following your presentation, you should always be prepared for questions that may arise.  You might need to answer some clarifying questions as you go along.  If you’ve done your homework and know your subject, you should be able to predict the likely questions.

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What is the purpose of your speech?  Do you want to inform or persuade? What message do you want to impart?  Try to summarize your central message in one to three sentences. If you can’t do that, you need to further refine the message. Keep it concise and to-the-point.

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A question you should ask is, “What are the criteria upon which you’re going to make this decision?” Prospects tend to have a checklist they run through when making decisions. You need to know what is on their checklist.

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To take control, ask great questions. Questions that are insightful. Questions that help you be a better resource. Questions that they don’t typically hear from salespeople. You will impress prospects by the questions you ask, not the things you say.

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The number one reason salespeople fail to receive referrals is that they do not set goals. It is imperative that you set a goal for the number of referrals you want to receive per week or per month.     

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When times are good, or when you are busy closing deals, there is a tendency to ease up on, or even stop, prospecting. This will cause too many up and down sales cycles. Always stay disciplined with prospecting.

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Each “Best in Class” sales organization has a sales system that is instrumental to its success. It may be one that they created themselves, or it could be a system created by a sales development organization. What system are you using?

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