23 Dec SHOULD YOU BE THE FIRST OR LAST PRESENTER?

I am often asked this question: If a buyer gives you the choice to be the first, middle, or last seller to present your proposed solution to the evaluation team, which should you choose?

Conventional wisdom suggests that one should try to be the final presenter when the buyer reviews several suppliers. Many sales trainers say it is to your advantage to be the last presenter. The thinking is that the buyers will remember what was most recently presented to them when they decide. This strategy has an element of validity because buyers may forget the key points you pointed out during your meeting, especially if there has been a lapse in time or, worse if they scheduled several on the same day.

However, I always preferred to be the first presenter so I could set the bar for the others to meet and set the competitors up (without mentioning them by name) by emphasizing our strengths and their disadvantages—weaknesses that competitors then must overcome in their presentations after mine. Another reason to be first is that buyers often choose their first or strongest choice to present before the others.

I call my strategy “the Secretariat” approach after the dominant thoroughbred horse that won the Triple Crown in 1973. Secretariat usually sprinted to be the front-runner at the race’s outset and never gave up the lead.

However, I advise avoiding getting stuck in the middle of a sequence of presenters if you can (for example, second of three), as the buyer will usually remember and be influenced more by the first or last presenter. I have seen sellers call in sick on the day of the presentation to have their scheduled time changed.  I do not recommend this, as it will damage their credibility with the prospect. They will likely understand what you are doing. Once you lose the credibility and trust of the buyer, it is almost impossible to regain them.

One note of caution: do not present too early in the process; otherwise, you will have given it your best shot before the buyer is prepared to receive it.

I advise never agreeing to a situation where all sellers present to the buying team on the same day.  Then, it becomes a random beauty contest, and they might select the seller with the slickest marketing material or the best-looking salespeople. Usually, the time allowed for the presentation is limited, and there is no time to interact with the evaluation team either before or after the presentation. The buyers will not remember which seller said what or which had the solution that appeared to be the best fit for the company.  If the seller tells you that you either participate in this arrangement or be excluded, I will choose the latter, unless you want to give a new salesperson that you are training some low-risk experience. The buyer is telling the sellers that they are unwilling to invest the necessary time to do an adequate evaluation and thoroughly research each alternative. I suggest you let the buyer know they must make a corresponding investment in time if they expect you to do so. So, I would consider such situations a waste of valuable selling time.  A nice “thank you, but no thank you” email should be sent to your contact.

In summary, the sequence of when you choose to present to the buyer should be part of your overall sales strategy and approached differently for each buyer.

Adapted from: Steven Weinberg, Above Quota Performance (Estes Park, CO: Armin Lear Press, 2022), pp. 230-231.