Good references and social-media outreach help find good prospects – but a top-notch presentation helps seal the deal and earn new clients.

Here are the four keys:

1. Know your goal: Is it all about making a good first impression? Are you setting the stage for a deal? Be realistic about what the next steps are and where your prospect is in the process.

2. Differentiate your offer: Prospects balk at cookie-cutter presentations with financial jargon. Learn about your prospect’s priorities and style. Key: Wherever possible, offer them solutions that the competition can’t.

3. Hammer home when you’ll follow up: Your best bet is offering at least two days so the prospect can digest the info you’ve presented. More than two days may be necessary in some cases. Just be clear about when you will follow up – and don’t disappoint.

Tags: deal making, new clients, presentations, prospects, sealing deals