Following is certainly one of the shortest, yet most effective sales lessons I have received.  I received this lesson at the very beginning of my career while chatting with a friend who was also in a sales role and I still use it every time I am developing a new presentation or troubleshooting a current sales process.

The lesson: "So what?"

How to put this lesson in to effect.  When making a statement about your service or product imagine that your customer follows up with the question: "So what ?"  If your statement has not yet reached the core of what you customer will find beneficial about your service, answering this (imagined) question will help you to get to the point.

People buy "benefits".  Testing your presentation with this technique will uncover if you are a bit too focussed on "features" and not on the "benefits".  Obviously, for this to work you will need to know the specific benefits that your prospect is seeking.

 For example (assuming a toning/weight loss goal):

"Here is our weight training area. Is is filled with the latest, state of the art, resistance training equipment. ("Feature") 

(Imagine the prospect saying: "So what?")  An effective well designed resistance training program will help you to build muscle and increase your lean body mass.

(So what...?)  By building some muscle your body will look and feel firmer.  Plus by increasing your metabolism your body will tend to burn more calories when you are active and even inactive - making it easier to reduce body fat and then keep it off. You will look and feel great and it will be easier to stay that way!"  (Benefit)

("Ahhh! That sounds great".)

By checking your presenation with "So what" you can be assured that you will always get to the real value/benefit that your customer is seeking. 

Following on from there you then may want to think about how your presentation is structured so that you get to the benefit sooner and more consisely.  There'll be more on this next time with, "Lead with the benefit".