sales presentations guidelines

Sales Presentation: The Definitive Guide (2023)

This is the ultimate guide to making KILLER sales presentations.

So if you want more sales, you’re going to love the actionable tips, strategies and examples in this infographic and guide. Use them to prepare, structure and deliver solid sales presentations that bring you more business, step-by-step.

Let’s dive right in…

The Definitive Guide to Killer Sales Presentations

Here are the different sections that will be covered in the article:

😈  Part 0. The #1 Thing You Must Remember . If there’s one thing you should takeaway from this article, it’s this one. This is the mindset behind selling. Start here, it’ll only take you 20 seconds to read (Yes, I counted).

🤟  Part 1. The Anatomy of a Perfect Sales Presentation . In this infographic, you’ll learn the 7 ingredients you need to plan and structure the perfect sales presentation, from start to finish..

🤩  Part 2. How to Design High Impact Presentations . When you have no time, no budget and no special design talent.

🧐  Part 3. In-Deep Strategies . These are meeting-room tested techniques, action steps and (real world) examples you can swipe in your own presentations. I recommend you to start with the infographic, and then move on to this part.

🤔  Part 4. Q&A . How long should your sales deck be? How do you structure/prepare/design/end a presentation? Here are the most common questions business professionals are asking themselves, answered.

The #1 Thing You Must Remember

Hear me out:

This is the best sales advice you’ll hear today.

Nobody cares about you.

Your prospects don’t care about you.

They care about themselves. And they care about what you can do for them in order to solve their problems.

So here’s your takeaway:

A sales presentation is a persuasive demonstration to prospective buyers in order to make a sale.

And the key to making persuasive sales presentations is to demonstrate that your offering, either a product or a service, will help your prospects get more of what they want.

(I’ll have powerful techniques showing you how to do exactly that later in this post…)

PART 1 The Anatomy of A Perfect Sales Presentation

This infographic will walk you through the 7 components of successful sales presentations. I advise you to read the infographic first, and then move on to the detailed strategies later in this guide.

PART 2 How to Design Stunning Sales Presentations When You Have No Time, No Budget (And No Design Talent) 👏

Easy-to-edit, designer-made templates allow non-designers to create beautiful, professional-looking presentations.

Top performers know that presentations can have a huge impact on their business. Because the truth is, when you start deliver top-tier business materials, you’re able to:

• Present clean slides that grab – and keep – people’s attention (adios text-heavy, 90’s clipart slides that put everyone to sleep).
• Confidently expressing ideas, concepts and messages with visual elements. Because, yes, you know that those who use visual aids are 43% more persuasive than those who don’t.
• Wow your prospects, get them to walk away knowing you’re the pros and eliminating other options.

Introducing PPTPACK, a premium presentation template pack that works in the real world

Maybe you’re a business professional, a sales rep, or an early-stage founder… And the truth is, you probably don’t have the time to improve your presentation design skills.

And who could blame you…

You’ve got 99 other things to do:

• Preparing for your next webinar
• Crafting business proposals
• Executing your annual strategy
• Planning for your next fundraising roundHiring a team

But here’s the kicker:

If you’re reading this, you already know something many people don’t:

Memorables presentations can unlock opportunities.

Whether that’s winning new clients, convincing investors, or persuading your boss to approve your strategic plan.

Yes, beautiful, clean, and clear slides can help you get your message across and make an amazing impression.

I know it, because I’ve done it.

And that’s why I’ve created PPTPACK, a premium slide template that includes fully editable slides, graphics, and illustrations you can customize to build gorgeous presentations. In a fraction of the time it takes others.

My name is Clemence Lepers. I’ve been making presentations for over 10 years. I’ve done presentations at every scale, and know exactly what you can focus on to get the best results possible with your limited amount of time.

And that knowledge is all wrapped up in this presentation template.

Introducing Pre-Built Presentation Templates…

With pre-built templates , you get your hands on a massive stash of fully editable resources – slides, icons, graphics, timelines, maps and so on – to build result-getting presentations. At a fraction of the time it takes to others.

And the good news is, these PowerPoint templates cost as little as the price of a movie ticket.

So if you’ve been looking to create winning sales presentations (because you know that’s what will set you apart from everyone else), then check out my two favorite templates below, and start saving time so you can focus on things that really matter to you.

Marketofy Template

Marketofy presentation template is especially useful for:

Corporate presentations – for prospects, investors or stakeholders Business proposals or briefs Customer/data reports

Key Features

• Lots of unique slides (390 for  PowerPoint , 200 for  Keynote  and  Google slides ). Includes slides to present business objectives, company services, marketing strategy, product launch, process, maps, devices, apps, and much more
• 24 ready-made color themes (6 for the Keynote version)
• Dark & light versions (light background slides or dark background slides)
• Drag-and-drop photo placeholders (drag any visual from your folder, and it will take the exact shape of the placeholder)
• Dozen of graphs and charts (to concisely present data-rich information)
• 2,500 icons

See Marketofy PowerPoint Template

Massive X Template

With countless design options, practical slides and a recent bundle update, Massive X toke the business of presentation templates to a whole new level of professionalism and creativity.

Here’s a quick video that’ll give you an overview of their latest bundle:

Now, what I love about Massive X  (beyond the  hundreds  of beautiful, professional slides they’re offering) is their 100% editable illustrations:

Massive X’s illustrations are made out of multiple, individual elements that are then put together.

And you can edit the color, size and shape of every single one.

These are the exact graphics I’ve used to illustrate the different sections of this guide.

• 290 unique PowerPoint slides
• Animated slides
• 12,000 icons
• 15 color variations

See Massive X Template For PowerPoint

PART 3 In-Depth Strategies, Tips & Examples to Prepare the Perfect Sales Presentation

In this chapter, I’ll break down in small chunks the 7 components of successful sales decks.

This section includes concrete steps, practical strategies, techniques, scripts and examples to help you prepare and structure your sales decks for maximum impact.

Click a section below to be taken to one of the strategies:

1. A stellar cover slide 2. Your value proposition [what do you do] 3. A powerful story [who are you and what makes you special] 4.  Identify customer problems [do you understand me] 5. Provide them solutions [what do you offer that solves my problems] 6. Proofs [how do I believe you?] 7. Call-to-action [What happens next]

This editable illustration can be found in here

1. Use These 2 Steps to Design a Great Cover Slide For Your Sales Deck

Think of your  cover slide as the packaging of a product.

The title slide is the first thing your prospects will see. If it sucks, you’re sending a bad signal before having even started to talk. But, wait, don’t take my word for it:

Studies  suggested that the packaging design elements have an influence on choosing, getting attracted, like, purchase the product and considering packaging as a brand promotion vehicle.

Cover Slide Examples

Action steps, 👉 pick your background visual.

To pick the perfect picture, answer this 2-step question:

First, what product/service do my company offer? Then, what tangible element can I associate my offering to?

Here are a few examples:

SEO services -> computer (or web traffic, web page, macbook) Furniture design -> sofa (or armchair, cabinet, chair, home design) Management consulting -> office building (or business people, meeting, investors)

Now, head over to Pexels or another awesome free stock photo website . Select a few pictures that closely relate to the identified keyword. If you can’t chose between your options, ask 2-3 colleagues which one they prefer, and go for the most popular option. Done.

👉 Embed Your Headline

You want to make it crystal clear for your prospect what your sales deck is all about. There is not one right way to write that headline, but to simplify the process for you, I recommend using the following structure:

[ Helping + Specific Target Audience + Outcome ]

For instance:

Helping Plastic Surgeons Get More Patients With SEO. Helping F&B Businesses Getting More Customers With Social Media. Amazing Events People Will Remember !

Real-world business taglines:

Video solutions for every type of business. Wista. Get, keep and grow more customers. Kissmetrics.

⚡ Bottom line : Great cover slides make it crystal clear what it’s all about. It’s a no brainer.

2. Apply The “VP Formula” To Craft The Perfect Value Proposition

So… what is your company doing?

A value proposition defines the kind of value you will create for your customers ( source ). It’s basically the primary reason a prospect should buy from you .  In a nutshell , your value proposition is a clear statement that:

• Explains how your product solves customers’ problems or improves their situation
• Delivers specific benefits (quantified value),
• Tells the ideal customer why they should buy from you and not from the competition (unique differentiation)”.

On  pitch decks :

1) Identify Who Your Business is Targeting  

First, check out # 2 tip of that article  to learn how to do just that. Then,  list the exact benefits and results your products/services provide to customers ( Check out # 5 tip of this post )

2) Put Everything Together Using the “VP” Formula

Get six pack abs in 3 months, even if you’ve never worked out before. Flood your inbox with job offers, even if you have zero network. Build landing pages fast, get more conversions. Unbounce .

3) Include a Slide That Clearly States Your Value Proposition

⚡ Tweet This Sales Presentation Building Tip ! 

3. Use These Proven Techniques To Develop The Outline Sales Presentation

Stories create “sticky” memories by attaching emotions to things that happen. As a result, effective stories capture and hold our attention. They also help us learn and connect us with strangers .

To craft a good story ,  for talking about your company or your products, you need three basic elements:

🤬 Conflict . Conflict is basically our expectation vs. the cold reality. The conflict is here to let your audience know why they should care about the characters in your story.  In the case of a sales presentation, characters could be clients you’ve worked with, and the conflict could be between what your clients couldn’t do before using your product… and what they can do now.

🕺 Climax . In order to present a good narrative, you should develop the problem and the characters who are bound up in it.  What are your target customers struggling with?  You must understand their exact hopes and pains.

😘 Resolution . The character solves the main problem/conflict or someone (aka you, the company) solves it for him or her.

Technique #1: Use These Frames To Sell Stories 

P roblem : current situation faced by your audience. Do you suffer from/Sick of being… R elief : how it can change . It doesn’t have to be that way/there’s a solution… D ream : your solution. Imagine if you could…how your life would be if you could…

P rotagonist : climate change / tiny farmers providing food to restaurants C onflict : how climate change affects the growing season” R esolution :  policies that should be in place + how people in other areas are mitigating the effects of climate change on local resources.  Source .

If you take a close look at Airbnb’s first pitch deck  , there’s clearly a conflict between what the market is offering (standard hotels that leave you disconnected from the local culture) and what people are willing to do (book a room through a local host, become one, find cheaper, authentic accommodations).

The “cold reality” (what the market was offering BEFORE Airbnb came in):

The “expectations” (what happens AFTER Airbnb arrives in the market):

Technique #2: Apply The IBC Framework

Introduction : what is it all about and why should your audience care Body : it distills your message and supportive points Conclusion : focus on the outcomes of the presentation, include a specific call-to-action

Let’s take a look at an example of a deck pitching SaaS project management services:

Introduction : the problem behind getting all teams on the same page today Body : how ABC company project management solutions will help you solve that problem Conclusion : different options on the market, why our works best, how can we start working together

Technique #3: Use the Liking Principle

According to psychology professor Robert Cialdini,  we prefer to say yes to those we know and like .

It’s the liking principle:

We like those who are similar to us, give us complements, and cooperate with us toward common goals.  So how do you apply that when it comes to talking about YOU….

Well, you need to get personal. And of course, help your customers feel connected to you.

To do that, appear vulnerable. Emphasize on the stories of your team members. Talk about what they like, what they don’t. You can even mention their hobbies or favorite foods for instance (yes, really) in order to appear human .

Recommended reading:

• Health, Chip and Dan. 2010. Made to Stick . A solid book that teaches you how to better communicate ideas, on the basic of the S.U.C.C.E.S. framework:  in order to make an idea sticky, it has to be simple, unexpected, concrete, credible, emotional, and tell a story.
• Freytag’s pyramid .  German novelist saw common patterns in the plots of stories and novels and developed a diagram to analyze them. See  this quick example of Freytag’s principles applied to the movie TAKEN .
• Joe Gebbia – Airbnb Story (Video)
• University of Berkeley. Robert Cialdini’s Principles of Persuasion.

List What Makes Your Company & Co-Workers Special (and Worth to Work With)

How do I like to present my company to people who don’t know us?

What do our paying customers love about us? (service, team, process, turnaround, product…and why exactly?)

✅ Why do you want to help your target customers? ✅ How did you get involved in this industry/project? ✅ How did you come up with your product/service? ✅ What problem are you trying to solve? ✅ What questions do customers get to ask you all the time? ✅ Why are you passionate about your work?

🤟 Tweet This Technique 

4. PinPoint Your Prospect’s Pains, Challenges & Dreams

Don’t kick off your pitch talking about anything that’s related to yourself. Instead, start with giving context.

Technique #1: Show Them What They Can be

Your products and services are nothing more than a tool that enables your prospects to achieve their dreams. So here’s the thing: your goal here is to HELP them visualize what it would feel like if he could fulfill all his dreams.

For instance, name a trend that’s going on in your prospect’s industry.   To quote Andy Raskin…

“When you highlight a shift in the world, you get prospects to open up about how that shift affects them, how it scares them, and where they see opportunities. Most importantly, you grab their attention”.

Here are two real-world examples:

Technique #2: Hit Them Where it Hurts, Highlight The Problem

95% of our purchase decision making takes place in the subconscious mind. If you want to have emotional resonance with your prospect, you must show him you understand with pains and problems.

If you recall Airbnb’s first pitch deck example, you understand that the start up had deeply identified the pain points of its market before offering solutions that made sense.

To Identify the Pain Points of Your Clients, Answer the Following Questions:

✅ What are their pain points? What do they struggle with?  (i.e. flat sales, low online visibility, etc). ✅ What are your customer’s top 3 priorities and how do they measure success? (i.e. increase sales by x%…) ✅ How does the “Promised land” looks like for them?

To find out trends or key figures related to your prospect’s industry, use these search strings on Google:

“Industry” + report + inurl:[name of a famous consulting company] (Bain, BCG, McKinsey) Example: “Retail industry” + report + inurl:accenture

5. Tie Your Offer To Specific Benefits They’re Looking For

Now, you’re going to demonstrate how your solution will help the prospect get rid of his problems and fulfill his dreams.  Your single focus here will be to give out information that benefits to them .

You see, customers buy because they want benefits (and the results that come with them). For that reason, they don’t give a crap about your features unless it helps them understand how it gets them results they care about.

I’ll give you a few examples:

Features = Things (that Porsche 911 GT2 RS) Benefits = Results that come from doing these things (get girls)

Features = A 20-slide persuasive sales presentation Benefits = Impress prospects, get your message across, close more sales

Features = a detailed web analytics audit and health checkup Benefits = we help you identify where your website is leaking money, create optimized treatments and run optimization tests in order to help you increase your revenue.

Here’s how you should approach this when crafting your presentation:

[Company] helps you with [product name, feature, deliverable] so you can [benefit].

See how Facebook is tying a product’s feature with core benefits their clients care about:

Feature: target reach Benefit: reach all the people who matter to you

1) List the Exact Features of Your Product/Service (= What it Does)

A 20-slide persuasive deck A 16-week one-on-one coaching program A 3-month SEO package

2) List the Tangible Benefits Your Customers Get From Using Your Product/Service

For instance, you could help them…

✅ Look sexier –> fashion, muscle building ✅ Become richer –>wealth consultants ✅ More popular –> weight loss programs ✅ Be the first –> SEO services ✅ Make their life comfortable –> interior design ✅ Have more freedom –> project software ✅ Save money –> insurance company etc…

3) Connect 1 + 2 Using Linking Words (So You Can / Will Help You / Will Give You)

Let’s take a look at a concrete example below.

1) Features . Do-it-at-home bodyweight exercises 2) Benefits . Build muscle to speed up weight loss without spending money on a gym 3) Linking it . We provide you 12 step-by-step videos that will show you do-it-at-home bodyweight exercises [ so you can ] build muscle without spending money on an expensive gym membership.

🤟 Tweet This Sales Presentation Technique 

6. Here’s How To Make Them Believe You…

Of course, every sales rep under the sun says their company offers amazing products.

But for most prospects, you’re just another sleazy sales dude trying to push products or services that won’t provide any value to them.

Your goal as a presenter is to help them overcome their objections: your sales deck must demonstrate that you are able to get your customers the results you claim .

The best way to do it?

Educate your customers (instead of “selling” them).

In other words, convey information that benefits to them.

Here are four practical ways to do it:

Incorporate Expert, Research-Backed Data

Here are pieces of evidence (aka facts, not opinions) you can include in your sales deck:

✅ Expert quotes : what your industry key influencers have to say about <your industry>, <trends>, <products>, <you>.

✅ Research data : check out .edu websites, magazines and research journals that release data, insights angled toward the market you are serving. Use the following search strings on Google: site: .edu + <keyword> or intitle: research journal + <keyword>.

✅ Competitor analysis : in which specific aspect of your business are you better than your competition? Process, service, quality, price, support, results? Find data that makes your product/service better than your competitor.  You could make a table listing yours vs. your competitor’s key features and benefits in order to show how you are better than them.

Show Case Studies (Before & After)

Case studies are a unique angle you can use to educate your prospects  and show them what they can be, thanks to your product/service.

Look, case studies are  everywhere :

Here, another example extracted from the deck Facebook For Business: Video On Facebook

Check out Facebook’s note below:

“OBJECTIVE:

Wanted to boost brand loyalty and drive viewership of its Ramadan Holiday video

Launched a combined TV and FB campaign 4 videos showcasing banks reverence of traditional Saudi values Two Reach Blocks guaranteed that the ads reached the entire Saudi Facebook audience that logged in that day.

Strong uplift in brand awareness generated by Facebook campaign as found through Bank Albilad’s own internal study. “Facebook increased our brand loyalty given the valued interaction between our audience and us. This platform, Facebook, was one of the main channels for such a campaign and it will remain a crucial platform for future campaigns.” Mohammed R. Abaalkheil, Head of Marcom Division, Bank Albilad”.

Specifically Address Their Objections 

There are 5 major categories of objections : need / price / product / source / time.

Consequently, your job is to address the typical fears that are driving it. To succeed doing that, you have to provide concrete answers these questions:

He doesn’t get me It worked for others but won’t work for me How can I be a 100% sure this works I don’t like/trust/believe him We can find the same thing for free/cheaper elsewhere I can buy later It’s too expensive What happens after I accept their offer

Ask For Customer Testimonials (The Right Way)

According to Nielsen , testimonials & word of mouth are the driving force behind 20 to 50% of all purchasing decisions.

In order to get awesome customer testimonials, you need to ask the right  questions.  Here’s a solid set of questions you should ask every client:

What hesitations did you have about working with me? Which changes have you noticed since working with me? What specifically did you like the best about working together? How have you benefited from hiring our company? Would you recommend my company o a colleague or a friend? If so, why?

⚡ Bottom line : educate your customers, don’t sell them.

Get them to say “Wow! I didn’t know that”.

Incorporable rock-solid customer testimonials, research-backed data in order to teach them something they may not have known. That’ll get them to believe it for themselves, and create trust.

🤟 Tweet This Smart Technique 

7. Integrate a Strong Call-to-Action

A call to action is a simple command that directs customers to take some sort of action (buy, sign up, or start a free trial). Here are a few specific examples:

Be Laser-Focused On Your Audience

You can’t reasonably want to “close a $150,000 deal in the meeting room today if it’s the first time you’re discussing with the prospect.

In other words, make sure you call-to-action is aligned with the situation. If it’s the first time you’re meeting the prospect, you could target to agree to set up the date for the 2nd meeting. If you’re negotiating a contract, you could get the prospect to agree getting back to you with their feedback within 2 weeks.

PART 4 Q&A. Your Most Frequent Questions, Answered.

Here are the most common questions business people ask themselves when it comes to making better sales presentations.

⚡ What Are the Objectives of a Sales Presentation?

What is your  (realistic) goal for this sales presentation?

You can either be looking to inform, educate or persuade your prospects and clients. And the answer will depend on the level of relationship you’ve established with them (If it’s the first time you meet, “closing the sale” might not be the appropriate answer).

Here are a few examples of objectives you could come up with (the more specific, the better):

I’m doing this sales pitch to…

Understand X, Y and Z aspects of the prospect’s business in order to draft a proposal that’s relevant to his expectations. Introduce a new growth opportunity we’ve identified for [company] and get their feedback on it. Build a relationship with a new prospect (so two years from now he wants to purchase from us).

⚡  How Should I Prepare My Pitch Presentation?

Let’s face it:

Prospects want to know whether you can help them get more of what they want.

Do research on those 5 aspects:

Who are your target customers, specifically? What are their hopes, fears and dreams? How much do they know about the solution what you’re trying to sell them? Is their market share growing, steady or declining? Which channels do they use to use to reach, acquire and retain their customers?

Plus, here are important question marks you should be able to answer:

⚡ What is the Best Slide Deck Structure?

The basic structure of any sales presentation includes 4 key points: 1) the problem faced by your prospect 2) the dream solution (the results they’re after), 3) how your company helps them get what they want  (the benefits and results you offer) and 4) reasons why the prospect should chose you over your competitors.

⚡ How Can I Improve My Sales Presentation Design?

If you’re starting from sub-zero  (or want to educate yourself better than 80% of the people out there),  check out this post . It breaks down 100+ simple, practical presentation tips to help you plan, design and deliver unforgettable presentations.

If you’re looking for practical design tips , head over to this guide  where I list 21 simple slide design tips to help you make better decks fast.

Want to craft a more creative deck ? Check out this post . It includes actionable techniques to help you design creative presentations within minutes (with free templates, lessons and resources).

⚡ Where Can I Grab Business Images For My Presentation?

Right here (free)

⚡ How Should I Open/Start My Presentation?

Most audiences will give you only 30-60 seconds to convince them they want to listen to you.

As a result, your introduction is the most important part of your presentation because it will directly affect whether they want to hear more about what you have to say (or not). To that end, your presentation opening needs to accomplish four things:

1. Get the audience interested in the presentation 2. Build rapport 3. Establish credibility 4. Tell the audience what the presentation is going to provide them

Use the GTS (give them something) formula to get your audience’s excited about what they’ll be able to do or know by the end of your pitch:

Today, I’m going to show you [ statement that benefits your audience ]. By the end of this presentation, you will [ result they’re interested in ].

Today, I’m going to show you how you can use conversion optimization to triple your sales in less than 6 months.

⚡ What Questions Should I Ask the Prospect?

Can you help you understand how you measure success in regards with [topic]? What do you want to achieve, specifically? This year? Mid-term, long-term?) Tell us about your business in one sentence? What makes you different? What are your client’s biggest problems and aspirations? (Visualize what matters to them) What delights your customers about your product? Does our offering make sense for your world? Could you see this applying to you? Can we agree on [proposed next steps after the meeting]?

⚡ How to End/Close a Sales Deck?

If you’re sending the file through email, include a slide with a call-to-action enticing them to contact you, and give them your contact info.

If you’re having a meeting, summarize orally your understanding of customer’s goals and needs, and how you can help them achieve those goals. Also make sure to propose, and agree on the next steps. For instance:

“Would that work with you if we send you a recap of this meeting, the additional elements we talked about, and follow up within a week of time?”

⚡ How Long Should My Presentation Last?

After having conducted an experiment , Dr. Maureen Murphy at the University of North Texas (UNT) said that:

“If a presentation that had 20 minute segments with short breaks in between, the people enjoyed the 20-minute chunked presentations more than a 60 minute presentation, learned more information immediately after, and retained more information a month later”.

She concluded:

“See if you can build in some kind of change every 20 minutes. For maximum learning you want a break every 20 minutes, as opposed to just a change of topic….Instead of taking one long break, take several short ones”.

Here’s my take on this study:

Break down your sales meeting in 20-minute chunks. For instance:

Chunk 1) Understand your prospect’s business. Ask him questions. Get insights. Chunk 2) Introduce your product/service offerings. Which is long enough for your prospects to understand clearly how your product/service can help them.

⚡ Can You Show Me Some Solid Sales Presentation Examples?

Check out this post where you’ll get 20+ real-world sales deck examples.

⚡ How Can I Improve My Current Sales Deck?

Then, equip yourself a professional, ready-to-use presentation template that’ll help you put together a great sales deck fast (and at the fraction of what a designer would cost you).

See, you’re smart enough to know you could spend that time on more strategic, higher level activities that actually move the needle (like tweaking your value proposition, challenging your business strategy or fine tuning your pitch).

And the truth is, you don’t have to spend a huge amount of time on designing, editing and arranging those slides for your high-stake, upcoming sales presentation:

Most templates include everything you need, from gorgeous, easy-to-edit slides and icons to charts and ready-made color themes.

For instance, I’ve used the fully editable graphics of Massive X , one of my favorite templates, to illustrate this presentation guide.

The Massive X PowerPoint Template

Here’s a quick intro video of their latest bundle:

Now, what I love about this bundle  (beyond the hundreds of beautiful, professional slides they’re offering) is their 100% editable illustrations:

And the great news is, Massive X comes with a  ton  of editable illustrations you can use for multiple purposes:

Use them to illustrate your sales presentation slides and get your point across more effectively.

Now, let’s take a look into the details of the bundle…

😍 Key Features

Not sure about what templates can do for you?

No worries, maybe you’d like to see my  detailed review of the best presentation templates available on the market  below.

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The Most Persuasive Sales Presentation Structure of All

Updated: January 28, 2020

Published: April 13, 2017

If you’ve ever sat through a presentation that went around the block a few times before finally arriving at its destination, you understand the need for a clear, comprehensible structure for your message.

Structure isn’t just for keeping you, the presenter, from getting lost in the weeds. As a salesperson, you need to organize your message in a way that has the greatest impact on your audience and ultimately encourages them to take action.

Almost any structure will help you get your arms around information, prioritize, and organize it. However, the right structure can set you up for success and increase your odds of winning the business.

The Basic Three-Act Presentation Structure

Breaking content into an opening , a body , and a conclusion is the basis of most presentations, movies, TV shows, and speeches. This basic three-act structure was invented by Aristotle and has stood the test of time. It’s familiar to audiences, digestible, and easy to follow. In fact, if you’ve ever felt uncomfortable or confused watching a movie, it’s often because the writer has broken the three-act structure ( Memento and Inception are two examples).

A three-act structure is a great place to start for just about any presentation. But within this framework there are several variations. For instance, you could sort information chronologically, by process, or priority, and so on.

If your goal is to educate or inform, these variations are fine -- but they're not optimal for persuasion. To do use, that the  Situation , Complication , Resolution  framework.

SCR: The Best Sales Presentation Structure of All

Situation, Complication, Resolution is really just a way of identifying:

• Our present state
• The problem
• What should we do about it

First identified in Barbara Minto’s book The Pyramid Principle , the SCR structure is an effective way of establishing a persuasive case and will be familiar to anyone who consumes movies, TV, or books.

Here’s an example of the SCR structure in a story:

Situation : A girl is kidnapped. If a steep ransom is not paid by midnight, a bomb will explode.

Complication : The girl's family can’t get the money together. No one knows where the bomb is except the hero. The hero is stuck on a remote island.

Resolution : The hero jumps on a plane, finds the girl, detonates the bomb, and saves the world.

If that sounds like the framework of most movies you’ve seen, there’s a good reason. The SCR structure organizes content in a way that takes people on a journey that leads to a natural conclusion. It builds up tension in the audience which increases their attention and their desire for a resolution.

By following this proven structure in sales, you can produce the same effect on your business audience. Let’s look at how you can leverage each act in your sales presentation.

To take someone on a journey, you must first know where that journey begins. In this first act, define the status quo. What is the critical business issue or challenge your prospect is experiencing, how is he addressing it, and what is the impact?

This act lays the groundwork for why your prospect needs to change and assures him you have a clear understanding of his situation. Ending this first act by painting a brief picture of where this journey can lead (i.e., current state versus potential future state) creates an uncomfortable but necessary disparity between where your prospect is and where he wants to be.

Complication

In this act, introduce complications or consequences that are likely to arise as a result of your prospect not taking action, or choosing an inadequate solution to his problem. Create tension which will make sticking with the status quo or putting off a decision less desirable.

Because most people are uncomfortable with indecision, tension taps into our innate human desire to solve the problem. Widening the gap between pain and relief increases your prospect’s urgency to take action.

Finally, when tension is at its peak, relieve that tension by providing a clear solution to the problem and making it easy for your prospect to act upon. While many structures require the presenter to deliver a heavy handed close at this point, in the SCR structure, the resolution comes as a natural conclusion to the journey.

The SCR Presentation in Action

Let’s look at how you might use the three-act SCR structure in a business example.

Situation : An HR department is doing most of their reports manually. This currently takes 1.5 days per week of each HR person’s time.

Complication : The company is growing at a rate of 20% per year. Projected HR workload will escalate to two days per week if nothing changes and the chances for errors will increase. Employee satisfaction will decline and turnover rates will go up.

Resolution : Deploy an HR workforce application that will reduce time spent on current processes from 1.5 days per week to .25 days per week, resulting in greater efficiency, fewer errors, increased satisfaction, and a lower turnover rate.

In sales, you need every advantage you can get. Following the Situation, Complication, Resolution structure gives you a jumpstart on presenting a persuasive case for why your prospect should choose your solution and make the desired change.

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23 Foolproof Sales Presentation Tips to Help You Close More Deals

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Are you intimidated by sales presentations and not sure how to best prepare for them?

Should you talk formally or informally? Should you talk about your product, or not talk about your product at all? What are the best practices to ensure every sales presentation results in, well, sales?

You’re not alone. 

Nearly 57% of B2B prospects and customers feel that their sales teams are not prepared for the first meeting.

While sales presentations can seem intimidating the first few times you participate in them, once you get the hang of them and create an efficient, thorough process, you’ll be able to glide through them a lot easier and a lot more successfully.

In this guide, we’re going to discuss,

• What is a sales presentation?
• 6 types of sales pitches and presentations.
• What should be included in a sales presentation?
• 23 sales presentations tips to help you close more deals

So let’s dive right in.

What is a Sales Presentation?

A sales presentation is similar to an in-depth sales pitch where companies promote a product\service they’re trying to sell to potential clients.

However, it’s usually more complicated and comprehensive than a regular sales pitch. There are multiple PowerPoint presentations involved , meetings, and lots of prior prep time to ensure you’re hitting all the right persuasion notes. 

Related : 12 Most Helpful Sales Report Templates for Teams

6 Types of Sales Pitches and Presentations

Contrary to popular opinion, a full sales presentation is not always necessary or even appropriate. Different situations call for different types of sales presentations and different approaches to selling your product\service.

There are several important sales presentations and pitches that all sales representatives and companies should be well versed in. Let’s take a closer look.

• The one-word pitch
• The social media pitch
• The elevator pitch
• A full-blown sales presentation
• Written sales presentations

Related : 42 Free Sales Dashboard Templates For Tracking & Improving Sales Performance

The One Word Pitch 

Can you boil down your brand’s value proposition to one word? Just like Google’s one word is ‘Search’ and Barack Obama’s was ‘Hope’, what’s your brand’s one-word pitch?

The Social Media Pitch

Sales reps using social selling are 50% more likely to meet or exceed their sales quota. 

With over 3.5 billion social media users worldwide, companies need to have a concrete, pithy sales pitch for their social media profiles. One that not only instantly tells your social media followers and potential customers what your brand is all about but can also withstand the test of ever-changing algorithms. 

An elevator pitch is a quick speech that instantly tells your potential clients what your brand’s all about and what solutions you offer.

It works especially well when you’re not formally trying to close deals, such as during networking events and similar functions. It can also be used during cold calls. 

A Full-Blown Sales Presentation

A full sales presentation usually happens in a meeting room with 1 or several clients and includes PowerPoint presentations slides , sales decks, handouts, and a fully prepped team. It also requires a value-heavy pitch, solutions your company is offering, and so on. 

Written Sales Presentations

68% of B2B businesses use landing pages to garner a new sales lead for future conversion. 

Written sales presentations, like landing pages, are getting really popular in this digital-first world. A high-converting written sales presentation usually starts with addressing the problem and presenting its solution, and outlining the benefits of the brand’s product\service. And the best sales pages have several complimentary graphics accompanying the text, as well. 

Webinars are sales presentations conducted via the internet. Usually conducted in real-time, it gives interested prospects the opportunity to get their questions answered on the spot, and similarly, it helps brands persuade prospects to convert.

What Should Be Included In a Sales Presentation?

An effective sales presentation should focus more on the benefits and solutions it offers, instead of its product\service’s features. 

After all, 88% of executive buyers want a conversation, not a presentation

Your sales presentations should also consist of:

• Testimonials from previous clients and customers
• Data, like graphs, charts, quotes, backing up your claims
• Customized content targeted to your prospective client
• A call to action, which usually includes next steps for the clients

Related : SMART Sales Goal Examples from 30+ Sales Professionals

23 Sales Presentation Tips to Help You Close More Deals

Now we’re on the most exciting part – tips and tricks to close more sales deals. To help you ace your next sales presentations, we asked 42 sales pro their best sales presentation tips. 

And here’s what they said.

Express your interest in working together

• Give hard copies of the sales presentation 

Leverage stories

Encourage questions, highlight case studies, make data a part of your presentation, outline your value proposition, follow up with your prospect, prepare yourself and your team, highlight client’s goals.

• Incorporate videos

Drive the no’s

• Don’t hard sell

Prime your prospects before selling

Solve your prospects problems, wear your confidence.

• Personalize it for your client

Know their competitors

Keep it succinct.

• Make it conversational
• Sell your brand, not your product

Demonstrate your product\service

End with a clear cta.

Related : The 37 Sales KPIs Every Sales Leader Should Be Measuring

PRO TIP: How to Set SMART Goals for Your Sales Team’s Performance

To decide which goals meet the SMART criteria, sales managers need to look at sales analytics for their teams and monitor sales KPIs, for example:

• Average Time to Close Deal
• New Deals Amount
• Number of Customers
• Average Revenue per New Customer

Based on these metrics, and in light of other revenue-based and activity-based goals, you can identify and set desired goals for future performance, but how to get this information?

Now you can benefit from the experience of our sales experts, who have put together a great Databox template showing an overview of your sales team’s performance. It’s simple to implement and start using as a standalone dashboard or in sales reports, and best of all, it’s free!

You can easily set it up in just a few clicks – no coding required.

To set up this Sales Analytics Overview Dashboard , follow these 3 simple steps:

Step 1: Get the template 

Step 2: Connect your HubSpot account with Databox. 

Step 3: Watch your dashboard populate in seconds.

“Too often we just assume that, of course, the leads or prospects we’re reaching out to, or following up with, know that of course, we want their business. 

We don’t explicitly tell them, though, and that can be a very powerful thing to do. Something as simple as: ‘I’m really hoping to have the opportunity to work with you ,’ can make a big difference. It’s worked for me!” Explains Linda Pophal of Strategic Communications .

Give hard copies of the sales presentation

Dustin Singer of Dustin Buys Houses shares, “One of our most effective sales presentation techniques for increasing conversions is on top of giving an excellent presentation, we leave the client with a print presentation. This presentation goes into detail about who we are, what we do, how we can help them, the steps and process of working with us, and what next steps would be if they decide to work with us. 

This also includes their offer price, and terms and details of the proposed contract along with all of our contact information. It allows us to leave our sales presentation with them, so if they don’t convert over the initial meeting, we impress them with important information for the client to refer to as we work them through the sales funnel. 

We’ve received feedback about how our print presentations presented us as more professional than our competitors, and they felt more comfortable with working with us because of it.”

You can also turn that hard copy into an engagement exercise for your prospects. 

As Jeff Brandeis of Brandeis Training Solutions explains, “When presenting remotely, we typically provide a PDF that has incomplete sentences. We encourage people to fill in the blanks. People remember things when they write things down. Providing them a template to fill in separates our presentation from others.”

“Tell a story. No one wants to listen to stats on every slide. And your prospects can see right through your ‘visualize success’ ideas.

Instead, include a narrative with characters, setting, and plot. Make sure your prospects can empathize with the character. THEY need to be the hero—not you.” Says TJ Kelly of FreeDrumlineBeats.com .

Bradley Keys of PatchMD explains why stories work so well. “Stories give us an emotional connection, and it will be more effective if it is relatable to their situation. Share stories about how your products worked successfully for your clients. It is one of the leading sales strategies to help you improve your presentation and close deals. Statistics are useful, but make sure that it is not overwhelming – they are easily forgotten. Learn to play emotions when presenting as it helps to become more personal.” Shares Keys.

Nathan Binford of MarketChorus explains the benefits of using The Challenger Sale, a sales presentation methodology based on selling through constructive tension. 

“Learn and use a sales presentation methodology like The Challenger Sale to craft a compelling narrative every time you build a pitch. I’m a big fan of The Challenger Sale specifically because it forces you to ‘walk in your prospect’s shoes’ and emphasizes the importance of shocking your audience out of status quo thinking and into a receptive state.” Says Binford.

Luke Smith of We Buy Property In Kentucky recommends, “After your presentation, allow questions to be asked. As the customer or client gets the answers that meet their needs (for us – they layout terms they need for us to buy their house), I will say, “It sounds like we have a rough outline for a deal. What would you like to happen now?”

More often than not, they ask me about signing a contract to get everything started. This has allowed me to close numerous deals without the awkward transition to the close. The buyer is closing me rather than me pulling them to the closing table.”

The best way to encourage questions is by adopting the 60-second rule.

“To be more effective during a sales presentation, you must consider this — the 60-second rule. It’s simple; all you have to do is NEVER speak without entertaining questions or interruption for more than a minute.

Ditch your monologue and stop bombarding your audience with information. If you have been talking for more than 60 seconds without any interruption, it is most likely that your audience is no longer interested.

Keep in mind to engage with your audience throughout your presentation. Try to incorporate open-ended questions within your presentation to keep it conversational.

It’s easy to keep talking but always pay close attention to when to stop. By following this tip, you will increase your chances of securing deals.” Explains Dan Nolan of Camping Console .

“Drown your prospect in successful case studies for businesses like theirs. That’s my number one sales presentation tactic. It should be so obvious that you’ve done the work before, you’ve transformed situations from bad to great, and you’re certain you can do the same for them if they buy. 

For example, if you’re a B2B sales organization with a software company on the call, show them three case studies of the work you’ve done for other software companies. By doing you, their confidence rises and the doubt. that so often stops a sale, goes away.” Shares Brian Robben of Robben Media .

Brandon Amoroso of electrIQ marketing shares his experience of closing sales deals by highlighting success stories. Amoroso says, “Demonstrating our success rate at the end of a presentation through different case studies has helped our company demonstrate our knowledge in the marketing field.

We showcase studies that resemble the potential client and show them some of the ways we will carry out duties if they choose to partner with us. In doing this, we reassure them that they will be diligent with our time, communicate with them constantly, and work towards getting similar or greater results than those shown in the case study.”

Catriona Jasica of Top Vouchers Code agrees and believes success stories are essential to closing deals. 

“It takes real skills for the salespeople to be efficient enough and close a deal through their presentation. One of them is sticking to your success stories.

Sharing the statistics is surely vital to show your company’s growth, but your attendees are most likely to forget those figures. What will stick to their minds are the success stories you share in the presentation.

Let them know about your product and how it has worked wonders for your company and helped it flourish. Think of a compelling story, present it, and build an emotional connection with the clients. This undoubtedly helps you outstandingly to close the deal in the end.” Says Jasica.

Growth Hackers ’ Jonathan Aufray agrees and adds, “To increase your probability of closing a deal, you want to show your prospect how your solution helped similar people/companies in their industry. Showing them a case study on what you implemented, achieved, and accomplished for another client is definitely one of the best sales presentation techniques out there.”

David Garcia of ScoutLogic believes data is as important as success stories to seal the deal. “The most effective sales presentation technique that increases your chances of closing a deal is a quantitative analysis demonstrating the economic benefits of your solution. If you are running an enterprise sales cycle, by that point, you should understand the client’s pain points, the client’s personal win, and should be able to articulate the unique economic value only your solution will bring.” 

Trenton Erker of Clarity Online advises sales presenters to “Know the numbers in your industry and theirs. It’s compelling, authoritative, and adds to your charisma, your product/service, your company, your industry, everything. People trust industry authorities. They’ll also know you care.”

Susanne Pope of Whiterock Locators agrees with the two and says, “Including succinct and relevant data to drive your point across is one of the most effective presentation techniques that will increase your probability of closing a deal.

Anyone can make bold claims, but having the data to back up those claims will drive the nail in the coffin, so to speak. It’s also important that the data you’re presenting is clearly communicated in its relevance to the goods/services you’re pitching.

If you have data that the audience cannot make sense of, your odds of closing lessen. You also want to ensure you don’t overload your audience with data. The most critical data sets will do, but always be prepared to present more data should someone in the audience ask for it.”

Greg Taft, a Realtor , shares, “I would say the one item that gets me the most traction both from my pitch books from my private equity career and in my listing presentations to clients selling their homes is a strong value proposition.

The value proposition needs to be tangible and measurable. It is hard to put a number on intellectual property or intangible assets, but you have to. As an example, you can talk to a home seller about selling their home, but why are you the right agent for them?

You have to show that you are better than average, whether that be your homes are selling for more than they are worth, or your full marketing package is selling homes x days faster, etc. If you are just average, they will just shop for the cheapest rather than the most value.”

“Fundamentals win championships, and the same goes for sales professionals when they’re working to gain a new client. If there was one piece of advice I’d bestow upon someone new to the sales profession, it would be to follow up with your prospect . 

48% of salespeople never follow up with a prospect. Only 25% of salespeople make a second contact. Those alarming numbers, especially considering that 80% of sales are made between the fifth to twelfth contact. So if there was one technique that will increase your close rate on a macro scale, it would have to be to follow up with your prospect.” Explains Evan Donahue of JMJ Phillip .

Related : 36 Practical Tips for Writing A Great Sales Follow Up Email

When asked the most important sales presentation tip that helps close more deals, Nathan Bliss of Kinsta says,

“Prepare. There is no replacement for being prepared to go into a discovery or demo call. Know all that you can about that potential customer and their business. Make some assumptions about what you think might be important to them based on your experience, but test those assumptions with effective questioning while you are on the call.”

“I always state the potential client’s goals before I go into anything. They’ve told me what they want to achieve in a pre-call, but I reiterate that in my words, while I also hint at how we’ll get there by way of our services. Then I ask them, ‘Are we in agreement?’

If we don’t establish that agreement before I start the rest of the presentation, we can run into many swings and misses during the rest of the presentation.

That question helps me understand that my pitch is spot on, or tells me if I need to pivot some of my discussion points or commentary that are coming in the next several slides.” Shares Tracy Beach of Portent .

Incorporate videos 

“One unique and effective technique I use to help me close more deals is creating asynchronous video content, also known as recorded video, video messages, screen shares, or video voicemail.

By using a free screen-share or recording tool like Vidyard, you can turn your bland ol’ slide presentation into an interactive video that explains all the details that the recipient needs to hear.

Instead of the old methods of sharing PDF’s and hoping your customer champion will sell your pitch internally (which can become a risky game of telephone), instead, turn that PDF or presentation into an interactive video and send it via email (or any other channel) to your recipient.

This ensures that your message is heard the way you intended it to be heard. It also gives the recipient a simple way to float the video around to the decision-makers within their organization so they can get buy-in to push deals across the line. Think about using asynchronous videos to explain proposals, quotes, customer stories, demos, etc. Video works!” Says Jacob Fernandes of Vidyard .

Deepak Shukla of Pearl Lemon Sales agrees and adds, “A growing trend in sales and marketing is Explanation Videos. Expounding on your product’s value in a down-to-earth, relatable way helps build personal connections with potential clients.

It also prevents user bounce rates and increases your SEO ranking – meaning your client finds you easier and is more likely to stay on your page. All of these things contribute to vastly improving your chances of closing that sale!”

“I have found asking questions to drive the ‘No’ instead of the ‘Yes’ leads to more sales. By asking questions, the prospect has to answer ‘No’ opens up the door to get the ‘Yes’ at the close.

The ‘No’ questions are designed to get the prospect to tell you where they are coming up short or items they are missing. Asking these questions and actually listening will give you the upper hand when going through your sales conversation by letting you know their pain points without asking the standard ‘Yes’ questions.

So switch the way you direct your conversations from the ‘Yes’ questions to the ‘No’ questions, and you will see more success at the closing.” Explains Eric Bergman of Serendipit Consulting

Don’t hard-sell

Boxroom Office ’s Neil Roach believes that hard selling never works in a sales presentation. 

Roach says, “People know when they’re being sold to. Instead, your focus should be on solving whatever problem that person has and the most affordable way for them.

Far too many salespeople are trained to go in hard and basically talk the prospect into submission.

That approach shows a lack of finesse and a real lack of understanding of human psychology. Basically, it’s the path to most resistance, by its very nature.

The salespeople I’ve trained always focus on what the customer needs but rarely what the customer wants. If, for example, a customer wants a $1,000 smartphone, you should ask them what they need it for? If it’s “…just for calls and texts,” guide them to something more affordable.

That will cause one of two outcomes.

• 1. The customer will either buy the $1,000 phone on the spot because they know you’re not trying to strongarm them.
• 2. They’ll buy the cheaper phone, but tell everyone they meet how helpful you were and didn’t try to push the sale on them.

Either way, your business, and your reputation, and your sales figures will benefit.”

Lauren Shroll of Outside The Box opines, “When you work from specific questions and comments that put pressure on that meeting to convert, your leads who are not specifically in that small percentage of users ready to convert at the time of the call, are going to be turned off to a conversation that is already primed for someone who wants to buy.

Your ideal sales conversation should prime the user to buy, both at the time of the call and in future retargeting, by including invitations.

This means that you are inviting the user to share their concerns, preview the product, opt-in to email updates, and effectively gear the user to feel that it’s a perfect fit for their specific needs.

This is the case even if they are converting in the next 12-24 months. Your conversation should aim to make the user feel that they are comfortable making a purchase decision, but not necessarily focused on the present moment.”

And did this strategy work for her? 

Shroll shares her experience and adds, “Using this approach has helped massively with one of the software companies I work alongside.

Even in the midst of a pandemic, we have enrolled three major clients in a program that equated to several hundred users.

The reason? We primed the sales call toward “continuing the conversation” to fit our leads at any stage of their buying journey.

A conversation that started as a sales call twelve months ago turned into a neatly closed deal in the most uncertain of times to achieve an amazing return on investment.

If you do include a quote in your story, please let me know when it’s published so that I can promote it across social media channels.”

“The most effective sales presentations that help us close deals all follow one formula: Educate the prospect on a pain that they have, leverage data that is unique to them to support the pain point, then solve the problem.

If you are using a sales deck, it should follow this framework without talking about your own product until the solution section.

If you are doing a live demo, you should break this same approach into sections based on the solution you are providing.

And every solution should first be teed up by education, specific pain for the client, then solution.

Following the formula in every presentation is the key to closing.” Says Zach Rego of Unstack .

Samantha Kohn of AutoVerify recommends taking a customer-in approach in your sales presentations. “You can increase your probability of closing a deal by taking a customer-in approach (rather than a product-out approach) in your sales presentations.

Instead of starting by explaining how great your product is, consider beginning with a discussion of the pain-points your customers are trying to solve.”

Osiris Parikh of Lilius says one of the most important sales techniques is to tailor solutions to the needs of a prospective client. Parikh explains, “Asking questions and showing genuine interest in helping them, rather than seeming like a robot reading from a script, allows for greater rapport and ultimately better solutions aligned to their situation. The chances of a sale only increase from there.”

Lynell Ross of Education Advocates agrees with them and gives some practical tips. “Stress how your product or service will make your customer’s life easier.

Most customers are stressed out and have a million things on their plate. Just as important as the money they’ll save by going with you or the upgrade in quality they’ll achieve is the ease with which they’ll do it.

Even if not relevant to your product or service’s substantive qualities, stress the importance of how your company or service will remove work and time from the customer’s plate, streamline their processes, and make them more efficient.

Reference the type of lift similarly positioned customers have experienced, and use data for that where available.”

“When presenting pitches to potential clients, confidence is everything because you are what you’re selling. How you handle yourself is as important as the presentation itself.” Says Jolene Caufield of Healthy Howard .

And the best way to do that is by showing your stuff. 

Adam Smartschan of Altitude Marketing explains, “Do your research and present it in an attractive fashion. The more you show you know your stuff, the more a prospect will be willing to work with you.

Don’t just tell them their competitors are doing it better. Show them what their competitors are doing, and explain why – then tell them how you’ll help them win.”

Richard Latimer of Veritas Homebuyers explains what works best for him in sales presentations. “The best presentation technique that I employ frequently is physical cues. This includes my posture, use of hands, eye contact, and tone of voice.

Having an upright yet relaxed posture helps make your counterpart feel at ease, using your hands helps illustrate your meanings, eye contact promotes trust, and your tone of voice should guide your counterpart through the presentation.” Shares Latimer.

Paige Arnof-Fenn of Mavens & Moguls also shares her experience and says, “Before a sales pitch I always take a few deep breaths and remind myself I know this topic well, I try to make eye contact with at least a few people in the room as I speak and share stories from my experience to make my points.

I also try to smile a lot. That usually helps me relax and get started, and once I start talking, I am usually good to go.

I have presented successfully virtually, too, via video, online, and phone. With social distancing video presentations are a popular reality now and should be treated just as important as face to face meetings.”

Personalize it for the client

“One important tip is to personalize your sales presentation for your customer.

Most presentations are all about the company presenting them, which is quite backward since the prospect really doesn’t care about you (sorry). They care about their business and their own goals.

In some cases, your audience will connect the dots between the solution you offer and the problems they have, but it’s much more effective to do your research ahead of time and connect those dots between your customer’s unique problem and your proposed solution inside of the presentation.” Recommends Spencer Smith of IRC Sales Solutions .

Syed Irfan Ajmal who is a Growth Marketing Consultant at Physicians Thrive , says personalization of any sales presentation is actually easier than it looks. 

He shared a sales presentation example that helped him to win a 5-figure marketing contract. He shares the following:

• “1. Provide a forecast (traffic, leads, revenue) based on existing keyword rankings data of the client.

This visual example shows how the client stands to earn $49K to $99K per month by applying only 2 simple SEO/Content-Marketing strategies. 

• 2. Provide a comparison (in simple tabular format) of the client with the top 3-5 of their key competitors.
• 3. Provide specific content ideas (personalized for the client’s niche) that they can employ to attract more backlinks.

This visual example shows the specific ideas meant for a company working in the Household Industry. ”

Knowing your client’s competitors, what’s working for them and what’s not can easily make or break your sales pitch. 

Lenny Liebmann says, “I do research on my prospective client’s competitors. I make sure to include a passing reference to one or more of those competitors in my press. That way, the client gets the sense that I really understand their market and their challenges — as opposed to just peddling them something based on some sort of questionably universal value proposition.”

Digital Debut ’s Deniz Doganay also recommends keeping a close eye on your prospect’s competitors. “Actually, take the time to look at leading competitors of your potential client and point out the things they are doing well and what you plan to do to best them. Be very transparent in your company processes and policies as well, so the client knows exactly what to expect when entering an agreement with you.” Advises Doganay.

Mike Charles of Lookout Lofts believes short and to-the-point presentations are always better. “The 9-minute rule! Keeping your presentation to 9 minutes or less is a great rule of thumb to follow for keeping your audience engaged. If you are using slides, do not spend more than 2-3 minutes on each slide. This number is based on research that has shown audiences start to lose their attention around minute 11.”

Make it conversational 

Edwin Rubio of Vapor Empire says, “The more conversational of a pitch, the less of a sales presentation it will feel like. Everything will come more naturally by having an open dialogue because you are building the trust and rapport that many need to feel engaged and comfortable with making a purchase.” 

Melanie Musson of CarInsuranceCompanies.net agrees with Rubio and adds, “Think about the presentation as a conversation. Keep the client engaged and actively involved in the dialogue. If you do the presentation as a monologue, you’ll risk losing their attention.”

Sell your brand, not just the product

“I could write paragraphs about this. I witnessed first-hand how a sales process when well executed, will allow you to position a very normal product as the best in class. It’s all in selling on the brand and the solution.

Presentations that focus on the features and what features will do to you are losing presentations, in my opinion.

In our internal training process, we have a whole day about ‘Establishing Mastery’. Sales peeps and engineers have to establish mastery right after positioning the brand. You position the brand by talking about your internal values, how you run your business, what your vision is. And yes, this is no BS cause what you’re doing here is establishing trust with the company in front of you that you will be able to solve any problem that arises just because you are running a good business.

And that’s the key; customers should be buying the brand and not the product. First-hand. Now, of course, your product should be a real, reliable, and sustainable product that lives up to the expectations.

Once trust in the brand is established, then you dive into establishing mastery by showcasing that you know the ins and outs of the industry you are solving problems for, you understand actual use cases.

Always pull examples about current clients you have that are similar to the prospects you’re speaking to. This helps with social proofing as well as indicating to the prospect that you’ve been there, done that.” Explains Bob Sabra of Hovi .

Quincy Smith of Mira advises businesses always to show how their product\service works during a presentation to close more deals. 

“I’ve had great success by demonstrating the tools we use to complete whatever project it is we’re pitching. For example, when we show clients SEO tools and how we actually have search data on what terms they could be targeting, most of them have no idea that type of information was out there!

Experience and reputation will get you pretty far, but if you can give a little over-the-shoulder look at how you will perform your job, then you can really stand out!” Says Smith.

Alexandra Zamolo of Beekeeper believes the same and adds, “It’s always best to showcase exactly how the product or software will actually work in the exact manner in which the potential customer intends to make use of it. While most examples are great to illustrate features, a demo with more customization to the user’s exact needs will always provide better results.”

And don’t waste all your hard work by not having a clear, targeted Call to Action at the end of your presentation. 

“Every presentation or post should end with a ‘Call to Action’. The action could be anything from scheduling a meeting to submitting a query/feedback or anything else you feel is appropriate. It is important because, after the sales presentation, people are influenced. So before giving them some more time to think, it is better to involve them in some action!” Explains Adam Rowles of Inbound Marketing Agency .

Wrapping up

Sales presentations are an essential part of scaling your business. There’s no escaping them. So embrace them and try to incorporate all these tips into your next sales presentations.

As Mudassir Ahmed of Blogging Explained sums up all of them and says, “Spend less time talking about your company profile. And talk about R.O.I, how your prospect will see a return on their investment with your deal. But don’t go way deeper, awakening their logical nerves by which critical debates could happen.

Give a glimpse and value touch by adding your customers’ success stories or even case studies. You make sure to get the prospect to see himself/herself in your story and talk about the value they would get. That’s probably called human-centric marketing, where you invoke prospects’ senses with an emotion.

It also helps budget-hesitant prospects to get clear insights about their investment and ROI and make a positive decision about the deal.

Do your research and be ready to impress the prospect with this factor. The key is to be conversational rather than presentational.”

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Home Blog Business Crafting an Effective Sales Presentation: Strategies for B2B Sales Teams

Crafting an Effective Sales Presentation: Strategies for B2B Sales Teams

In business, sales keep the lights on, the paychecks paid, and the stakeholders happy. But if your sales presentations—and you, the sale professional behind them—aren’t stepping up to the plate, your competitors are making the sales that you’re not.

In sales processes, sales presentations are unavoidable. You can turn the unavoidable into uplifting discussions that improve your buyer’s work life. Switch your boring, repetitive slides with personalized solution-driven conversation starters. Add value to how you sell, and supercharge your presentations.

This guide is for sales professionals who want to improve their sales presentations. We cover what goes on your slides plus what’s behind the scenes, you! 

Let’s get started.

Table of Contents

Why are Sales Presentations important?

B2b sales presentation vs. sales pitch / pitch deck, types of sales presentations.

• How to Prepare a Sales Presentation

How to Develop a Visual Sales Presentation

How to deliver a sales presentation, follow up after a sales presentation.

• 6 Tips to Supercharge Your Sales Presentations

Closing Thoughts

What is a sales presentation.

There is a common mixup in terms of defining a sales presentation, as people instantly associate the event with the tool used to deliver the presentation.

In practical terms, a sales presentation is a short meeting where a sales-intended slide deck is designed to sell a product or service. More holistically, a sales presentation is a transference of feeling between a sales professional and a prospect. 

A sales presentation is an essential part of the typical sales process . At different touchpoints with the buyer, sales professionals use tried-and-tested techniques in their sales presentations to persuade and convince a prospect to close the deal. 

Without sales, there is no business. Sales bring in revenue and profit for your company, helping it grow and positively impacting more people. And what’s behind the sales? Sales presentations and the sales professionals that spearhead them.

In B2B, sales presentations are the conduit to successful business communication. Your company sells what another company needs. The salesperson and the decision maker communicate, and if it all works out, there’s a sale that’ll hopefully benefit everyone. 

A sales presentation and pitch aren’t the same, although closely related. A sales pitch is a type of sales presentation. Pitches are generally used at the top of the funnel in the sales process; they bring people in.

A sales presentation can be used at any touchpoint with the buyer; their progression through your funnel and process will mandate what type of sales presentation you need.

This guide covers sales presentations as a category; if you’re looking for pitch decks , here are our favorites.

As a sales professional, you create all styles of sales presentations. Your choice depends on what level of the sales process you’re on, what you’re selling, your prospects’ needs, and the company’s selling framework. 

These are some of the most common sales presentation types concerning what’s being sold:

• Product: A product sales presentation showcases a singular product (physical or digital) to solve a specific problem. You are paid to provide products.
• Service: A service sales presentation shares why your prospect needs your service. You are hired (paid) to provide a service.
• Project: A project sales presentation attempts to close the deal to start a project that involves an exchange of money. You are hired (paid) to spearhead a project and finish with deliverables.

Regarding sales presentation styles and their placement in the sales process, you have three options:

• Informative: Informative sales presentations are at the top of the sales funnel or process. You share information about what you sell in a relatable language for the buyer—no call to action yet.
• Persuasive : In a persuasive sales presentation, you remind the buyer of the information and add how what you sell solves their problem. 
• Reminder : A reminder sales presentation reminds buyers of their interest and brings them back into the buying frame of mind.

How to Craft a Sales Presentation From Start to Finish

Selling guru Zig Ziglar always said that your sales presentation is an extension of you as a person. Your personality must come through positively through your slides and speech, creating a feeling of trust with the buyer. 

In this section, you’ll find the ultimate guide to crafting a sales presentation from start to finish. We’ll use a case study as a foundation for every step of the sales presentation creation process. 

The buyer is a large manufacturing factory looking to outsource services or buy a product that will help them monitor production data. Currently, they manage a complex tech stack that involves different software solutions. This system proves inefficient; it takes too long to export reports, and operators regularly have issues introducing data or troubleshooting error codes. 

They need a solution that will be efficient, save time, and avoid operator frustration. Likewise, they also need the system to be in one place, replacing all the components of their previous tech stack.

You, the sales professional, work for an AI-based SaaS that offers production and manufacturing dashboards. Everything is powered by a cloud-based application that is accessible 24/7 through PC, tablets, and smartphones. The information is fetched from the machines through sensors paired with cameras that sync the information for easy troubleshooting.

Your company has three years of experience in the market, with several customer success stories regarding energy management, increased production output, and reduced waste production—all thanks to implementing your production and manufacturing solutions. You aim to upscale the company’s operations, securing a deal with a large corporation. Hence, the sales presentation to close the deal.

To help you navigate the sales presentation journey, we’ve separated this section into four categories that lead to each other. 

• Preparation
• Development
• Continued Communication

How to Prepare a Sales Presentation 

A lot of work goes into preparing a sales presentation. You’re not just designing the slides for the deck but also preparing yourself for an impactful conversation. 

Before designing slides or writing speeches, you must strategize the sales presentation according to your client’s needs and your goals as a sales professional. Think of their needs and address them clearly.

Here are some questions to answer:

• How can you best communicate a solution for their needs while building trust?
• Where in the sales process are you with this client? Is the purpose of this presentation to inform, persuade or remind?
• Is there a sales playbook or guideline available to help you stay within company selling procedures?
• How can you get to know the prospect better before presenting?

Planning 

Always think of both the slides and the speech as an inseparable pair. If you can’t visit the prospect in person, prepare for a virtual call. 

Here are some planning stage actions.

• Meet with the buyer to have a conversation about their issues. Book a call with them to deliver your presentation.
• Use a Gantt Chart template to organize your timing for preparation and development.
• Visualize a roadmap of the ideal sales process with your prospect and aim to achieve it.
• Schedule time in your calendar to practice your speech.
• Research the buyer’s particular pain points. Did any of your existing clients have the same paint points? How did your service solve them? Have case studies on hand to share with the prospect.

Connecting 

A large part of a successful sales presentation is the human connection you create with the prospect or buyer. As you communicate with the potential buyer, build a relationship. You want this buyer to buy and become a loyal customer and, eventually, a natural promoter.

The manufacturing company that needs your dashboard solution has specific pain points, which they shared during the initial call. Use them as conversation points to connect on a deeper level. Depending on your personality, you can use humor, empathy, or other psychological tactics to connect meaningfully and honestly.

Developing a sales presentation involves putting the content together for the slides and speech. Presentation slides aren’t your speech in written form; they’re supporting material. Ideally, share the visual presentation before and after you talk with them; this helps reinforce the message by imprinting the conversation in their minds.

Write the Content

Your monitoring dashboard company has the solution the manufacturing factory needs. You know this, but they aren’t quite sure yet. They need to buy from someone, and it could be anyone. Use the power of communication to be the one they buy from. 

Here are some tips for writing and developing the content for your presentation. 

• Create a double outline with two columns—one for the slides and one for the speech. Match the presentation slide to your speech, but don’t make them exactly the same. The slide has to support what you’re saying, not repeat it.
• Write the speech as if you were talking to the prospect. Think of questions they might ask and write down the answers.
• As you work through the writing, develop one-liners to bring the message home for the buyer. 
• Use specific examples. In this case, the manufacturing enterprise needs a custom dashboard for its production monitoring. Write down reasons why your offer solves their most significant problems and issues. Why did they start looking for a custom dashboard solution in the first place? Knowing the buyer almost intimately is essential so that your offer sells itself.

Structure the Presentation

The two most powerful parts of your presentation are the opening and the ending. Everything in the middle is a filler that the prospect might or might need to pay more attention to. 

Start with your best shot, the point you feel has the most persuasive power. Then use your second-best shot for the ending. 

Here’s a rundown of sections that’ll help move along the conversation. Each section can be one slide, or it can be a few.

Personalized cover and intro . A personalized cover on a sales presentation deck makes a positive first impression and interest for the rest of the slides. By now, you should know the company’s name, the buyer’s name, and their role in the company. Include them on the cover with a prefix like this:

• Prepared for: Name of buyer, role, company.
• Prepared by: Your name, your role, your company.

On the opening slides, reintroduce what your company offers. Only some members on the client side know the specifics involved in the deal. Present a quick reminder of what your company does. This is the perfect opportunity to share your elevator pitch, your best shot.

Problem / Solution Analysis . Be specific. You already know what they need from you, but they don’t. Sell the solution confidently by being specific about how your custom dashboard service will solve their monitoring pain points. 

Here’s how to do it: Start by presenting the problem given to you by the company. Visually display the reports you obtained from the buyer. Then, present an analysis crafted by your team. Show how specific pain points are solved by displaying real and projected data.

Share your perspective on the issue, and bring up potential trouble points the customer may still need to spot. Conclude by introducing “the solution” with accurate data and projections.

The Cost of Doing Nothing. Use data to show how your solution will not only solve their immediate problem but also in the future. Visually explain how choosing not to buy your dashboard service—doing nothing, staying the same—will cost more than you’re asking them to invest. Using clear calculations, explain how if they stay as they are, not only will they end up wasting more money than if they had bought the dashboard system, they’d be in deeper water and still without the dashboard. 

Your solution instantly solves the cost of doing nothing or staying as they are. Returning to the custom dashboard sale example, let’s say that after the estimation analysis you present, the buyer sees an increased OEE (Overall equipment effectiveness) by 30% in the upcoming four months after the production monitoring software pinpoints the bottlenecks in production. That’s enough information to make the sale!

Real Referrals

Go beyond the testimonial quote and share real referrals from clients whose pain points you solved with custom solutions. Keep a file of case studies, testimonials, and social media mentions ready to add to any presentation.

Create internal case studies if your company is relatively new and you have few referrals or testimonials. Use your product or service to solve your company’s pain points and document the process. Through quality video presentations , your company can also expose insightful information if your referrals aren’t enough, as said videos demonstrate the operational aspect of the product or service you intend to sell.

Regardless of the background, this section aims to increase credibility and authority. Use real data in clear visualizations to showcase gains like ROI and production. Ensure that what you share makes an impact. Storytelling techniques come in handy at this point.

The pricing slide is optional

The slide with pricing is optional. Generally, fixed pricing is more apt for a slide in a sales presentation template . Flexible or complex pricing needs more than a slide. 

Putting the case study as an example, the buying company has 30 product lines but wishes to conduct a trial run for the software solution you are selling them, on 5 product lines for 90 days. Based on the initial results, they will gradually upscale the service. 

In a case like this, the price negotiation is managed by both companies’ financial departments, where accurate quotations are handled. On the slide, you can link to the spreadsheet where calculations are conducted, but you can leave detailed calculations out of the conversation completely. 

Closing  

Thank everyone that attends the call or meeting. And also, include a Thank You note on the last slide. Use your second elevator pitch , the second shot, at this point. Leave the ball in the buyer’s court and make it easy for them to buy. Close the sale by agreeing for your financial team to contact theirs.

Include all forms of communication on that slide with hyperlinks to call you on the phone or get in touch via email.

Design the Slides with Visuals

Designing the slides means putting it all together into a set of slides that flow along with your speech or recorded video-over. We won’t go too deep into this point, but be sure it’s important! Here are some essential things to achieve when designing slides:

• A balanced layout on all slides.
• Harmonious transitions from slide to slide.
• Visual unity between slides.
• A unified color and font scheme.
• Licensed visuals, videos, and images.

This is what your sales presentation can look like.

Save Time With Templates

PowerPoint Templates are the ultimate timesaver for anyone creating presentations. Not only do they save time in development and production, but they also help with visual consistency and flow. Using predesigned templates where you only need to change the content and the colors is ideal for someone with minimal design skills or limited time. FYI, even designers use templates.

Presentation delivery is more important than all the other steps combined. At the point of delivery, your goal is to convince and then persuade the buyer that your solution is worth investing in. 

Practice your Speech

At this stage, top-performing sales professionals stand out from the rest. A memorized speech and perfect slides won’t make the sale; YOU will. The entire transaction depends on you and how you connect with the buyer.

Here are some tips on how to turn a speech into a conversation that will lead to a close.

• Develop and train your voice. Simply memorizing information isn’t going to make sales; you need to practice voice inflection and change of pace. Don’t discount taking speaking courses to improve your skills.
• Record yourself practicing and play it back. Take notes on what you can improve and what can be discarded. 
• Ask peers and colleagues for feedback.
• Always keep improving from every sales presentation.
• Practice for many scenarios; standing in front of a group, sitting at a table next to people, via virtual call.

Remember that all this work you’re doing is for the prospect’s benefit. Don’t talk at them; talk with them. Don’t deliver your presentation dryly or rushed; give yourself and each other time to converse.

Distributing Presentations Digitally 

You won’t always be able to visit the prospect in person. Practice delivering the sales presentation and speech on camera. On some occasions, you won’t be able to meet the prospect. In this case, create the presentation and then record yourself presenting on each slide. Use tools like Loom or Nimbus to record yourself while presenting the slides.

Body Language

It is imperative to be mindful of your body language when delivering a sales presentation, as also interpret your customer’s body language signals. In corporate environments, the interactions between buyer and seller are carefully handled in terms of speech, documents, and deals, but our bodies are able to convey our true feelings about a situation without us even realizing such a fact.

Eyes are a window to the soul, and where a spectator places their focus is usually their main point of interest. If the audience is looking at you, their interest is targeted to what you are disclosing. On the other hand, if you perceive the audience is looking at a distracting element or at no specific point, like gazing at the horizon, then you should revive the presentation with a hook or introduce a surprise element. Constant staring is considered an intimidating practice in Western cultures, so avoid being too forward when speaking to your client. A good ratio of eye contact for sales is between 55-65%.

Anxiety can manifest in multiple shapes, such as toe tapping, pursing lips, unstill hands, or continuous neck movement. Drumming fingers is a common sign of impatience as if your content isn’t relevant or boring to the audience. Playing with desk elements, doodling, or looking at the smartphone are signs of boredom and annoyance. Keep extra care if you see attendees leaning into their arms, as it is a clear sign of a desire to leave the meeting.

When delivering a sales presentation, avoid common non-verbal communication mistakes such as:

• Hands in pockets : It suggests a lack of transparency in the information disclosed.
• Arms crossed close to body : Protectiveness against the audience.
• Posture : Slouching your back is a no-no unless you have any kind of proven physical limitation. Otherwise, it transmits a lack of interest and an unprofessional look.
• Watching the clock : While it is okay to be mindful about the remaining time available in a sales presentation, watching your clock can be felt as if you want to run away from the room as quickly as possible.

The type of follow-up after a sales presentation will depend on if you closed or not. Hopefully, by this point in the relationship with your prospect, a follow-up will come naturally through a few emails or calls. Keep the conversation going and share compelling content and data to help them finalize the deal.

If you close on the sales presentation, the follow-up will be more about financial exchanges. Nevertheless, keep communicating with them and let them know you are always available to discuss whatever they need. 

6 Tips to Supercharge Your Sales Presentations

To succeed in high-profile sales, go beyond the basics to make your presentations close on business deals, increase conversion rates and build meaningful business relationships.

1. Be actionable

At every point in the sales process, ensure the prospect knows where they stand. Expose the next steps in the sales negotiation through conversations and email. Share the sales process with prospects at first contact, letting the buyer know you’re not hiding anything. 

Don’t take the negotiation like a closed deal from the start. The buyer is the one that ultimately makes the decision, but that doesn’t mean you have to put pressure on them. Instead, be actionable and help the buyer make an informed decision that will benefit their company immediately and in the future. Show them how easy it is to take action and close the sale.

2. Presenting the Cost of Not-Doing

When prospects push back, they still don’t see the full value of what you’re offering in terms of what it will cost them if they don’t close the sale. This is why including data visuals and convincing information about the Cost of Not-Doing is a critical angle for your slides.

Use storytelling with numbers and data to create a sense of urgency. Take a cue from Zig Ziglar and his view on the topic, “The fear of loss is greater than the desire for gain.” Present the cost of not-doing as a non-action, leaving everything the same. Continuing with ineffectiveness only results in loss of profit, wasted time, and disgruntled factory managers.

3. Show Empathy Over Sympathy

In sales, it’s all about the attitude you bring to the table when doing a sales presentation. Not only do you have to believe that what you sell solves problems well, but you also have to believe that what you sell is helping people by making their job easier. Therefore, you’re making their lives better. 

In the case of your software company creating a custom dashboard, the buyer’s pain points are:

• Their current tech stack is inefficient.
• Reports take too long to export.
• Troubleshooting is a mess.

Go a step further and ask the buyer what happens when the reports take too long, or the troubleshooting could be smoother. Highly likely that there’s downtime in production or reporting. And what does that lead to? Frustration. And manager frustration leads to negative attitudes toward employees, leading to complaints. 

Show the buyer how your solution doesn’t just help monitor production but also makes your managers and employees more content with work. When employee satisfaction increases, it leads to employee retention. In the opposite scenario, there are unhappy managers and higher employee turnover.

4. A Good Image Across Your Slides 

Just as your appearance influences your sales career, so do the presentation slides you prepare, develop and deliver. It starts with the visual aspect and the design of the presentation as a whole. Here are some best practices to follow so you can achieve a good, professional image all around. 

• Have an offline format for the presentation. Have it on a USB stick, not online.
• Be ready for any kind of question.
• Ensure the presentation is compatible with viewing on different formats; tablet, laptop, mobile, PC, or projector.
• Use catchy, engaging, branded visuals like infographics slides , illustrations, data visualization, video, and voiceovers .

5. Presenting ROI Projections

When deciding which data to visualize, put ROI projections at the top. Showing projections and visions of the buyer’s success increase the chances of closing the sale. This technique is the opposite of showing the cost of Not-Doing. 

With ROI projections, you put the buyer in a privileged position. You show them how much they will gain from their investment. Go further and project how long it will take to repay the investment. Hopefully, it’s not very long!

6. Be on Brand

The content and visuals on your presentation slides must reflect the company’s brand with a compelling narrative. We already mentioned the importance of believing in your product or service. Take it further and believe—and stand behind—the company brand’s values, mission, and vision. 

Aligning with the company’s values will help you see the sales process as a way to grow the brand you work for and your career as a sales professional. Craft the sales presentation with this in mind, and take your sales career to the next level with every close you make.

Your role in a sales presentation is to embody the brand, the product, or the service, as the best and only solution to the buyer’s pain points. Craft and practice your messaging to reveal how the buyer’s situation will improve once they close. 

Use SlideModel templates for full deck presentations, individual slides, and design element collections to help craft sales presentations that convert. Choose the perfect data visualizations and infographics to share the Cost of Not-Doing. SlideModel has your back.

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Prep, Present, and Follow Through: How To Nail Your Next Sales Presentation

Audrey Harris

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When it comes to building an effective sales presentation, no one-size-fits-all sales deck exists.

Every sales presentation you deliver to a prospect should be personalized and tailored just for them. Successful selling today is about establishing yourself as a trusted advisor. Cookie-cutter messages won’t do that. So how should you get started?

High-performing sellers close more deals by focusing on their prospects, rather than their products. Follow these sales presentation tips before, during, and after your next meeting to make it more resonant (and hopefully, more lucrative). These tips work whether you’re building customer relationships remotely or in person.

Deliver polished presentations that address your prospect’s biggest pain points

Use generative AI, powered by Einstein, to help you draft an engaging, tailored talk track for your next sales presentation, perfectly aligning product value to specific prospect needs.

Step 1: Research the company and your contact

An effective sales presentation starts long before the actual presentation. The first step is to learn who your prospect is and the challenges they face; then you can use those insights to show how you can help them succeed.

In particular, you should research the company, the challenges it faces, and the contacts who will hear your presentation.

Learn more about the company’s past, present, and future

First, consult your CRM platform. Find other accounts from the prospect’s industry and see what their customer journeys looked like. Their client information and case history will help you learn what products and services they use most and how your company serves them well. The information in your CRM platform can give you insights and tips that will help you win deals like the one you’re currently working on. Take a look, too, at the sales pipeline for that particular industry. Your CRM system is a tool specifically used to help you sell successfully and should be used throughout the sales process.

Once you have that preliminary information, head to the company website and research what the prospect’s company does, how big it is, and what products or services it offers. Then, dig deeper. Make a note of their mission, values, and corporate culture. Also try to learn more about the company’s history and any news items involving the company. Look into the company’s annual report to get a good idea of where it might be headed in the future.

Your presentation should focus on using insights from your research to show a deep understanding of the company and why your product or service can help it grow.

Consider the company’s challenges

As you learn about the company, pay special attention to the challenges it faces that are relevant to your product or service offerings. Remember these issues so you can use them as conversation starters during your sales presentation. Then you can offer advice — or insights — about how they could better face those challenges.

This type of approach is called insight selling : You as a salesperson bring unique, tailored insights to a prospect to solve their problems.

For example, if you sell a marketing tool, you may notice in your research that your lead is currently using the same ads across social media, search, and display networks. Your insight might be, “I see that your company is using the same ad copy across several platforms. How have those ads been performing for you? Have you been able to reach your sales or traffic goals?” Their answer may change aspects of your sales presentation or may make it even stronger.

Learn more about your audience

When it comes to communication, knowing who will be in the room is critical. If your prospect is the Director of Production, your most effective sales presentation may focus on metrics that can determine how to improve output. If your prospect will be presenting the information to a decision maker, offer resources to help make it easier for them.

Step 2: Prepare for your sales presentation

After gathering insights about the company and your contacts, you are ready to put together your presentation. Whether you use a sales presentation template that your workplace provides or you start from scratch, use these sales presentation tips to build a more compelling pitch.

Focus on the challenges your prospects face, not just your benefits

Salespeople should present themselves as a trusted advisor, not just a company representative. Look for ways to create a dialogue with the prospect and share how you can help their company work more efficiently, provide better service, or solve the challenges holding them back.

Keep your presentation simple

Sales template decks can be useful, but they can also overwhelm prospects if they’re too long. Instead of a 50-slide canned presentation, focus on keeping the slide deck relatively simple and highlighting engaging images and key statistics. This will make it easier to use a storytelling approach, rather than just reading off a slide.

Practice your presentation

You want to prepare, but you don’t want to come across as robotic or scripted. Practice what you’ll say and how you’ll answer questions, and make sure you’ve memorized important statistics or metrics. Build time into the presentation so you can share personal anecdotes or pause for questions.

Keep your delivery style confident, but agile. You may find that one point you thought would be critical doesn’t have as much impact with your prospect as you’d hoped, but a different point unexpectedly piques their interest. Keeping your talk track fluid will make it easier to shift gears if you need to.

Step 3: Nail your sales presentation

Presentation day has arrived. You’ve done your research, nailed the perfect storytelling approach, and trimmed down your slide deck. Now is your time to shine. Here are a few sales presentation tips to help your pitch end in a sale.

End the meeting with your presentation; don’t begin with it

You’ve likely had conversations with your contact and know them well enough, but in this presentation you’ll potentially meet additional people who make decisions. Take the time to get to know each attendee.

Building a rapport with your audience before pitching is a no-brainer. But avoid too much small talk; it can come across as inauthentic or like a waste of the customer’s time. Instead, time permitting, try to use the beginning of the meeting asking questions about day-to-day operations and goals. Ask specific questions that demonstrate your knowledge of their company and industry, and use the answers to shape your narrative. Then, during your presentation, tie back to topics the prospect brought up and focus on how you, the trusted advisor, can help.

Ask questions during the presentation to encourage a dialogue

Getting feedback from your prospect during the actual presentation is the best sales presentation technique of all. This allows you to change your focus in the moment, rather than spending your presentation talking about challenges and solutions that might be unimportant to your prospect.

After you make a key point, ask your prospect a question like, “Does this make sense in your industry?” or “Can you see this applying to your company?” This prompts the prospect to either agree or start a dialogue about pain points and how your products and services can better serve them.

If they agree with you, then you know you’re on the right track and that your suggestions are up to date. On the other hand, if they have clarifications, this lets you adjust your presentation — and follow-up efforts — to better fit their position.

Include proof that shows how your products and services have helped others

Step 4: Prioritize the follow-up just as much as the presentation

The actual sales presentation is just one part of your sales process, and it doesn’t guarantee a signed contract or even further contact with you. The final piece of your sales presentation is a well-planned follow-up, and it’s just as important as the presentation itself.

The most effective follow-up format will depend on your prospect, their needs, and how they best retain information. For example, you may follow up by:

• Emailing your slide deck and asking to schedule a follow-up call. Just remember to avoid the “Just following up” email and make sure your email offers the recipient value.
• Scheduling follow-up emails to reiterate key points in your presentation. A sales automation tool automates emails to share product information and set reminders for you to connect. It helps make sure no prospects fall through the cracks.
• Preparing personalized content that highlights the main points from your sales presentation and includes videos of products in action, testimonials, or other helpful collateral.
• Sending an additional resource about a topic they mentioned during your meeting, whether it pertained to your presentation or not.

Your sales presentation doesn’t end when you walk out the door or end the meeting. As you research and present your pitch, consider what the best follow-up approach will be. Then, take the time to create a well-considered follow-up strategy.

You can make your next sales presentation your best

Preparation and practice are key to successful sales presentations. But there’s so much more to a great presentation than well-designed slides or new research. The heart of a great sales presentation is the relationship between you and your customer, and that’s built on unique insights focused on your potential customer’s challenges and needs.

When you focus on helping, rather than pitching, your sales presentation is more likely to be a hit. That’s a win-win for you and your customer.

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Audrey is a senior product marketer for Core Sales Cloud (Salesforce Automation), and a customer advocate who has spent her career delivering B2B technology. An engineer turned marketer, she is passionate about business efficiency, philanthropy, and mentorship.

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Blog Marketing 15 Sales Presentation Examples to Drive Sales

15 Sales Presentation Examples to Drive Sales

Written by: Danesh Ramuthi Oct 31, 2023

A sales presentation is not merely a brief introduction to a product or service. It’s a meticulously constructed sales pitch tailored to showcase the unique features and key elements of what’s being offered and to resonate deeply with the prospective customers. 

But what stands out in the best sales presentation is their ability to weave an engaging story, integrating customer testimonials, success stories and sales performances to maintain the audience’s attention span and to persuade them to take action. 

The right tools, like those provided by Venngage presentation Maker and its sales presentation templates , can greatly aid in this endeavor. The aim is to have a presentation memorable enough that it lingers in the minds of potential clients long after the pitch. 

Its ultimate aim is not just to inform but to persuasively secure the audience’s commitment.

Click to jump ahead:

6 Sales presentation examples

What to include and how to create a sales presentation, sales presentation vs pitch deck.

• Final thoughts

A sales presentation can be the differentiating factor that turns a potential client into a loyal customer. The manner in which a brand or individual presents their value proposition, product, or service can significantly impact the buying decisions of their audience.

Hence, drawing inspiration from various sales presentation examples can be an instrumental step in crafting the perfect pitch.

Let’s explore a few examples of sales presentations that cater to different needs and can be highly effective when used in the right context.

Clean sales presentation examples

The concept of a “clean” sales presentation reflects more than just its visual aesthetic; it captures an ethos of straightforward, concise and effective communication. A clean presentation offers a professional and efficient way to present your sales pitch, making it especially favorable for brands or individuals looking to be perceived as trustworthy and reliable.

Every slide in such a presentation is meticulously designed to be aesthetically pleasing, balancing visuals and text in a manner that complements rather than competes.

Its visual appeal is undeniably a draw, but the real power of a clean sales presentation lies in its ability to be engaging enough to hold your audience’s attention. By minimizing distractions, the message you’re trying to convey becomes the focal point. This ensures that your audience remains engaged, absorbing the key points without being overwhelmed.

A clean design also lends itself well to integrating various elements such as graphs, charts and images, ensuring they’re presented in a clear and cohesive manner. In a business environment where attention spans are continually challenged, a clean presentation stands as an oasis of clarity, ensuring that your audience walks away with a clear understanding of what you offer and why it matters to them.

Minimalist sales presentation examples

Minimalism, as a design and communication philosophy, revolves around the principle of ‘less is more’. It’s a bold statement in restraint and purpose. In the context of sales presentations, a minimalist approach can be incredibly powerful.

It ensures that your content, stripped of any unnecessary embellishments, remains at the forefront. The primary objective is to let the core message shine, ensuring that every slide, every graphic and every word serves a precise purpose.

This design aesthetic brings with it a sense of sophistication and crispness that can be a potent tool in capturing your audience’s attention. There’s an inherent elegance in simplicity which can elevate your presentation, making it memorable.

But beyond just the visual appeal, the minimalist design is strategic. With fewer elements on a slide, the audience can focus more intently on the message, leading to better retention and engagement. It’s a brilliant way to ensure that your message doesn’t just reach your audience, but truly resonates with them.

Every slide is crafted to ensure that the audience’s focus never wavers from the central narrative, making it an excellent choice for brands or individuals seeking to create a profound impact with their pitches.

Simple sales presentation examples

A simple sales presentation provides a clear and unobstructed pathway to your main message, ensuring that the audience’s focus remains undivided. Perfect for highlighting key information, it ensures that your products or services are front and center, unobscured by excessive design elements or verbose content.

But the beauty of a simple design is in its flexibility. With platforms like Venngage , you have the freedom to customize it according to your brand voice and identity. Whether it’s adjusting text sizes, incorporating vibrant colors or selecting standout photos or icons from expansive free stock libraries, the power to enhance and personalize your presentation lies at your fingertips.

Creating your ideal design becomes a seamless process, ensuring that while the presentation remains simple, it is every bit as effective and captivating.

Professional sales presentation example

A professional sales presentation is meticulously crafted, reflecting the brand’s guidelines, voice and core values. It goes beyond just key features or product benefits; it encapsulates the brand’s ethos, presenting a cohesive narrative that resonates deeply with its target audience.

For sales professionals, it’s more than just a slide deck; it’s an embodiment of the brand’s identity, from the great cover image to the clear call to action at its conclusion.

These presentations are tailored to address potential pain points, include sales performances, and present solutions in a compelling and engaging story format. 

Integrating elements like customer success stories and key insights, ensuring that the presentation is not just good, but memorable.

Sales performance sales presentation example

A company’s sales performance presentation is vital to evaluate, refine and boost their sales process. It’s more than just numbers on a slide deck; it’s a comprehensive look into the effectiveness of sales campaigns, strategies and the sales team as a whole.

This type of sales presentation provides key insights into what’s working, what isn’t and where there’s potential for growth.

It’s an invaluable tool for sales professionals, often serving as a roadmap guiding future sales pitches and marketing campaigns.

An effective sales performance presentation might begin with a compelling cover slide, reflecting the brand’s identity, followed by a brief introduction to set the context. From there, it delves into specifics: from the sales metrics, customer feedback and more.

Ultimately, this presentation is a call to action for the sales team, ensuring they are equipped with the best tools, strategies and knowledge to convert prospective customers into paying ones, driving more deals and growing the business.

Testimonial-based sales presentation examples

Leveraging the voices of satisfied customers, a testimonial-based sales presentation seamlessly blends social proof with the brand’s value proposition. It’s a testament to the real-world impact of a product or service, often making it one of the most effective sales presentation examples. 

By centering on customer testimonials, it taps into the compelling stories of those who have experienced firsthand the benefits of what’s being offered.

As the presentation unfolds, the audience is introduced to various customer’s stories, each underscoring the product’s unique features or addressing potential pain points.

These success stories serve dual purposes: they not only captivate the audience’s attention but also preemptively handle sales objections by showcasing how other customers overcame similar challenges.

Sales professionals can further augment the presentation with key insights derived from these testimonials, tailoring their sales pitch to resonate deeply with their potential clients.

Creating a good sales presentation is like putting together a puzzle. Each piece needs to fit just right for the whole picture to make sense. 

So, what are these pieces and how do you put them together? 

Here, I’ll break down the must-have parts of a sales presentation and give you simple steps to build one. 

What to include in a sales presentation?

With so much information to convey and a limited time to engage your audience in your sales presentation, where do you start?

Here, we’re going to explore the essential components of a successful sales presentation, ensuring you craft a compelling narrative that resonates with your prospects.

• A captivating opening slide: First impressions matter. Start with a great cover image or slide that grabs your audience’s attention instantly. Your opening should set the tone, making prospects curious about what’s to come.
• Data-driven slides: Incorporate key points using charts, graphs, infographics and quotes. Instead of flooding your slides with redundant information, use them as a tool to visually represent data. Metrics from your sales dashboard or third-party sources can be particularly illuminating.
• Social proof through testimonials: Weave in testimonials and case studies from satisfied customers. These success stories, especially from those in the same industry as your prospects, act as powerful endorsements, bolstering the credibility of your claims.
• Competitive context: Being proactive is the hallmark of savvy sales professionals. Address how your product or service fares against competitors, presenting a comparative analysis. 
• Customized content: While using a foundational slide deck can be helpful, personalizing your presentation for each meeting can make all the difference. Whether it’s integrating the prospect’s brand colors, industry-specific data or referencing a past interaction, tailored content makes your audience feel acknowledged.
• Clear path to the future: End by offering a glimpse into the next steps. This can include a direct call to action or an overview of the onboarding process. Highlight the unique value your company brings post-sale, such as exceptional training or standout customer support.
• Keep it simple: Remember, simplicity is key. Avoid overcrowding your slides with excessive text. Visual data should take center stage, aiding in comprehension and retention. 

Related: 120+ Presentation Ideas, Topics & Example

How to create a sales presentation? 

Crafting a good sales presentation is an art that blends structure, content and design. 

A successful sales presentation not only tells but also sells, capturing the audience’s attention while conveying the main message effectively. 

Here’s a step-by-step guide to ensure that your sales deck becomes a winning sales presentation.

1. Find out your ideal audience

The first step to any effective sales pitch is understanding your audience. Are you presenting to prospective customers, potential clients or an internet marketing agency? Recognize their pain points, buying process and interests to craft a message that resonates. This understanding ensures that your presentation is memorable and speaks directly to their unique needs.

2. Pick a platform to Use

Depending on your target audience and the complexity of your sales literature, you might opt for Venngage presentation maker, PowerPoint templates, Google Slides or any tools that you are comfortable with. Choose a tool that complements your brand identity and aids in keeping your audience’s attention span engaged.

3. Write the ‘About Us’ section

Here’s where you build trust. Give a brief introduction about your organization, its values and achievements. Highlight key elements that set you apart, be it a compelling story of your brand’s inception, a lucrative deal you managed to seal, or an instance where an internet marketing agency hired you for their needs.

4. Present facts and data

Dive deep into sales performance metrics, client satisfaction scores and feedback. Use charts, graphs and infographics to visually represent these facts. Testimonials and customer success stories provide that added layer of social proof. By showcasing concrete examples, like a customer’s story or feedback, you give your audience solid reasons to trust your product or service.

5. Finish with a memorable conclusion & CTA

Now that you’ve laid out all the information, conclude with a bang. Reiterate the value proposition and key insights you want your audience to remember. Perhaps share a compelling marketing campaign or a unique feature of your offering.

End with a clear call to action, directing your prospects on what to do next, whether it’s downloading further assistance material, getting in touch for more deals or moving further down the sales funnel .

Related: 8 Types of Presentations You Should Know [+Examples & Tips]

Sales presentation and the pitch deck may seem similar at first glance but their goals, focuses, and best-use scenarios differ considerably. Here’s a succinct breakdown of the two:

Sales Presentation:

• What is it? An in-depth dialogue designed to persuade potential clients to make a purchase.
• Focuses on: Brand identity, social proof, detailed product features, addressing customer pain points, and guiding to the buying process.
• Best for: Detailed interactions, longer meetings and thorough discussions with potential customers.
• Example: A sales rep detailing a marketing campaign to a potential client.

Pitch Deck:

• What is it? Pitch deck is a presentation to help potential investors learn more about your business. The main goal isn’t to secure funding but to pique interest for a follow-up meeting.
• Focuses on: Brand voice, key features, growth potential and an intriguing idea that captures the investor’s interest.
• Best for: Initial investor meetings, quick pitches, showcasing company potential.
• Example: A startup introducing its unique value proposition and growth trajectory to prospective investors.

Shared traits: Both aim to create interest and engagement with the audience. The primary difference lies in the intent and the audience: one is for selling a product/service and the other is for igniting investor interest.

Related: How to Create an Effective Pitch Deck Design [+Examples]

Final thoughts 

Sales presentations are the heart and soul of many businesses. They are the bridge between a potential customer’s needs and the solution your product or service offers. The examples provided—from clean, minimalist to professional styles—offer a spectrum of how you can approach your next sales presentation.

Remember, it’s not just about the aesthetics or the data; it’s about the narrative, the story you tell, and the connection you establish. And while sales presentations and pitch decks have their distinct purposes, the objective remains consistent: to engage, persuade and drive action.

If you’re gearing up for your next sales presentation, don’t start from scratch. Utilize Venngage presentation Maker and explore our comprehensive collection of sales presentation templates .

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Ultimate Guide to Building a Winning Sales Pitch Presentation + Templates

Published by Kimberley DERUDDER

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An ideal sales pitch presentation can make or break a deal. Similar to giving a speech, a sales presentation should deliver a story . The difference is that your pitch story aims to sell and increase trust in your business.

According to a recent study , people bounce from a sales deck in the first 15 seconds. That doesn’t give you much time to make an excellent first impression. This happens especially if you display your pitch online and can’t build your case individually.

But don’t worry! We love a good challenge. We decided to study what it is that sets great sales presentations apart from the sea of average pitches. It’s safe to assume that we figured it out.

Thus, we’ll go into the nitty gritty details of what makes a good sales presentation and what to avoid as a sales rep. Plus, we’ll give you the best sales presentation templates to help you nail your pitch deck.

What Is A Sales Pitch Presentation?

A sales pitch presentation lets you and your sales team showcase your brand to potential customers. It’s a crucial part of the sales process. It helps you connect with your audience and communicate the value you offer.

The primary purpose of a sales pitch is to engage and persuade your target audience to buy from you.

This involves understanding their needs and presenting your sales pitch in a way that resonates with them. Keep your message clear and simple yet personalized. Capture people’s attention and leave a lasting impression.

What Makes A Sales Pitch Successful?

A successful sales pitch grabs attention, addresses pain points, and convinces potential customers that your product or service is the solution they need.

After careful research, here is our best advice when it comes to crafting a successful sales deck:

• Tell a Story. Engage your audience by sharing relatable stories, success stories, or case studies. These should demonstrate your product’s value.
• Make Your Opening Memorable. Capture attention from the opening slide. Studies show that once people have read the first three pages of your slide deck, they’re more likely to stick to the end. Thus, use eye-catching visuals, a captivating statistic, or a bold statement.
• Research Your Target Audience. Understand their needs using tools like Google Analytics, surveys, or social media insights. Then, tailor your sales presentation pitch. You can also create buyer personas to understand your audience better.
• Address Pain Points. Identify the problems your audience faces and show how you deliver the solution. Picture your brand as a robust and reliable business they can trust with their issues.
• Keep It Short and Sweet. Be concise and avoid overwhelming your audience with too much information. Focus on your sales pitch deck’s most important features and key points. Don’t focus too much on the product features but the story and where your product fits in.
• Use Factual Data. Support your claims with data and statistics to build credibility and trust.
• Apply Marketing Strategies. Use time-tested marketing strategies to build momentum. You can get inspiration from Cialdini’s principles of persuasion (reciprocity, consistency, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity) to influence decision-making. They can come in handy during a sales presentation.
• Highlight the Solution. Show how your product or service solves the common problem your audience faces.

You’ll engage and persuade your audience using these tactics in your sales presentations. Ultimately, you’ll persuade them to choose your product or service.

9 Tips For Nailing Your Sales Pitch

Assuming you put together the perfect sales pitch, you still have half the battle to win. There’s a lot that comes with crafting a successful sales presentation.

Here are some practical sales presentation tips for nailing your pitch deck and finding a winning angle in the sales process:

• Practice Makes Perfect. Rehearse your sales presentation until you feel comfortable and confident. You could try perfecting your live pitch in the mirror. If you’re uploading the presentation online, get a professional to help you shoot and edit it.
• Create an Elevator Pitch. Create a shorter version of your sales deck in which you highlight the key points and have it ready to go. This can come in handy in case you’re facing a time constraint, or your potential customer wants you to speed up your speech.
• Customize Your Sales Deck. Tailor your sales deck to your target audience’s specific needs and preferences. You can start from a sales presentation outline, but always customize it to whoever you present. You can use a sales presentation template or a sales pitch deck template to get started.
• Be Consistent. Keep your branding and messaging consistent across all your sales materials, from your slide deck to your elevator pitch, website, social media, and more. This helps build trust and credibility with potential customers.
• Use Visual Aids. Support your presentation with visuals like charts, graphs, and images to keep your audience engaged and make complex data easier to digest.
• Leverage Social Proof . Include case studies, testimonials, or success stories from other customers to demonstrate your company’s track record and expertise in your industry.
• Offer a Clear Value Proposition. Make sure your sales pitch highlights the unique benefits of your product or service.
• Address the Feedback & Objections. Anticipate any concerns or objections your potential clients might have and address them in your presentation. Host a short Q&A session at the end of your sales pitches.
• Close with a Call-to-Action. End your sales pitch with a clear call to action that guides your audience through the buying process. Encourage them to take the next step.

Incorporating these tips into your sales pitch presentation will increase your chances of winning over potential customers and closing more deals . Good luck!

The Don’ts Of A Sales Presentation

Let’s assume you’ve ticked all boxes when it comes to nailing your business presentation. Everything should go according to the books. Still, what if something comes up?

Here’s a tip: Don’t just focus on doing everything right; keep an eye on not doing something wrong. This way, you’re prepared from both perspectives.

Here are some crucial points to avoid when crafting your sales presentation:

• Don’t Ignore Your Audience. Failing to research your market can result in a less effective sales presentation. Also, notice their live behavior and responses and adapt as you present. You don’t have to stick to a script if it’s not working.
• Avoid Overloading Information. Present only the most crucial points in your sales deck, keeping it short and focused. Too much data can overwhelm and disengage your audience.
• Skip Generic Templates. Customizing your sales presentation template helps create a unique and winning sales presentation that sets you apart. You can use Xara’s fully customizable sales presentation template examples to craft a good pitch.
• Resist Jargon and Fancy Words. Use simple language to ensure your prospects understand your message. Avoid industry jargon or buzzwords that might confuse your target market.
• Never Neglect Visuals. Incorporating visuals in your sales deck can help capture your audience’s attention and make your presentation more engaging.
• Don’t Make It All About You. Focus on addressing your prospect’s pain point and how your product or service offers a solution. Use a customer-centric approach, and avoid the look of a sale.
• Don’t Show Up Unprepared. Rehearse your sales presentation to ensure a smooth delivery. Have your sales team practice their sales decks too.

Remember, sales presentations are crucial for your business. By avoiding these common mistakes, you can create a presentation really delivers results.

Choosing The Right Sales Pitch Presentation Template For Your Business

Templates are the new digital hack. After all, no one has the time to craft presentations from scratch, especially in a competitive market like today. Time is money, so you need to earn time if you want to stop leaving cash on the table.

Plus, you can’t risk showing up with a poor design. You don’t get many shots with the same potential customers in the sales world. You either get it right or miss your chance.

Selecting the perfect sales pitch deck template is essential for showcasing your brand. Xara offers a range of templates tailored to different businesses and needs. Thus, we’ll explore some of the most popular options!

1. The Sales Product Overview Template

Looking for a sleek and classic design for your pitch deck? Check out our newest template on Xara Cloud .

This template is perfect for showcasing your product or service professionally and extensively.

Additionally, it’s fully customizable, so you can add, subtract, or personalize slides as needed to fit your specific sales pitch.

2. The Company Profile Pitch Deck

This pitch deck template is excellent for showcasing your business idea and company to potential customers or investors.

It provides an extensive overview of your mission, values, and future opportunities. You have the flexibility to customize it to match your brand’s guidelines.

This sales pitch presentation is particularly recommended for a people-oriented, B2C startup. It has a formal style, yet it is data-rich, and it offers plenty of slides to delve into the details of your company.

3. The B2B Sales Deck Pitch Template

This B2B sales deck is colorful, captivating, and distinctive. With many startup pitch decks to attend, this particular one has a solid potential to stick with your audience.

Its playful and interactive template displays data in diverse formats throughout the slides, using all the necessary features of a pitch deck. It stands out from the rest and leaves a long-lasting impression. Follow this template to make your pitch deck even more memorable and engaging.

4. The Business Pitch Deck

This business sales pitch presentation is essential when you have limited time to present your business model. This straightforward pitch highlights investors’ favorite slides, including case studies and how your product will offer the perfect solution. By adding a financial forecast slide, you can create the perfect pitch.

While this sales deck template is not your typical creative, out-of-the-box startup idea, it is designed to cater to the needs of businesses. The minimalist, straight-to-the-point design is similar to Uber’s pitch deck.

We recommend customizing it based on your brand to make it more personalized. Add your logo, fonts, and colors, and present it confidently to raise funding. Keep it short and sweet, and you’re good to go!

5. The Food Delivery Service

With a restaurant theme and plenty of visuals, this template includes all relevant slides, including an agenda, summary, and business model.

6. The Company Pr ofile Pitch Deck (V2)

This sales presentation template is an excellent option if you’re looking for a modern and sleek pitch deck template. It features simple yet professional design elements that are perfect for startups in the tech, SaaS, or e-commerce industries.

One of this template’s standout features is the ample space for pictures. You can easily insert your images to make the presentation more personalized. Additionally, you can add quotes or strong lines to specific slides to evoke an emotional response from your audience.

When using this template, make sure to give special attention to the competition, problem, and traction slides. Remember to balance the use of numbers and storytelling to create a connection with potential investors. After all, investors are people, too, and want to be engaged with a compelling story that resonates with them.

7. The Agency Pitch Deck

You may find The Agency Pitch Deck a helpful template if you are in the service industry, particularly in consulting or running an agency. It is also great for creative practices and SaaS businesses. The template features a formal, modern, and colorful theme that can help you capture your audience’s attention.

Using this eye-catching pitch deck can make it easier for you to raise funds for your innovative idea. However, remember that a good design can only take you so far. It is essential to pay attention to your business plan, go-to-market strategy, and critical points. Remember that the best pitch presentations are those that convey your business idea professionally and stick with your audience.

Takeaway: Sales Presentations Are Half of the Story, So Bring Your Best Self to the Table

Creating an excellent sales presentation is half the battle for sales reps in any industry. Following our guidelines, you can craft an effective sales pitch and win the other half.

Remember: Keep it short and simple, and use relatable stories to make an impact. Ensure your solution (product or service) is tailored to your audience’s needs. Customize your favorite template to save time and win over the design aspect. You’re done — congrats!

Explore Xara’s templates and resources, designed to empower sales reps and businesses in creating exceptional sales presentations. Capture qualified leads, stand out in your industry, and close more deals with the right tools at your fingertips.

Ready to elevate your sales pitch game? Check out Xara’s wide range of templates and resources today!

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Prepare, Present, And Follow Up: How To Nail Your Best Sales Presentation

Some people find presenting easy. They seem to have an intuitive understanding of how to grab and keep the attention of everyone in the room. Meanwhile, there are those who confess presenting is stressful. What to do if you are a sales rep who belongs to this second type?

There is a piece of good news for you: you can definitely master the art too. To deliver the best sales presentation, you should learn key tips beforehand, so you’ll be ready the next time you’re done with lead generation .

In this blog post, we’ll break down the process of creating a sales presentation into steps and discuss best practices you can use at each stage.

Sales presentations — what are they?

• Why is it difficult to deliver a good sales presentation?

Step 1. Preparing for a sales presentation

Step 2. presentation, step 3. follow-up.

A sales presentation is a part of the sales process wherein a salesperson demonstrates a product/service and explains in detail how to use it with a single aim — to move a prospect further down the sales funnel , motivating them to buy it. 

The best sales presentation makes room for questions, so it becomes a genuine two-way process, in which the prospect understands the value of the sales offering, while the sales rep learns more about their target market, prospect’s real wants, and needs. 

Another significant characteristic of a successful sales presentation is that the audience will likely feature some major players, i.e., decision-makers, which definitely streamlines the sales process.

But why is it sometimes difficult to deliver a good sales presentation?

The truth is, people, in general, don’t find presentations exciting. About 79% agree that listening to others presenting them something is boring. Your goal as a salesperson is to make your sales presentation engaging so your prospects understand all the benefits of your product without being overloaded with unnecessary information. Thus, professional presentation design and limited data are key to attractive slides.

Seems like a challenge, doesn’t it? Worry not, though. This post is designed to help you prepare the sales presentation step by step. 

How to give a successful sales presentation: a step-by-step guide

We recommend that you break down the process of delivering your sales presentation into three logical steps:

• Preparation
• Presentation itself

Let’s discuss what you should do at each of these steps, so you can be forearmed with a good outline next time you present your solution to prospective customers.

Good sales presentations begin before the speaker actually enters the room or joins the call . That’s the case when success is down to preparation. 

Preparation for the sales presentation means getting knowledgeable about any details relevant to your product, prospect, and the market in general. Incorporating an AI presentation tool can enhance your preparation, providing insights for more engaging and effective communication.

This is why this first step to giving your best sales presentation should boil down to the following tasks: 

Know your product

You need to know your product features inside out. Learn this information from your team and study the questions about your product that your customers frequently ask. These issues are likely to come up during the presentation itself. 

Try to test your product features as a user on your own. This way, you’ll be well-versed in how it’s all working and better understand your solution’s benefits. Look through your product testimonials to back up your expertise with real data from the current customers who have been using your product successfully for some time. 

Now think about how to render information about your company and solution simply and clearly — prospects you’ll be presenting to may have little knowledge of what your business is doing.

Know your competitors

“Know your enemy” — a saying you’ve probably heard many times. In business, it’s not about enemies but rather competitors who may serve as a good background for your product growth. 

Look more precisely into the solutions your prospects might buy instead of yours. Identify their weaknesses, so you can shine while comparing your features to theirs. But don’t neglect to study their strengths, too, so you’re prepared to overlay them with the benefits of your product. 

On top of this, learn how your competitors give their sales presentations. If they turn up with slick visuals and the most up-to-date software , you’re going to look pretty lackluster with your ring-bound notepad. 

Research your competitors both online and using any printed materials they circulate to potential customers. Get a feel for their tone of voice and brand identity. If there are any elements of their approach you can successfully assimilate (in a fully legal fashion), do so. They’d do the same to you. After all, all’s fair in love and sales. 

Gain customer knowledge

Knowing your customers and their buyer behavior is crucial to a successful sales presentation. Always keep in mind: you’re there not just to talk about your product but to connect with your prospecting customers. For this to happen, you have to know them well and identify their needs and wants. 

Before you even start a sales process, you’ll build your ideal customer profile , which will help you target prospects who are more likely to buy your product. But it doesn’t mean they’ll all actually will. 

So, at this stage, learn more about your prospect’s buyer personas. How long have they been in the company you’re selling to? Are they experts in their field? Have they bought from your competitors before?

Study the market 

What, in essence, does the company you’re presenting your solution to is doing? What’s the nature of their market? What problems are they likely to deal with? How might your product help solve them?

It will work wonders if you show you’ve done thorough research about the market your prospects operate in and their challenges and offer ways your company can assist in healing their pain points. You’ll come across as someone who wants to make their life a little better, which is hard to resist. 

Now that you’ve worked hard to prepare for the sales presentation, let’s discuss what strategies will help you win your prospect’s heart during the sales call or meeting when you’re demonstrating your demo. 

Leverage storytelling

One of the most powerful tools while making a sales presentation is telling your prospect a good story . People like stories: we’ve been gathering around campfires to hear tales from our fellows for centuries. OK, the tribes of antiquity were probably not assembled to learn about what the newest support chatbot could do for them, but there are some constants of storytelling that pertain to marketing and sales even now. The fact is, stories can be fun, and they can be memorable. 

Tell the company’s story: why it was born, how it was born, and the dreams and ideas behind it. People love stories of struggle and eventual triumph, so stage it like this, but don’t go overboard. Something else people like about a story? Brevity. 

Tell your prospects about one of your current customers who faced a problem your product could alleviate, propelling the company to succeed. Testimonials you’ve prepared at the first stage will be pretty helpful here 🙂 

Emphasize the value of your solution by painting a picture of what might be achievable when all obstacles are overcome. Once your prospect can envisage this promised land, you can tell them how your product will get them there, faster than other alternatives (aka your competitors). 

Use technology

You can’t rely solely on your magnetism and storytelling while giving a sales presentation. The modern audience expects a little more of an audio-visual feast than a salesman with a clipboard. They expect a digital pitch . 

Any technology like PowerPoint is a great way to get information across in a manner pleasant to your prospect’s eye. Well-crafted PowerPoint templates will allow you to visualize your product features, while a nicely laid out infographic will make the information you’ll be telling your prospect not tedious to hear. Look at the example:

If an image can somehow put what you’re saying in a better way, do use it in your sales presentation. 

In addition, you can use video content to present your solution. Short videos work miracles — not a surprise, about 94% of marketers say video has helped them increase user understanding of a product/service.

Include social proof

Social proof is a psychological phenomenon that consists in people mimicking the actions of others when faced with uncertainty. In marketing and sales, you can use social proof in a variety of forms:

• Customer reviews
• Testimonials
• Certifications and awards
• Influencers
• Press features
• Endorsements from experts in your industry

Social proof greatly influences decision-making: 2 out of 3 people say they’d be more likely to make a purchase after watching a testimonial video demonstrating how a business, product, or service had helped another person like them. 

You can learn who to ask for social proof professionally in our post about customer referrals . 

Demonstrate your product functionality

Don’t forget to bring the product in with you, of course.

If your product is digital, like an application or other software, have it installed and ready for work in real-time. 

Say, if your company is offering a CRM solution , show how all of its features work as soon as your prospect onboards. You can even let them try it on their own, under your caring guidance. This way, prospects will test it beforehand – the experience that will be more likely to result in their decision to buy it. 

End your presentation with a call to action

Your sales presentation can’t be just a one-way conversation. You should aim at building relationships with your prospect. A call to action (CTA) actually extends the life of your sales presentation, whereby you give them something to think about…and come back. 

In your call to action, offer your prospect one or two next steps. Just ensure it is short, straightforward, and personal. For example, instead of using something generic like ‘Download the guide,’ try something like ‘Become a pro with this short guide.’ The second option highlights the benefits and sounds more buddy-like, doesn’t it?

A sales presentation doesn’t end at the last slide and a polite ‘Goodbye.’ You should be sure your prospect has got the idea right, has no questions to ask, and is satisfied with how a presentation went. So, at this final step, we recommend that you do the following:

Ask yourself a series of questions about your performance. These could include:

• ‘Have I identified my prospect’s problem and offered solutions?’ 
• ‘Have I made sure the prospect knew how much I appreciated the chance to present to them?’
• ‘Have I encouraged a dialogue?’
• ‘Have I kept my comments relevant and engaging?’

Then rate your performance on each of these aspects out of 10. Doing this exercise immediately after the presentation will give you a good idea of how you performed.

Approach the prospect for feedback

If the call to action doesn’t seem to have worked, and the prospect isn’t hurrying up to order from you, there’s nothing wrong with approaching them and asking (but briefly) what feelings they have after the demo and what they think about your solution.  

Any customer retention guide will tell you about the importance of making a customer feel valued, and following up is an aspect of that. Ask if they’ve had time to think about what you had discussed and see if there’s anything you can do for them to seal the deal. This way, you’ll demonstrate that you care about your prospect’s feelings.

Quite often, the prospect may have loved the product but hasn’t had time to mull over how best to implement it. You can assist by suggesting ways your product might be integrated into their company and emphasizing how much time will be saved once the product is in place. 

Some basics to end with

To crown it all, we’ve gathered several simple tips to help you deliver effective sales presentations. Here are a few of them:

• Make eye contact. Sales professionals know this is one of the most important sales techniques. If you aren’t afraid to look directly in the eyes of your prospect, you come across as honest. In addition, this allows you to notice how they feel when you’re saying something and adjust your speech accordingly.  
• Relax. Your behavior at the sales presentation should convey calmness and confidence, so even if it’s your first demo in life, try to be relaxed. You’re an expert, and your knowledge of the subject is enough not to worry.  
• Listen. Though a sales presentation seems your moment to speak, remember to make contact with the prospect. Be attentive to what they’re asking and telling you. That’ll prove you really care.  
• Learn from the best. You don’t have to come across like Cirque du Soleil or PT Barnum, but it can help if you demonstrate a little showmanship. Watch some videos of great orators (from Martin Luther King to Jerry Seinfeld), but do bear in mind your capabilities. If you want to improve in this area, consider a public speaking course. 
• Practice, especially if you’re part of a sales team making the presentation. The more people there are, the greater the potential for mess-ups, so get that presentation nailed. You’ll all feel much more confident, which will be visible to your prospects. 

Wrapping up

The key to your best sales presentation, like any other business communication , is your knowledge and understanding of the interlocutor. Have a clear message, ensure you’re using all the tricks to get it across and practice until you know your pitch inside out. When you deliver your demo, be mindful of your prospect’s needs and ensure they get a chance to express them. 

Whatever sales presentation ideas you use, if you treat your audience with respect and look like you genuinely want to be there with them, you’ll give yourself the best chance of success. And if you need a single platform for all your sales activities, Snov.io is always here for you.

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7 Amazing Sales Presentation Examples (And How to Make Them Your Own)

7 Types of Slides to Include In Your Sales Presentation

Inside the mind of your prospect: change is hard, before-after-bridge: the only formula you need to create a persuasive sales presentation, facebook — how smiles and simplicity make you more memorable, contently — how to build a strong bridge, brick by brick, yesware — how to go above and beyond with your benefits, uber — how to cater your content for readers quick to scan, dealtap — how to use leading questions to your advantage, zuora — how to win over your prospects by feeding them dots, linkedin sales navigator — how to create excitement with color, how to make a sales pitch in 4 straightforward steps, 7 embarrassing pitfalls to avoid in your presentation, over to you.

A brilliant sales presentation has a number of things going for it.

Being product-centered isn’t one of them. Or simply focusing on your sales pitch won’t do the trick.

So what can you do to make your offer compelling?

From different types of slides to persuasive techniques and visuals, we’ve got you covered.

Below, we look at data-backed strategies, examples, and easy steps to build your own sales presentations in minutes.

• Title slide: Company name, topic, tagline
• The “Before” picture: No more than three slides with relevant statistics and graphics.
• The “After” picture: How life looks with your product. Use happy faces.
• Company introduction: Who you are and what you do (as it applies to them).
• The “Bridge” slide: Short outcome statements with icons in circles.
• Social proof slides: Customer logos with the mission statement on one slide. Pull quote on another.
• “We’re here for you” slide: Include a call-to-action and contact information.

Many sales presentations fall flat because they ignore this universal psychological bias: People overvalue the benefits of what they have over what they’re missing.

Harvard Business School professor John T. Gourville calls this the “ 9x Effect .” Left unchecked, it can be disastrous for your business.

According to Gourville, “It’s not enough for a new product simply to be better. Unless the gains far outweigh the losses, customers will not adopt it.”

The good news: You can influence how prospects perceive these gains and losses. One of the best ways to prove value is to contrast life before and after your product.

Luckily, there’s a three-step formula for that.

• Before → Here’s your world…
• After → Imagine what it would be like if…
• Bridge → Here’s how to get there.

Start with a vivid description of the pain, present an enviable world where that problem doesn’t exist, then explain how to get there using your tool.

It’s super simple, and it works for cold emails , drip campaigns , and sales discovery decks. Basically anywhere you need to get people excited about what you have to say.

In fact, a lot of companies are already using this formula to great success. The methods used in the sales presentation examples below will help you do the same.

We’re all drawn to happiness. A study at Harvard tells us that emotion is contagious .

You’ll notice that the “Before” (pre-Digital Age) pictures in Facebook’s slides all display neutral faces. But the cover slide that introduces Facebook and the “After” slides have smiling faces on them.

This is important. The placement of those graphics is an intentional persuasion technique.

Studies by psychologists show that we register smiles faster than any other expression. All it takes is 500 milliseconds (1/20th of a second). And when participants in a study were asked to recall expressions, they consistently remembered happy faces over neutral ones.

What to do about it : Add a happy stock photo to your intro and “After” slides, and keep people in “Before” slides to neutral expressions.

Here are some further techniques used during the sales presentation:

Tactic #1: Use Simple Graphics

Use simple graphics to convey meaning without text.

Example: Slide 2 is a picture of a consumer’s hand holding an iPhone — something we can all relate to.

Why It Works: Pictures are more effective than words — it’s called  Picture Superiority . In presentations, pictures help you create connections with your audience. Instead of spoon-feeding them everything word for word, you let them interpret. This builds trust.

Tactic #2: Use Icons

Use icons to show statistics you’re comparing instead of listing them out.

Example: Slide 18 uses people icons to emphasize how small 38 out of 100 people is compared to 89 out of 100.

Why It Works:  We process visuals 60,000 times faster than text.

Tactic #3: Include Statistics

Include statistics that tie real success to the benefits you mention.

Example: “71% lift driving visits to retailer title pages” (Slide 26).

Why It Works:  Precise details prove that you are telling the truth.

Just like how you can’t drive from Marin County to San Francisco without the Golden Gate, you can’t connect a “Before” to an “After” without a bridge.

Add the mission statement of your company — something Contently does from Slide 1 of their deck. Having a logo-filled Customers slide isn’t unusual for sales presentations, but Contently goes one step further by showing you exactly what they do for these companies.

They then drive home the Before-After-Bridge Formula further with case studies:

Before : Customer’s needs when they came on

After: What your company accomplished for them

Bridge : How they got there (specific actions and outcomes)

Here are some other tactics we pulled from the sales presentation:

Tactic #1: Use Graphics/Diagrams

Use graphics, Venn diagrams, and/or equations to drive home your “Before” picture.

Why It Works:  According to a Cornell study , graphs and equations have persuasive power. They “signal a scientific basis for claims, which grants them greater credibility.”

Tactic #2: Keep Slides That Have Bullets to a Minimum

Keep slides that have bullets to a minimum. No more than one in every five slides.

Why It Works:  According to an experiment by the International Journal of Business Communication , “Subjects exposed to a graphic representation paid significantly more attention to , agreed more with, and better recalled the strategy than did subjects who saw a (textually identical) bulleted list.”

Tactic #3: Use Visual Examples

Follow up your descriptions with visual examples.

Example: After stating “15000+ vetted, ready to work journalists searchable by location, topical experience, and social media influence” on Slide 8, Contently shows what this looks like firsthand on slides 9 and 10.

Why It Works:  The same reason why prospects clamor for demos and car buyers ask for test drives. You’re never truly convinced until you see something for yourself.

Which is more effective for you?

This statement — “On average, Yesware customers save ten hours per week” — or this image:

The graphic shows you what that 10 hours looks like for prospects vs. customers. It also calls out a pain that the product removes: data entry.

Visuals are more effective every time. They fuel retention of a presentation from 10% to 65% .

But it’s not as easy as just including a graphic. You need to keep the design clean.

Can you feel it?

Clutter provokes anxiety and stress because it bombards our minds with excessive visual stimuli, causing our senses to work overtime on stimuli that aren’t important.

Here’s a tip from Yesware’s Graphic Designer, Ginelle DeAntonis:

“Customer logos won’t all necessarily have the same dimensions, but keep them the same size visually so that they all have the same importance. You should also disperse colors throughout, so that you don’t for example end up with a bunch of blue logos next to each other. Organize them in a way that’s easy for the eye, because in the end it’s a lot of information at once.”

Here are more tactics to inspire sales presentation ideas:

Tactic #1: Personalize Your Final Slide

Personalize your final slide with your contact information and a headline that drives emotion.

Example: Our Mid-Market Team Lead Kyle includes his phone number and email address with “We’re Here For You”

Why It Works: These small details show your audience that:

• This is about giving them the end picture, not making a sale
• The end of the presentation doesn’t mean the end of the conversation
• Questions are welcomed

Tactic #2: Pair Outcome Statements With Icons in Circles

Example: Slide 4 does this with seven different “After” outcomes.

Why It Works:  We already know why pictures work, but circles have power , too. They imply completeness, infiniteness, and harmony.

Tactic #3: Include Specific Success Metrics

Don’t just list who you work with; include specific success metrics that hit home what you’ve done for them.

Example: 35% New Business Growth for Boomtrain; 30% Higher Reply Rates for Dyn.

Why It Works:  Social proof drives action. It’s why we wait in lines at restaurants and put ourselves on waitlists for sold-out items.

People can only focus for eight seconds at a time. (Sadly, goldfish have one second on us.)

This means you need to cut to the chase fast.

Uber’s headlines in Slides 2-9 tailor the “After” picture to specific pain points. As a result, there’s no need to explicitly state a “Before.”

Slides 11-13 then continue touching on “Before” problems tangentially with customer quotes:

So instead of self-touting benefits, the brand steps aside to let consumers hear from their peers — something that sways 92% of consumers .

Leading questions may be banned from the courtroom, but they aren’t in the boardroom.

DealTap’s slides ask viewers to choose between two scenarios over and over. Each has an obvious winner:

Ever heard of the Focusing Effect?

It’s part of what makes us tick as humans and what makes this design move effective. We focus on one thing and then ignore the rest. Here, DealTap puts the magnifying glass on paperwork vs. automated transactions.

Easy choice.

Sure, DealTap’s platform might have complexities that rival paperwork, but we don’t think about that. We’re looking at the pile of work one the left and the simpler, single interface on the right.

Here are some other tactics to use in your own sales presentation:

Tactic #1: Tell a Story

Tell a story that flows from one slide to the next.

Example: Here’s the story DealTap tells from slides 4 to 8: “Transactions are complicated” → “Expectations on all sides” → “Too many disconnected tools” → “Slow and error prone process” → “However, there’s an opportunity.

Why It Works:   Storytelling in sales with a clear beginning and end (or in this case, a “Before” and “After”) trigger a trust hormone called Oxytocin.

Tactic #2: This vs. That

If it’s hard to separate out one “Before” and “After” vision with your product or service because you offer many dissimilar benefits, consider a “This vs. That” theme for each.

Why It Works:  It breaks up your points into simple decisions and sets you up to win emotional reactions from your audience with stock photos.

Remember how satisfying it was to play connect the dots? Forming a bigger picture out of disconnected circles.

That’s what you need to make your audience do.

Zuora tells a story by:

• Laying out the reality (the “Before” part of the Before-After-Bridge formula).
• Asking you a question that you want to answer (the “After”)
• Giving you hints to help you connect the dots
• Showing you the common thread (the “Bridge”)

You can achieve this by founding your sales presentation on your audience’s intuitions. Set them up with the closely-set “dots,” then let them make the connection.

Here are more tactical sales presentation ideas to steal for your own use:

Tactic #1: Use Logos and Testimonials

Use logos and  testimonial pull-quotes for your highest-profile customers to strengthen your sales presentation.

Example: Slides 21 to 23 include customer quotes from Schneider Electric, Financial Times, and Box.

Why It Works: It’s called  social proof . Prospects value other people’s opinions and trust reputable sources more than you.

Tactic #2: Include White Space

Pad your images with white space.

Example: Slide 17 includes two simple graphics on a white background to drive home an important concept.

Why It Works:  White space creates separation, balance, and attracts the audience’s eyes to the main focus: your image.

Tactic #3: Incorporate Hard Data

Incorporate hard data with a memorable background to make your data stand out.

Example: Slide 5 includes statistics with a backdrop that stands out. The number and exciting title (‘A Global Phenomenon’) are the main focuses of the slide.

Why It Works:  Vivid backdrops are proven to be memorable and help your audience take away important numbers or data.

Psychology tells us that seeing colors can set our mood .

The color red is proven to increase the pulse and heart rate. Beyond that, it’s associated with being active, aggressive, and outspoken. LinkedIn Sales Navigator uses red on slides to draw attention to main points:

You can use hues in your own slides to guide your audience’s emotions. Green gives peace; grey adds a sense of calm; blue breeds trust. See more here .

Tip: You can grab free photos from Creative Commons and then set them to black & white and add a colored filter on top using a (also free) tool like Canva . Here’s the sizing for your image:

Caveat: Check with your marketing team first to see if you have a specific color palette or brand guidelines to follow.

Here are some other takeaways from LinkedIn’s sales presentation:

Tactic #1: Include a CTA on Final Slide

Include one clear call-to-action on your final slide.

Example: Slide 9 has a “Learn More” CTA button.

Why It Works:  According to the Paradox of Choice , the more options you give, the less likely they are to act.

Step One : Ask marketing for your company’s style guide (color, logo, and font style).

Step Two: Answer these questions to outline the “Before → After → Bridge” formula for your sales pitch :

• What are your ICP’s pain points?
• What end picture resonates with them?
• How does your company come into play?

Step Three: Ask account management/marketing which customers you can mention in your slides (plus where to access any case studies for pull quotes).

Step Four:  Download photos from Creative Commons . Remember: Graphics > Text. Use Canva to edit on your own — free and fast.

What are the sales presentation strategies that work best for your industry and customers? Tweet us:  @Yesware .

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The 5 Critical Guidelines for Sales Presentations that Close Deals

There’s nothing more discouraging for your sales reps than to reach the end of a sales presentation and hear, “I have to think it over and get back to you.”

In today’s competitive marketplace, your reps must make the biggest impact on prospects when they have the chance. That’s why it’s so important they feel confident delivering a convincing sales presentation.

Coach your salespeople to follow these 5 Critical Sales Presentation Guidelines and they’ll be giving presentations that close deals in no time.

1. Start by Listening

By nature, salespeople tend to be talkative and want to jump right into a pitch with the benefits of their product or service.

This isn’t in line with a customer-focused selling approach, however. To deliver a presentation that speaks to the buyer’s wants and needs, a salesperson must begin by asking questions and listening.

Encourage your reps to start each meeting by quickly introducing themselves. Then, they should ask each member of the buying committee to provide some information.

That might go a little something like this:

“Before we get started, I’d like to go around the room and have each of you tell me your name, your role at XYZ company, and why (adding your solution or switching to your solution) is important to you.”

Your salespeople can use this information to map out the  decision-making unit , and determine each person’s wants and needs.

2. Quickly Identify Buyer Behavior Style – And Adapt to Match

Your salespeople likely have a small window to meet face-to-face with prospect and customers.

To make every moment count, they must quickly build trust and establish a connection. And the fastest, most effective way to do that is to determine a buyer’s behavior style (within the first 30 seconds of meeting) and adapt their communication approach to match.

The importance of this step in a sales presentation cannot be overstated.

Use this  blog post  to help your sales reps quickly identify buyer behavior style and adapt their presentation strategy to be most effective.

3. Encourage Feedback and Welcome Interruptions

There’s no better way to lose a prospect’s attention than to drone on through the bullet points of a slide deck.

Your sales reps should let the prospect or buying committee know upfront that questions are welcome. During the presentation, they should keep eye contact and watch out for body language and non-verbal communication that indicates someone in the audience is confused or bored.

By asking for feedback and receiving it, your reps will know when they’re in the right direction, and when they need to change course.

4. Get Creative and Be Memorable

Sales professionals should keep in mind that their presentations are taking time out of a prospect’s day.

They can stand out from the crowd and make a real impression by capturing and holding their audience’s attention.

This can be achieved by tailoring communication and case studies to match the behavior style of the buyer—and also by getting creative with the style of the presentation.

Here are some ways your sales reps can get creative with their sales presentations:

• Incorporate visual aids and/or physical props  – Anything that allows an audience to use more than one sense will increase engagement and drive a point home.
• Make the most of  storytelling  – A well-timed and well-delivered story can help the prospect visualize how your solution will solve their challenge or make their life easier.
• Update the tired PowerPoint presentation  – Use  PowerPoint’s full suite of capabilities , like embedding videos, animations, audio, and more. (Or experiment with an alternative presentation tool like Prezi.)
• Leave something behind  – Whether it’s a cool branded pen, fidget spinner, or something clever that relates to your offering, a souvenir can make your prospects think of your company after the presentation is over.

5. Keep it Short and to the Point

Everyone is busy, including your prospects and customers.

Coach your reps to tailor their presentations with the features, benefits, and case studies most relevant to the buyer.

(If your sales reps follow a front-loaded sales process like  IMPACT Selling , they will have uncovered a prospect’s wants and needs early on to deliver the most effective sales presentation.)

When your salespeople get laser focused on what is most valuable to the buyer, they can position themselves as a strategic partner and build trust—two keys to succeeding in a competitive marketplace.

Bring these sales presentation tips to your next sales meeting and use it as an opportunity for your sales team to practice their presentation skills.

The Sales Negotiation Training program builds on these presentation fundamentals and gives sales reps the tips and tools to build value and not only sell more—but sell more at higher margin.

The Five Qualifying Characteristics of a Legitimate Sales Opportunity

Written By Lisa Rose

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A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines

See Also: Guideline Hub | Atrial Fibrillation

Date: November 30, 2023    

Clinical Topics: Arrhythmias and Clinical EP, Atrial Fibrillation/Supraventricular Arrhythmias

Keywords: Atrial Fibrillation

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Gemini is an AI-powered assistant that can help you save time, create captivating learning experiences, and inspire fresh ideas — all in a private and secure environment.

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Gemini is your AI assistant across Google Workspace for Education

Research and brainstorm, create content, write and summarize emails, enhance presentations, stay organized, improve meetings.

Research and brainstorm new ideas for professional development, lesson plans, IT security policies, and more by chatting with Gemini at gemini.google.com . Here, an IT admin uses Gemini to get ideas for security settings to implement in Google Workspace Education Plus.

Create content in seconds: go from a blank page to a lesson plan, grant proposal, letter of recommendation, and more with Gemini in Docs . Here, an instructional coach uses Gemini in Docs to create a lesson plan template they can share with educators in their district.

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Amity University Uttar Pradesh

Amity school of engineering and technology, technovate 2024.

Poster and Project Presentation

About Technovate 2024

Technovate is an annual event organized by Amity School of Engineering and Technology with the aim of selecting brilliant and talented students for research projects in Engineering & Technology, finding opportunities for Interdisciplinary Research, identifying innovative ideas of students that could be converted to patents and publications, appreciating Student Innovators and motivating them to work on research and innovation, with more focus and precision

E2 Auditorium

Wednesday - Thursday 29 th - 30 th May 2024

Event starts in

Highlights of technovate’ 2024.

• Showcase the technical skills and innovative ideas of Engineering Students
• Explore and identify the potential projects that can be patented, incubated, or developed further as an industry ready product.
• Promote Industry Engagement
• Facilitate Peer Learning and Knowledge Sharing.
• Provide Networking Opportunities

Guidelines for Preparing Technical Poster for Technovate

Some guidelines to help you create an impactful poster presentation:

• Start with a clear and concise title that reflects the essence of your project.
• Include the names of all project contributors, their affiliations, and contact information.
• Provide a brief abstract of your major project, outlining its Highlights and significance.
• Explain very briefly the methods and techniques used in your project.
• Use diagrams, flowcharts, or bullet points to make this section easy to understand.
• Present your findings clearly and concisely.
• Utilize graphs, charts, tables, and images to illustrate your results.
• Highlight any significant discoveries or outcomes of your project.
• Interpret your results and discuss their implications.
• Compare your findings with existing literature or previous work in the field.
• Address any limitations or challenges encountered during the project.
• Summarize the key points of your project.
• Emphasize the significance of your findings and any future directions for research.
• Use a clean and professional layout for your poster.
• Ensure readability by using clear fonts and appropriate font sizes.
• Maintain a cohesive colour scheme and avoid cluttering the poster with excessive text or visuals.
• Incorporate eye-catching visuals and graphics to engage viewers.
• Arrange the content of your poster in a logical sequence.
• Use headings and subheadings to guide viewers through different sections.
• Proofread your poster carefully to eliminate any spelling or grammatical errors.
• Request your project guides to review your poster for feedback before finalizing it.
• Ensure that your poster is formatted correctly for printing in A3 size.
• Print your poster on high-quality paper or material for a professional finish.
• Practice your presentation to familiarize yourself with the content and flow.
• Be prepared to answer questions and engage with viewers during your presentation.

Core Committee

• Dr Madhuri Kumari
• Dr Nitasha Hasteer

Organizing Committee

• Dr Shilpi Sharma
• Dr Sindhu Hak Gupta
• Dr Meeta Sharma
• Dr Kamlesh Pandey
• Dr Richa Sharma
• Dr Punj L Singh
• Dr Jitendra S Jadon

Past Technovate Glimpses

More From Forbes

Cybertruck sales jump as tesla races to catch ford f-150 lightning.

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Cybertruck sales about to take off?

The Tesla Cybertruck is starting to rack up sales gains despite its high price, availability, and a production-halting glitch. Can it catch the category-leading Ford F-150 Lightning?

Tesla sold 1,158 Cybertrucks in March, according to S&P Global Mobility ( via Automotive News ), beating the Rivian R1T pickup by more than 2 to 1 with 548 registrations. This is up from a mere 28 Cybertruck registrations in December. “The Cybertruck is an extremely unusual unique product,” Tom Libby, an analyst at S&P Global Mobility, told me in a phone interview. “Partially because it’s Tesla but also because of its unique design. So within its category of luxury, full size pickups, it's doing very well,” he said. This uptick in Cybertruck registrations is happening despite a recent recall and a reported temporary halt of production in April (WSJ) that has limited sales. The growth in registrations should continue as monthly production rates continue to rise against a backdrop of a large pool of reservation holders. Tesla said it produced over 1,000 Cybertrucks in a single week in April when it announced earnings last month. While the new rear-wheel drive Cybertruck starts at $60,990 on Tesla’s website, only the higher-priced trims are shown as deliverable — the all-wheel drive model at $79,990, and the Cyberbeast model, priced at $99,990.

Ford F series EV leads the way but Cybertruck is catching up.

The EV competition — Ford F-150 Lighting and Hummer EV deals: Rivian is fading somewhat as it shifts its focus from the R1T pickup to the R1S SUV. Sales of the R1T pickup plunged 47.5% in the first quarter to 3,261 units from 6,213 in the same quarter of last year, while sales of the R1S shot up 588.7% to 8,017 from 1,164 in the same period last year, according to Kelley Blue Book. That leaves Ford F-150 Lightning as the 800 pound gorilla in the EV pickup market. “Given the clout of the F series in general that product will be competitive,” said Libby. The Lightning has been leading in monthly sales for almost two years now, according to S&P Global Mobility. And it beat the Cybertruck handily in March with 2,893 registrations. But the CT is closing the gap and it closed that gap by a lot in March. Not to be outsold, Ford has been getting aggressive with deals. It is now offering 0% financing for 60 months on the Lightning combined with a $7,500 tax incentive ( via CarsDirect ). The Hummer EV, not to be outdone, is now being offered with a $0 down lease . “GM's lease incentives for the Hummer have improved quite a bit over the past several months, resulting in some surprising quirks,” said Alex Bernstein Senior Manager, Content & Web Ops at CarsDirect. “Last month, our analysis found that a $100,000 Hummer could be $34,000 more expensive than a Ford Lightning but $108 per month cheaper to lease,” he said.

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