what makes the best sales presentation

10 Best Sales Presentations To Inspire Your Sales Deck [+ 5 Tips]

Published: August 17, 2022

While many salespeople focus on making their sales decks flashy, fun, and exciting, they do little to ensure that their presentations address the prospect's top concerns and offer an irresistible solution.

As a result, many presentations are met with wishy-washy responses that drag along the sales process and waste valuable time.

What does a great sales deck look like? We'll take a look at some of the best, and provide tips for creating your own stellar sales deck and presentation.

What is a sales deck?

A sales deck is a slide presentation (e.g., PowerPoint, Keynote, etc.) used to supplement a sales pitch. The sales pitch, given by a salesperson to a prospect, often includes an overview of the product or service, offers a value proposition and solution for the prospect, and includes examples of success stories from other clients.

The primary purpose of a sales deck and presentation is to introduce a solution (ie, your pitch ) that ultimately leads the prospect to purchase from your company.

If you've done everything right during the discovery process — digging deep into your prospect's challenges and understanding exactly what they need — only to get a noncommittal response, then your presentation needs some major adjusting.

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Sales Deck vs Pitch Deck

A sales deck is a pitch meant to convince a prospect to make a purchase by showcasing your product features, benefits, and value proposition.

A pitch deck , on the other hand, is usually created for investors who want to learn more about your company, vision, products, financials, and target audience. Think of the pitch deck more like a synthesized version of your business plan.

Ready to see some sales deck examples? Here are a few of the best, in no particular order.

Sales Deck Examples

• UpstartWorks
• Attention Media
• Leadgeeks.io

1. Leadnomics Sales Deck by Katya Kovalenko

Leadnomics has done something few companies successfully do in presentations: Showcase their brand identity.

The internet marketing agency hired a designer to create a sales deck that reflected their sleek, techie brand.

So while prospects learn about Leadnomics and what it offers, they can also get a peek into what it represents as a brand.

2. UpstartWorks Sales Deck by BrightCarbon

This slide deck for UpstartWorks starts with an image of the road to success, followed by a value proposition and a list of benefits buyers can enjoy from working with the company. They provide an overview of what they deliver to customers, who their clients are, and the results their customer base has seen.

The sales deck touches on all the key points a sales presentation should cover. And when it includes graphics and logos, they are clearly organized and not cluttered.

3. QS Sales Deck by BrightCarbon

QS , a platform that ranks colleges and universities, effectively uses icons and visuals throughout its sales deck to communicate its messages. At just a few slides, this is one of the shortest sales decks featured on this list.

If you’re going to make your sales deck short, make sure the information you include gets straight to the point, and be sure to front-load the most important information.

In terms of content, QS showcases its features, value proposition, and client impact.

4. Attention Media Sales Deck by Slides

Attention Media , a B2B creative agency, hired a presentation design agency to create a sales deck that features statistics and reasons businesses should work with them.

Key figures and messages are either in a bold, large, or bright font to make them stand out from the rest of the text.

While their slide deck is on the shorter side (the typical presentation is around 10 to 15 slides ), they include intriguing visuals and statistics that grab attention and keep viewers interested.

5. Freshworks Sales Deck by BrightCarbon

Freshworks is a B2B software platform that promises an all-in-one package for businesses. Its sales deck emphasizes simple text and organization. The problem and solution are introduced using graphics, which makes the text easier for readers to prioritize.

They include a dedicated slide to their mobile app, one of the product’s key differentiators and most salient benefits. The following slides provide a step-by-step walkthrough of how customers are onboarded and what they can expect on a regular basis.

Since the slides aren’t text-heavy, the salesperson can easily elaborate and answer any questions the prospect might have.

6. Soraa Sales Deck by BrightCarbon

Soraa , a lighting company, starts its sales deck with a visually appealing table of contents that contains three items: “Quality of light,” “Simply perfect light,” and “Why Soraa?”

The brand then dives into what its prospects care about most: How the light will look in their spaces and how they can apply Soraa’s offerings to their specific use case. It sprinkles in the benefits of using Soraaa as a lighting supplier. And it does this all while maintaining its strong branding.

7. Planetly Sales Deck by OCHI Design

The first thing Planetly does in its sales presentation is present an eye-catching statistic about customers wanting more eco-friendly brands. Then, they present the reasons behind that data.

The deck doesn't overwhelm prospects with too much text, opting for more graphics and visuals instead. It introduces a hard-hitting stat about the problem their prospect is facing, engages them by asking a question, and provides a solution to the issue.

The slide deck continues to outline specific product details and what sets the solution apart from others, ultimately leading to a slide that represents the expected outcome for the prospect.

8. MEOM Sales Deck by Katya Kovalenko

What you’ll first notice when scrolling through MEOM's sales deck is that it’s straightforward and easy to scan.

The brand kept it simple with their deck, making it easier for consumers to take in the information. Too often, companies overload their decks with information, and by the end of the presentation, consumers can’t remember anything.

On every slide, MEOM has one main message with supporting information in smaller font. In addition, the brand incorporates a detailed look at one of its staff members — a powerful tool when trying to attract consumers.

9. Leadgeeks.io Sales Deck by Paweł Mikołajek

Sometimes, the best way to explain a concept is through a series of process maps and timelines. In this sales deck, Leadgeeks.io takes this approach to explain its product process and onboarding process.

This method helps consumers visualize how this software will help them reach their goals and how they can adopt it at their business.

10. Accern Sales Deck by Katya Kovalenko

Similar to Leadnomics, software company Accern puts its branding at the forefront of the sales deck.

In addition to the use of design to make the sales deck stand out, Accern also highlights customer case studies in its deck, another form of social proof that shows the success other customers have found with this tool.

Each of these presentations provides a general overview of the products, problems, and solutions, and they can easily be tailored and customized to each prospective company. A custom presentation not only piques the prospect's interest but also increases the likelihood that they'll buy from you.

Curious as to how you can word your presentation during your meeting with prospects? Below, we go over the best examples we’ve seen so far.

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Example Sales Presentation

While there are plenty of videos online on how to deliver a sales presentation, there aren’t quite as many live sales presentations to watch.

That’s because sales presentations are delivered in the privacy of a meeting between the sales rep and the prospect, and are often not recorded with the intention of sharing online.

As a sales rep, though, you have an excellent resource for inspiration: explainer videos. Companies publish explainer videos to pitch their products to qualified leads. (Sound familiar?) Use the below examples to hone your own pitch to buyers, and pay close attention to the structure of each video.

This explainer video for Leadjet starts with an urgent problem: Finding leads on LinkedIn and moving them to a CRM loses valuable time and minimizes lead opportunities. Leadjet then presents its product as the solution.

The video jumps into the benefits users can enjoy, such as synchronizing conversations over both your CRM and LinkedIn, keeping the lead status updated, and adding custom details. In this video, Leadjet follows the ideal sales presentation structure: problem, solution, and benefits.

2. Node Influencer App

The Node influencer app allows small business owners to connect with influencers on social media. It starts its video with a simple question: “Looking to promote your brand with social influencers?” The presentation effectively identifies and addresses the target market before pitching the product to viewers.

This presentation is more tutorial-based, making it ideal inspiration if you’re creating a sales deck for someone who’s closer to making a decision. People most often want to see actionable demos when they’re ready to choose a provider.

This explainer video from Upsend, a former customer service software, begins with a problem: Most customers want instant responses to their queries, but customer service systems can be expensive for new companies. Enter Upsend.

The presenter addresses the target market — startups and small businesses — while assuaging their concerns about budget. In addition, it covers the most important features of the platform and the end result for the user. If Upsend were still available, this would be a product a new business would immediately want to add to their tech stack.

4. Algoplanner

Within a few seconds of the start of this presentation, Algoplanner drives home the critical urgency of adopting a supply chain software. It uses a scary number to pull your attention, citing a possible “loss of millions of dollars” if you fail to adopt the right tool.

It then introduces its product with a breakdown of what the software can do for users. Plus, it provides powerful stats to back up its claims, including that users can reduce automation development costs by 80%. The call to action at the end is powerful and simple, telling viewers to schedule a demo.

Sales Deck Presentation Tips

Ready for your presentation? Sticking to these five simple sales presentation guidelines, recommended by Marc Wayshak , will help you blow your competition away while dramatically increasing your chances of closing the sale.

1. Lead with solutions.

Have you ever met with a prospect who was excited about your product or service – and used your presentation to keep on selling? This is called over-selling, and it's the leading cause of death for sales presentations.

When you start your presentation, first lead with solutions. Don't talk about the benefits of your product's features or tell the prospect how great your company is.

Simply dive into how you're going to solve the deepest frustration your prospect is facing right now.

2. Incorporate case studies.

Once you've addressed the specific solutions you can provide to the prospect, it's time to add some color to your presentation.

Turn your sales presentation into an engaging story by sharing case studies of similar prospects and the results they've achieved with your help.

This step is important for building trust and credibility with the prospect. At the same time, case studies bring your solutions to life in the real world, making your presentation more engaging.

3. Ask for feedback throughout.

Most presentations are a one-way monologue by the salesperson. This approach is boring – and it's certainly no way to connect with a prospect.

Instead, ask short questions throughout your presentation like "Does that make sense?" or "Can you see how this would work for you?" Asking for feedback periodically ensures your prospect stays on the same page.

4. Welcome interruptions.

If you want to close more sales, you have to care about what your prospect is thinking throughout your presentation.

Any interruption is the perfect opportunity to find out. Whenever a prospect interrupts you – either with a verbal remark or subtle shift in their facial expression or posture – stop immediately.

Acknowledge the interruption, and welcome the opportunity to explore it with the prospect. Never ignore signals just to stay on a roll and conclude your point. Invite prospects to ask their questions or share their concerns.

The opportunity to respond to those concerns is always more valuable than whatever you were about to say.

5. Wrap it up quickly.

Your presentation should be ASAP: as short as possible.

It's natural for salespeople to get excited about what they have to share, but this causes most of them to ramble on for far too long.

Prospects only care about themselves and their challenges. Present the information they'll be interested in and nothing more.

Practice your next sales presentation with a colleague or friend and ask for their honest feedback on its length.

Sales Deck Template

Ready to start creating your own sales deck? Get started with these free templates .

It includes ten Powerpoint templates, each with a different focus.

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How to find a sales deck template.

Haven’t found what you’re looking for? Here are additional resources to find a sales deck.

This presentation platform allows you to pick from hundreds of templates and fully customize the template you choose. The best part? It’s free and offers premium packages for teams who want analytics, multiple users, and live video collaboration.

On this graphic design platform, you can search through countless presentation templates and customize them. Canva also offers extensive collaboration features, such as file sharing and commenting.

Get Inspired With These Sales Presentations

When delivering a sales presentation to a prospect, you can do so with the knowledge that thousands and millions of others have been in the same position as you. Luckily, we can see their work online to guide our sales deck creation process. Use these decks to structure your own, and you’ll be well on the road to closing more deals and exceeding your quota.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in April 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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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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8 Effective Sales Presentation Examples to Boost Your Close Rate

Winning sales presentations turn prospects into customers. But, constructing a winning presentation is often a source of dread for many sales folks. What is the perfect number of slides? Which is the best order? Should it be hyper-branded or simple?

Or, should we even be using slide decks at all in 2024?

Now, if you want to make the journey collaborative, or want to gain access to cool insights like whether they even looked at your presentation, the static deck just won't cut it.

Designing a beautiful and highly personalized sales presentation is great, but access to behavioral analytics through digital links is super powerful. Knowing whether the buyer clicked on that presentation, and then how long they viewed it, can help shape those next steps in your sales cycle.

In fact, by 2025, 80 percent of B2B sales interactions will happen in these digital channels, according to Gartner . This means that presenting your pitch digitally unlocks new opportunities to engage and collaborate with your buyer. Ultimately, this will help you close deals much faster.

Sales professionals of all types, from SDRs to Customer Success, make pitches at different points in the sales cycle. That's why it's super important to create presentations that are both enjoyable for buyers to watch and easy for sellers to navigate—especially if they’re pitching multiple times a day!

Sales Presentation Vs. Sales Pitch: Are They the Same?

Presentation? Pitch? What’s the difference? These two sales practices are often referred to interchangeably, but they’re not exactly the same.

Generally, a pitch is when you’re closing the deal. It’s short and effective—highlighting the benefits and value of the product and offering the sale. Now, it is also technically a sales presentation, but it’s not a “sales presentation.”

The sales presentation comes earlier in the process when you’re looking to get buyers interested in your product/service. Every good sales presentation gives prospects confidence in your brand and helps develop the customer relationship. It emphasizes the value your product delivers and provides clear direction for the next step in the sales process.

So really, the key differentiator between these two sales activities is the point in the sales process—the presentation introduces your product, and the pitch closes out the deal. This shifts your purpose and your approach when creating a presentation vs. pitch deck.

To create the best sales pitch ever, you can head over to our ultimate guide . But first things first. Let’s build a winning sales presentation that makes potential customers beg to buy.

6 Key Components of a Winning Sales Presentation

While there's no "one way" to make a pitch presentation, there are a few core ingredients that can transform a bland presentation into a show-stopping performance.

To keep your buyers engaged and prevent them from nodding off, make the presentation more interactive by fostering a conversation, using eye-catching visuals that leave an impression, and pacing your delivery to keep the energy level high.

1. Start Strong: Cover Slide + Confidence

First impressions matter. Your first slide and the first few moments of your delivery will shape perceptions and affect the ultimate success or failure of your sales presentation.

Your cover slide should instantly capture the audience's attention and convey your brand and industry. Later, we’ll explore some stellar examples. For now, just make sure your audience has a good idea of who you are and what you do from the very beginning—and make it interesting. Images are great at this.

Regarding your delivery, confidence is key — key— to both your sales career and presentation. The confidence you project about your solution will transfer to prospects, reducing their concerns and supporting an overall positive experience.

But you can’t get by on cover slides and confidence alone.

2. Sell Solutions (+ Value), Not Products

Gone are the days when you could simply shout that your product was the greatest thing since sliced bread—and expect customers to believe you.

Times have changed. Value-based selling is in . Today, the best approach is to inform your buyer with the right message through the right media, selling your solution and not your product.

In your sales presentation, make sure that each product feature that you include has a clear benefit for your prospective buyer. And don't just list the features. Explain why they make your product better, in the simplest way possible.

If your lead generation process produced high-quality leads, and your pre-presentation research uncovered pain points, you should have a pretty good idea what this prospective customer needs—and how your product can solve the issue.

At the end of the day, people want to know what's in it for them and how your product/service will make their lives better. Sell them the solution. The product is just a bonus.

3. Tell a Story

People remember stories. They’re more engaging than stats and figures—and humans connect with humans, not numbers. Research by cognitive psychologist Jerome Bruner suggests that facts are 22 times more likely to be remembered if they’re part of a story .

You want to harness that power for your sales presentation.

Consider your top-shelf customer success stories—or even the customer you just closed yesterday, who solved a major pain point with your solution. The key here is to find past customer situations that your current prospect can identify with. Maybe they serve a similar market niche, or are both struggling to keep their fully-remote team afloat.

Or, maybe, you want to tell your company’s story. Close itself started as a solution to our founders’ frustrations with existing sales CRMs.

Like any great story, you need an arc, characters, conflict—and a resolution. Include whatever graphs and metrics you think add value to the presentation. The numbers don’t speak for themselves, but they do play a supporting role to your storyline.

Turn your case study into a case story, illustrating how your product has helped someone else, and prepare to hook your target audience.

4. Keep It Simple

Be concise. Make your key points digestible. Prospects should be able to quickly scan your sales presentation—and then get back to the conversation.

However, many companies that offer complex products, such as software, tend to overcomplicate the delivery. Most buyers don’t have time to read white papers or long-winded info about your technical specs. Those details can come later.

There are ways to present content while neither boring nor overwhelming your audience:

• Video: Sixty-six percent of people will watch a company’s entire video if it’s less than 60 seconds. Give them something they can quickly digest, that effectively highlights your value prop and most important product features.
• Interactive demos: a great alternative to video calls, ideal with async presentations. You can use interactive demo software like Navattic or Walnut to let your buyer learn about your product on their terms, in their own time.

Whatever you do, get to the point. Time and attention spans are short. Be succinct.

Visually, don’t give your PowerPoint presentation the crafting kindergartner upgrade. Brand colors and fonts should be established early and kept consistent throughout.

In short—less is more. Don’t exhaust your audience visually or mentally.

5. Include the Proof

Your audience wants to know that your solution works. They also want to feel confident about their decision to pursue your product over the competition. How can you help ease these concerns? Include evidence in your sales presentation.

Social proof establishes your credibility and showcases how your solution has transformed the work lives of your customers. It’s an important element in building trust between you and your prospect . Social proof can include media mentions, G2 reviews, social media engagement, customer testimonials, and more.

Recent data from Statista, as of September 2023, indicates a shift in consumer behavior. Their survey, conducted among 10,021 consumers, revealed that 53 percent of U.S. respondents rely on search engines like Google for information about products. This highlights the evolving landscape of consumer trust and information sourcing.

Additionally, 34 percent of consumers used customer reviews as a source of information. This underscores the continued importance of positive reviews and testimonials in fostering trust in a business. The customer success story you've shared can be further enriched by integrating these insights, demonstrating not only the value of customer reviews but also the growing reliance on digital search engines for product information.

Including social proof in your presentation demonstrates how well your solution can meet customer needs —including theirs.

6. Call Them to Action

Nothing cleans out the sales pipeline like a well-timed, well-placed, and well-designed CTA . Success in sales relies on the success of your call to action. And that extends to your sales presentation.

Unlike the sales pitch, your sales presentation is probably not asking for the close. Instead, you are asking them to take the next step in the sales process—book a call, talk to their stakeholders, demo your product, or something else.

You want the CTA to be straightforward. Brief as possible. And effective. Make it easy for them to follow through. For example, if you want them to book a call, share a calendar link. Then follow up .

You have spent time and resources (yours and theirs) on this presentation, so don’t fumble the deal with a weak or confusing CTA. Your sales presentation should be the whole package. Literally.

But can we really tie all of this together into one mega-effective sales presentation? We’re about to find out.

8 Effective Sales Presentation Examples

Sales presentations come in all shapes and sizes. A great sales deck is one that is true to your brand, relevant to your target audience, and produces results.

Various factors can influence the structure, included elements, and delivery. For example, a self-directed presentation that prospects view online may require more text than one that’s delivered face-to-face (or via Zoom). A presentation given to industry experts will include different details (and language) than one delivered to your average, may-be-customer Joe.

As you build your next effective sales presentation, draw inspiration from these winning examples. We’ll share the presentation—and tell you why it works.

1. What + Why: Memento

Stating the problem, explaining the solution.

This sales presentation deck from Memento first describes the pain points of existing solutions—then showcases why Memento is different, emphasizing value and innovation.

This tried-and-true strategy keeps messaging simple and potent. The graphics and color-blocked backgrounds enhance that messaging, and the result? An eye-catching and powerful sales presentation.

2. Image-Rich Slides: Zuora

Is a picture worth a thousand words? Sometimes. It depends what that picture is, and what you’re trying to say.

Zuora uses an image-rich presentation to help differentiate themselves in the industry, and to support the storyline of their presentation. At the same time, text is kept to a minimum.

Visuals can create a supportive foundation upon which you can build your value proposition , company vision, and prospect-relevant story. You’ll probably include photos of your digital or physical product, but you can also add stock images or infographics.

Memorable presentations show , rather than just tell.

3. & 4. Personalize for Prospects: Trumpet

People aren’t numbers—and they don’t want to feel as such.

Personalize your sales presentation so that it speaks directly to your buyer. When possible, call them out by name and make sure that every aspect of the presentation is 100 percent relevant to their situation.

If you want to go the extra mile, incorporate their own brand identity. Make it about them, not about you. Our friends at Trumpet are on a mission to do just that with customizable presentation pods.

Check out this presentation pod example .

This prospect-specific presentation covers most of our key components for an effective sales presentation while taking personalization to the next level. Plus, it’s interactive—which adds value for both prospects and sales reps. Look for the comment section beside the presentation, where you can keep all communication and questions in one spot.

These customization options make your presentation stand out—and are bound to increase your CTA response rate. You can directly incorporate your online scheduling tool, such as Calendly, which also integrates with Close CRM to streamline prospect scheduling.

Here’s another winning example from Trumpet, featured as a use case for SDRs. Again, it’s got all the elements of an effective sales presentation (right down to customer testimonials), and even includes a short audio message specifically for the prospect, from the SDR.

So, ditch the generic sales script and personalize the presentation. Do your homework and make it relatable to each individual prospect, whenever possible.

Then, post-presentation, you can even follow up with a next-steps pod —again, created specifically for your prospect.

5. Be You(r Brand): Reddit

Remember earlier, when we said your sales presentation shouldn’t look like a kindergarten-age graphic designer let loose on Canva? There are always exceptions, right?

First and foremost, you must consider your audience and brand.

The best sales presentations are those that inform and persuade while being true to their brand identity. Sometimes that looks like minimalism: Short sentences, muted color palettes, and quiet power. Sometimes, that looks like pizazz.

Reddit has since updated its branding and slogan, but it once boasted to be “the front page of the internet.” At that time, this sales presentation got them a lot of love.

Talk about hooking an audience. But even the randomness isn’t random—it matches their brand, audience, and value proposition.

So consider your brand, audience, and value proposition, and build a sales presentation worthy of that. (But oh, to be on the sales team at Reddit.)

6. Adaptable Sales Story: Eigen Technologies

Eigen Technologies wanted a presentation to support a core sales story that could be tailored to different industry customers. An overview presentation like this one covers the bullet point features of the product while allowing the presenter to add any relevant prospect-specific slides.

Notice the decision to highlight how this solution stacks up against its industry competitors. This can add power to your own value proposition. Something else that adds power? The cohesive sales story that threads through the entire presentation, from stating the problem to showcasing the solution.

For some, this presentation might be a little text-heavy. When you’re presenting live, you want prospects to be listening to you, rather than simply reading all the information from your slides. For animated videos , take-home or self-guided presentations, however, use the amount of text necessary to support your message.

An animated sales presentation can also be a great addition to your sales and marketing materials. Save the static for your presentation, and get double-mileage with a video.

7. Out-of-the-Box: Apple

It’s hard to find live sales presentation examples because most are given privately in meetings, or directly between a salesperson and their prospect. However, explainer videos like this one can inspire your delivery—and your sales deck.

Steve Jobs, wearing his famous black turtleneck, was known for his potent yet simplistic Apple product presentations. Apple continues to lead with powerful sales messaging. Today, it has evolved to match its updated branding and sales style.

Watch how this presentation involves two different team members, both of whom add unique value to the messaging. Depending on the nature of your solution, the expertise level of your audience, and other factors, you might consider something similar—when it makes sense.

Note that every feature mention is immediately followed by its value. Your audience wants to hear about your product's benefit—don’t leave them with product details as bullet points.

8. Putting It Simply: Microsoft Office 365

This business presentation from Office 365 employs an attention-grabbing color scheme while spotlighting feature details via powerful, concise messaging.

With complex products especially, you need to filter out unnecessary information. Boil it down to your key points and features, then use simple graphics and copy to share your product. Let your value overwhelm prospects—not the presentation itself.

Are you ready to get started on your next super-effective sales presentation? Before you go, consider how it could impact your closing rate—and how you can optimize results.

Using Your Sales Presentation to Close More Deals

Every customer touchpoint should drive prospects toward your ultimate goal: closing more deals. An effective sales presentation is just one step in the customer journey, and tips and presentation templates will take you far.

Let’s look again quickly at the end of your presentation.

At the end of the presentation, you need a strong call to action—but you should also consider other ways to make your message stick. Based on the nature of your solution and how you’re delivering the presentation, you might need to leave behind handouts for your audience.

They should be focused and simple, supporting rather than detracting from your presentation. Maybe they even create a dynamic QR code for scanning to download your app or view contact information.

Then to fully optimize your sales presentation, you must follow up . Your sales presentation alone might not sell your solution—but your faithful follow-up game can push them to take the next step. Enter your CRM.

An agile CRM like Close can streamline this outreach and boost customer retention rates . Now you can optimize—and sustain—the success of your next sales presentation.

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11 Sales Presentation Examples That Explode Your Pipeline

See uniquely effective sales pitch presentation examples and learn how to make a sales presentation that deeply engages buyers and helps you close the sale.

6 minute read

helped business professionals at:

Short answer

What makes a successful sales presentation?

A successful sales presentation deeply engages buyers by setting your product apart from competitors. It should be unique, avoiding static and generic slides.

Key elements include an attention-grabbing cover slide, a clear introduction, problem identification, solution proposal, social proof, key benefits, detailed implementation, and a clear call-to-action.

Interactivity enhances engagement, making the content more memorable. Addressing common sales objections and weaving a coherent story further ensures success.

A generic sales presentation is a silent sales killer

One of the biggest challenges for B2B sales and marketing teams is creating a presentations for sales that truly sets your product apart from the competition.

The main reason why most sales presentations fail is because they all look the same. Sure enough, certain designs are more attractive than others, but the delivery falls short all the same—static, generic, boring insufferable slides. To help you make your offer outshine the rest and leave the competition behind, I rounded up our best sales presentation examples we’ve seen used with tremendous success!

What to include in a sales presentation deck

Regardless of the industry you’re operating in, any outstanding sales presentation deck should contain the following 8 slides :

• Cover slide: your company name and logo next to an attention-grabbing tagline outlining your unique value proposition.
• Intro: here you present what your company does, why it's relevant to buyers, and how you fit into the overall picture.
• The problem: identify the main problems buyers in your niche face and why they need to be solved.
• The solution: the way your solution contributes to solving the problem mentioned in the previous section.
• Social proof: customer testimonials and case studies.
• Key benefits: the unique features of your solution that make it stand out from comparable products or services.
• The “details”: describe how the implementation process works, what the key benefits and integrations are, and what your pricing structure looks like.
• Next steps (Call-To-Action): a clear explanation of the next step a prospect is supposed to take after reading your sales presentation deck.

If this info is not enough, you may wanna read our killer post on the ins and outs of how to create exceptional sales decks .

6 questions any successful sales presentation needs to answer

If you want to turn a prospect into a client, there are 6 basic questions you’ll have to address in your sales presentation deck .

What are the benefits of switching to your product or solution over the status quo?

Why should a potential customer adopt this change now rather than later?

Why should they pick your industry solution instead of those outside of your industry?

Why should a potential buyer choose you and your company specifically?

Why should they pick your product and service? What unique value will it bring them?

Why should you get their hard-earned money?

According to David Hoffeld , these 6 basic questions are the reason behind all sales objections. If you answer them in your sales presentation, you can lead prospects through the buying process and get them to become paying customers .

Now it’s just a matter of weaving the answers to these questions into a coherent story using the outline we mentioned in the previous section.

Stop boring your prospects with static sales presentations

Static presentations should be a thing of the past. By giving your prospects an interactive presentation they can “play around” with rather than trying to decode, you enhance engagement.

Case in point: look at this example of the same presentation for sales designed in 2 different ways, one static and one interactive.

Which one would get you interested? Which would you rather keep reading?

Static PowerPoint

Interactive Storydoc

Dynamic content has big implications for your ability to make successful sales presentations. They increase the average reading time, scroll depth, conversion rate, and internal shares, and are generally seen as more informative.

Using interactive sales presentations brings real business results

Our data from analyzing over 100K Storydoc sessions suggest that these are some outcomes you can expect by moving to interactive content:

146% increase in your presentation’s average reading time (as compared to the PPT benchmark)

41% increase in the number of people who get all the way down to the end of your presentation

2.3x more internal shares within your buyer’s organization

Storydoc users report a 2x increase in conversion over their competitors. So, now that PowerPoint is no longer stopping you from achieving full potential, let's dive deeper into some sales presentation examples .

Best sales presentation examples that bring big results

Instead of wasting your time and effort on sales presentations that look pretty but don’t bring the desired results, I’ll let you in on a little secret of what makes a sales presentation highly effective and compelling .

These sales presentation examples are not your average PowerPoint decks, and rightfully so. PPTs are a 30-year-old technology that fails to meet the needs of modern-day buyers.

NOTE: All of the sales presentation examples presented below have been crafted using Storydoc. They consist of modern scroll-based interactive slides that have proven to bring great results. They're also 100% replicable, meaning you can take any of these samples and use it to create your own high-performing sales presentation in a matter of minutes.

Sales pitch presentation

What makes this sales presentation great:

• Interactive slides are perfect for leading prospects through a compelling story narrative.
• Various data visualization elements allow you to present hard data in a more digestible way.
• Tiered slides can be used to outline the key features and benefits of your solution in a condensed way.

Sales mastery guide presentation

• Contemporary design in line with the freshest trends helps position your company as youthful and cutting-edge.
• A variety of image and data visualization placeholders that can easily be customized to convey the key insights.
• A perfect balance of text-based and visual slides helps add context to your numbers.

Sales impact presentation

• It comes with plenty of image placeholders that can be edited in just a couple of clicks to include industry-relevant visuals.
• Running numbers slides can be used to present the most important metrics.
• Interactive slides are ideal for guiding prospects through a captivating storyline.

Winning sales presentation

• Minimalist design doesn’t detract from your main message while providing value.
• Timeline slides and grayed out content are perfect for walking readers through complex processes or directing their attention to the main benefits of your solution.
• The calendar integration on the last slide makes it easier than ever for prospects to book a meeting with you straight from the deck.

Sales excellence showcase presentation

• A video on the cover slide boosts engagement by up to 32% , increasing the chances of prospects reading your entire deck and taking the desired action at the end.
• Easily customizable slides which are perfect for delivering ultra-personalized sales pitches.
• A vertical timeline allows this template to be repurposed for the next stages of the sales funnel too, for example client onboarding.

High-performance sales presentation

• The narrator slide allows you to walk prospects through even the most complicated solutions in an easily understandable manner.
• Video placeholders help ensure that more prospects will get to the end of your deck .
• The ability to embed case studies helps legitimize your solution in the eyes of prospective customers.

Light mode sales presentation

• Tiered slides allow you to present a variety of services or use cases of your solution in a single deck.
• Animated slides boost user engagement and make your presentation more user-friendly, maximizing the chances of your deck getting read in full.
• A library of data visualization elements to choose from helps position your company against competition and compare key metrics.

Dark mode sales presentation

• High-contrast colors make the presentation easier to consume and interact with.
• A fully interactive layout increases user engagement, as well as the average reading time.
• Tiered slides make it easy to present your service offer or snippets of your portfolio.

Modern sales presentation

A selection of dataviz elements is ideal for demonstrating the most important business metrics and performance indicators.

• Slides combining text and images can be used to present the main features of your solution in a user-friendly way, without overloading prospects with technical specs.
• Dynamic variables can be easily edited in just a few clicks, allowing you to send out ultra-personalized versions of your sales presentation at scale.

Sales pitch presentation essentials

• The sleek layout allows you to convey key details in fewer slides, respecting your prospects' time.
• Versatile slides are readily customizable for diverse sectors and applications.
• Straightforward, easy-to-use editor guarantees that any additions or tweaks you make will seamlessly fit the existing deck design, so you don't have to worry about disrupting the layout.

Sales presentation insights

• The smart editor instantly extracts your company's branding, ensuring your presentation remains on-brand.
• The scroll-based interactive format simplifies the presentation of your offering to prospects, leading them through an engaging story.
• Our AI assistant can be used to generate relevant visuals, create the copy based on your website, or tweak the existing copy to perfection.

How to create your most effective sales presentation yet

The only way to survive in sales going forward is to make sales presentations that buyers love reading. PowerPoint will always fail to do this. It’s time to let it go. So long, old friend! You won’t be missed.

To create truly effective presentations for sales you’ll need to weave storytelling into your pitch, personalize for each prospect, and let them take the next commitment directly from your deck.

You can do all of the above and get deep insights into your sales process with Storydoc’s interactive sales presentation creator .

You can personalize at scale by integrating Storydoc with your CRM and pull prospect’s data directly into your presentations with a single click.

You can fine-tune your presentation to perfection using your extensive analytics panel.

Investigate when and where a presentation is being read, how many times it was shared internally, which parts engaged most, and which made prospects bounce.

Try Storydoc and watch your close rate break through the roof (hope you have your whiskey and cigars ready).

Sales presentation templates that win

To make your content creation easier I’ve brought you some of our best sales presentation templates to take and use.

These templates were built with business storytelling in mind. They use interactive design to engage prospects and help them break down even the most complex messages.

Each of these templates was tried and tested for every device or screen size.

Hi, I'm Dominika, Content Specialist at Storydoc. As a creative professional with experience in fashion, I'm here to show you how to amplify your brand message through the power of storytelling and eye-catching visuals.

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Blog Marketing

15 Sales Presentation Examples to Drive Sales

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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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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The Most Effective Sales Presentation Tips & Techniques

Selling is difficult, but sales presentations can help. This article demystifies the art of creating a winning sales presentation that connects with your customers and increases your revenue.

Dag Hendrik Lerdal

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Selling is difficult, but one of the most effective tools sales reps have in their back pocket is the sales presentation. When done right, it’s the key to landing more deals and generating higher revenue for your business. 

However, it takes more than throwing together a couple of PowerPoint slides and calling it a day. It requires compelling content and engaging delivery to close the deal. 

In this article, we will demystify the art of creating a winning sales presentation that connects with your customers and ultimately drives more sales. 

Understanding Sales Presentations

Before we get into what makes a sales presentation “good,” let’s first make sure we’re on the same page about what a sales presentation is. At its core, a sales presentation is a meeting between your sales team and the key stakeholders of your target client company. 

The ultimate goal is to convince them that your product/service is the best solution for their business needs. This means you need a clear understanding of their business challenges, solutions, and goals. 

What sets a sales presentation apart from a typical sales pitch is the scope and resource requirement.

Sales presentations are usually geared toward going after big-ticket deals and generally have multiple stakeholders that will have the final say. Also, sales presentations will often have a product/service demo so the target customer can see your offering in action.

With so much on the line and so much to gain, a sales presentation also requires more time, money, and effort in preparing and planning to make sure everything goes smoothly.

What Makes a Winning Sales Presentation?

Beyond the speech and visuals, there are five core components that elevate a sales presentation from “nay” to “yay.” These five elements include:

1. Doing Your Homework

Knowledge is power, and it’s even more true when it comes to creating a sales presentation that actually closes deals. You need to clearly understand what challenges and pain points concern your prospects. Then, you can tailor your sales presentation to present how your solution adds value and helps them address these issues.

It requires you to do extensive research into your target company and their industry:

• What unique challenges do they face?
• What are some issues they might have to deal with later?
• How can you help them become more competitive?

By digging deep, you can provide a custom solution that can ultimately get them on board.

2. Telling a Story

Use the art of storytelling to your advantage. Stories are a great tool for helping your prospects visualize and internalize how your solution will work for them. Of course, that doesn’t mean you need to be Stephen King – you can rely on anecdotes from real clients.

However, make sure to keep your story concise and focus on the key points. Showing the real-world potential of your offering carries more weight and helps your prospect see its value.

I love this breakdown by Consultant’s Mind:  

3. Highlighting the Value Proposition

Yes, your product has X awesome features and can do this and that. But honestly, your prospect doesn’t care about those. They want to hear what your product can do for them. 

How is it going to solve their problems? How will it make their life easier?

That’s what you want the core of your sales presentation to answer. It doesn’t need to be overly complicated, either. 

You can simply say, “[Product X] will help [Company A] solve [Pain Point 1] and [Pain Point 2] by doing [Benefit 1], [Benefit 2], and [Benefit 3].”

4. Providing Credibility in Your Sales Presentation

Of course, you can’t just say, “X will do Y,” without having proof to back up your claim. That’s where social proof and data come into play.

Leverage past happy clients to give testimonials to show your product/service provides tangible benefits.

You can also use research data such as statistics, quotes from experts, and product comparisons to give your presentation more weight. For example, saying “X can cut downtime by X%” is more actionable than “Y saves you time.”

5. Including a CTA

Finally, your sales presentation needs a call to action. A CTA pushes the prospect to make the next move by telling them what they should do. It can be contacting you for more info, signing up for a demo, making a purchase, and anything similar. 

The goal is to make sure the prospect has a clear idea of what they need to do to move things forward.

13 Effective Sales Presentation Tips & Techniques

Now, let’s move into the meat and potatoes of this article: 13 actionable tips and tricks you can implement into your next sales presentation.

1. Presenting with Confidence in Sales

In the sales world, confidence speaks volumes. No one wants to be stuck dealing with a boring presentation. Plus, when your voice is shaky, and you’re stumbling over words, it puts you and your company in a bad light.

So, how do you deliver your presentation confidently? The key is being well-prepared and knowing your stuff. You need to know your sales material and product like the back of your hand. We recommend practicing your sales presentation as much as you can. 

If you want to test yourself, do your presentation without using any of your slides. If you can do that, then you can be confident you can knock it out of the park when it’s go-time. 

2. The Five-Second Rule

While sales presentations are considerably longer than a typical sales pitch, the five-second rule still applies. In the digital age, where attention is a commodity, you have around five seconds to capture your target’s attention.

That means the first few words of your presentation need to be impactful. Try opening up with a shocking industry stat like, “Did you know X costs businesses like yours millions every year?”

Whatever you do, remember to make it relevant to your prospect and their goals or challenges. Once you have them on the hook, you can then guide them to the key aspects of your presentation and how your offering is the right fit for them.

3. Leverage Technology like SlideDog in Your Sales Presentations

Gone are the days of boring PowerPoints and WordArt. Take advantage of tools like SlideDog to kick your sales presentation into high gear. 

With SlideDog , you can combine all of your sales materials and assets into a powerful, engaging presentation to really wow your prospects.

SlideDog is especially helpful when you need to hop between slides and other assets like your website or SaaS product during the presentation. It’s also great when there are multiple sales reps that need to speak because you can seamlessly swap between their presentation media.

Try SlideDog today for free on Windows and turn your presentations into multimedia experiences!

4. Make Sure You Sound, Look, and Act the Part During Your Sales Presentation

Depending on your prospect, your attire, jargon, and attitude needs to match what your audience will expect.

If you’re dealing with CEOs, CFOs, and other executives, then business wear and a professional tone is probably the right choice. If you’re presenting to tech bros in a more casual environment, then your presentation should reflect that. 

When you take this approach, it builds trust and shows that you truly understand them and their industry.

Of course, you don’t need to do it all yourself. Rely on your teammates and their expertise in different areas to create a presentation that connects with each individual in your audience.

As an added bonus, swapping between presenters keeps things fresh and engaging for the audience. 

5. Learn to Handle Objections

Objection handling is a core skill every salesperson needs to learn. There are common objections that pop up, regardless of what you’re selling. 

Typically, prospects have objections that fall into one of four categories:

• Urgency/time

Your goal is to understand your prospect’s reasons for their objections and respond accordingly. 

By using past objections from clients and a deep understanding of the industry, you can frame your sales presentation to pre-emptively address these concerns. Just check out this example from Smartwriter :

6. Physically Demo Your Product/Service

Actions speak louder than words, and you should apply this principle to your sales presentation. Providing physical demonstrations gives your audience a real-world example of what your product can do, and they can more easily envision themselves using it.

Plus, it adds a bit of interactivity to your presentation. It also gives your audience a chance to ask pertinent questions during the demo. This is also a great place to throw in examples of how your product/service has helped previous and current clients.

If you have a tablet or other devices you can share with your audience, it’s an opportunity for them to get hands-on experience with your offering.

7. Make Your Presentation Flow

Your presentation needs a logical and seamless flow as you transition between slides and key points.

First, verbal transitions are a must – in fact, I just used two examples with “first” and “in fact.”  There are a plethora of transitions you probably learned in school, such as “conversely,” “furthermore,” and “therefore,” to name a few. 

However, more advanced transition strategies involve using your body language, speech cadence, emphasis, visual aids, and questions to make it easier for prospects to follow along and understand how everything connects together.

8. Ensure Key Decision-Makers & Stakeholders are Involved

The last thing you want to hear after giving a kickass presentation is, “Let me speak with the district manager and get back to you.”

Make sure the key stakeholders and the person who can say “yes” are at your sales presentation.

On that same note, you want all of them to get hands-on experience with your product/service. Get them involved because when they can picture in their mind how easy your product is to use or how it resolves their issues, it makes it much easier for them to sign off on it. 

9. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for the Deal

After you’ve given your stellar presentation and the customer understands how and why your product benefits them, simply ask them if they are ready to move forward. 

There are many different approaches you can take when asking for a sale. You can use FOMO or “fear of missing out,” which plays on the prospect’s emotion of missing out on a good deal or letting their competition get ahead.

Or you can use an analytical approach where you lay out the pros and cons of your solution. Another method is sweetening the deal with a now-or-never discount or freebie.

There are a ton of different close tactics you can use, so find one that will work best for this particular prospect.

9. Don’t Take the First No for the Final Answer

The best salespeople know that it takes two, three, or more tries to close a deal. If you’ve tried to close the deal and got hit with an objection (see tip 5), then give a thoughtful response and follow up with your attempt to close the deal again.

You might need to wait a while. In this case, work on building your relationship and rapport with the prospect.

That way, when they are ready to pull the trigger, you and your product will be the first solution that comes to mind.

10. Keep Your Presentation Tight and Concise

You don’t want to waste your audience’s time, especially when speaking to executives. Make sure your presentation gets straight to the point. Every word, slide, and media should have a clear point and reason for being there. Even your pauses need to be impactful and poignant.

That’s where practicing and rehearsing your presentation is paramount. You can better control the tempo when you know your presentation inside and out. Create an outline and write out the key points you want your prospects to understand.

In your initial meeting and setting up the presentation time, take notes so you have a clear understanding of what your prospects need to know.

11. Own Your Presentation

You need to take the lead and exude confidence during your presentation. Yes, that sounds like a no-brainer since you’re the one giving the presentation.

You don’t want to say “sorry” or “I apologize,” even if it’s warranted. 

For example, if your slides aren’t showing properly, don’t say, “I’m sorry for the technical issues.”

Instead, you say, “I will be starting the presentation shortly.” 

Another point to keep in mind is to stay away from the ums and uhs in your speech. Not only is it unprofessional, but it gives the impression that you aren’t confident in what you have to say.

Finally, don’t tell your audience what you “think”; tell them what you know. You know your product will solve their problems. You know what benefits your service has to offer.

12. Leave a Lasting Impression

Make your presentation memorable. That doesn’t mean you should expect your audience to remember every minute detail. However, there are things you can do to make sure the key points stay in their mind long after your presentation is over.

One tactic is to use repetition. The details, benefits, and solutions you want them to retain should be mentioned 3 or more times. When Steve Jobs introduced the iPad 2, his presentation repeated the idea of “thinner, faster, lighter.”

Another strategy is the visual aids you use throughout your presentation that revolve around your key points. People hold images in their minds more easily than complex ideas.

Finally, you can use text formatting in your slides to highlight what you want your audience to walk away with. This includes bullet points or bolding and underlining keywords that make those pop out.

13. Expect (and Prepare for) the Unexpected

Lastly, our last tip is to understand that you can’t prepare for every eventuality – but you give yourself a better chance for success by expecting and respecting the unexpected. 

There might be technical issues. You might get asked tough questions you aren’t ready for. However, the best presenters roll with the punch and come out swinging.

If you take to heart all of the previous tips, you will be ready to face any challenges that pop up during your presentation.

Wrapping up

Sales presentations can be difficult to master, but when you get them right, they unlock a treasure trove of opportunity.  Remember, a successful presentation starts well before you’re in the room, with your slides behind you and your prospects in front.

Be confident, do your research, and take advantage of tools like SlideDog to elevate your presentation to the next level.

And with these tips and techniques in your arsenal, you’re ready to have a successful and fruitful quarter. Happy presenting!

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How to create an effective sales plan and present it: components and tips

Any business involves sales, and forecasting and planning are some of the major activities for a sales team. In this article, you will learn what a sales plan is, how to create an effective one, and how to make a sales presentation PowerPoint based on this plan. We will also discuss some sales plan examples.

What’s sales plan, and why do you need it?

A sales plan is a part of an extensive sales planning process. It helps forecast the sales success a business wants to achieve and outlines a plan to help it accomplish its goals.

Here are the reasons why you need an effective sales plan:

• It helps foresee risks.
• It makes it easier to track company goals.
• It helps find any bottlenecks in the process.
• It helps set clear revenue targets to achieve within a specific period.
• It helps improve lead generation efforts.
• It helps unify labor policies and ensure consistency in operations.
• It helps understand the business’s strengths and weaknesses.
• It helps track progress.
• It helps identify sale strategies that match the target market.
• It helps evaluate the sales team’s performance.
• It helps define each salesperson’s role and delegate work.
• It helps lay out tactics to execute the sales team’s strategies.

Sales plan structure

A sales plan outline will help you present critical metrics, KPIs, processes, tools, objectives, and strategies necessary to hit your sales goals.

If it is your first time creating a sales plan, below are the sections that must be included:

1. Your target revenue

In a sales plan, you can set a revenue-based goal, such as a target of $10,000 in 5 new deals in one month or $150 million in annual recurring revenue. You will need to keep that revenue target achievable.

Here are a few tips for setting your target revenue:

• Determine a reasonable sales goal according to prior sales results and your ability to reach a new market.
• Calculate the anticipated expenses for a specific period.
• Use projected sales forecasts based on estimates or industry standards.

2. Your ideal customer profile and buyer personas

To establish the target market or ideal customer, you must create a series of unique customer profiles that include geographics, demographics, job positions, behavior, and interests. From there, you can clearly define buyer personas and develop more targeted marketing and advertising strategies.

3. Your sales team

A sales team plays a vital role in implementing any sales plan. You must clearly delegate roles and responsibilities to the sales managers, customer service representatives, account executives, sales development representatives, and other sales professionals.

What’s more, there should be smooth communications and a handoff process. You can even consider using a Customer Relations Management (CRM) system to bring visibility and transparency to the sales process for all team members.

4. Your resources

Is your team small? Then, it would help if you determine how to expand the team to meet the sales targets and state how many resources are necessary within a specific period in your business plan.

You may also utilize specialized sales software for effective sales operation management. One such tool is snov.io , which helps scale a small business while engaging better quality leads with the product or service.

5. Safety of communications

Effective communication is essential in a sales team as it keeps each member productive, engaged, and informed. It also performs the following functions:

• Provides analytics needed to measure engagement with sales goals and benchmarks.
• Encourages marketing and sales teams to collaborate on projects.

That’s where you need to ensure the security of your communications and take advantage of dialpad.com, a workspace dedicated to team and customer communications. It is designed for global teams, where they can safely and efficiently communicate through voice, video, and AI contact centers.

6. Your position on the market

Position on the market is about competition, market trends, risks, and predictions. It outlines what your company must do to market your products and services to your target customers.

If you know how to position your business on the market, you will have a big picture of how you can establish the identity or image of your brand. It also allows you to achieve superior margins for the product or brand relative to competitors.

7. Your prospecting strategy

Prospecting strategy involves how you will generate quality leads and what inbound and outbound methods your sales team will use. Your goal here is to create interest and convert it into a sales meeting.

Below are easy ways to start your prospecting strategy:

• Build a list that includes who your sales team wants to generate meetings with.
• Research your prospects to ensure your new leads are a good fit.
• Craft your offer to drive value.
• Create a prospecting campaign to generate appointments with potential buyers and include a solid value-based offering.

8. Your pricing strategy

Your sales plan’s pricing strategy is about determining how you plan to change the price of your product and within what period. It will help you choose prices that maximize your shareholder value while considering the market and consumer demand.

Pricing strategy accounts for many business factors, such as product attributes, brand positioning, target audience, marketing and revenue goals. It is influenced by external factors, such as economic and market trends, competitor pricing, and consumer demand.

When creating a pricing strategy, consider the following:

• Pricing potential evaluation
• Buyer personas
• Historical data
• Your business goals vs. value
• Competitor pricing

9. Your goals, objectives & DRIs

Goals often include one to three- or five-year projections. Your goals must reflect recurring or existing customers’ expected sales and revenue. Then, you will need to have sales objectives that prioritize the activities your sales team needs to engage in.

Assigning Directly Responsible Individuals (DRIs) also helps make a successful strategic sales plan. These individuals are typically responsible for making sure particular tasks are well-executed.

10. Your action plan

Part of creating an effective sales plan is defining your action plan. It deals with summarizing your plan to achieve each specific objective. For instance, if your sales goal is to increase your referrals by 20%, your actions would be:

Holding referral technique workshops Running a contest to boost referral sales Increasing referral sales commissions by 5%

11. Your budget

In this section, you must outline all costs you believe will be required to achieve your sales targets. Some expenses include hiring, printing, travel, training, sales tools, commissions, salaries, etc. These expenses are meant to be estimates, but due diligence and research should be done to prevent financial errors.

Sales plan examples

When it comes to creating a sales plan, there is no unified sales plan template. Each sales plan differs based on the company’s purpose. While you can encounter different sales plans, here are the common ones:

1. 30-60-90-day sales plan

A 30-60-90-day sales plan is milestone-based. This means it specifies a short-term goal you must achieve within 30, 60, or 90 days. This type of sales plan is suitable for new sales managers, helping them establish tactical and strategic activities according to this plan.

2. Territory sales plan

A territory sales plan features tactics dedicated to the sales team in different territories. You will need to consider a specific area’s market dynamics and working environment.

With a territory sales plan, you can:

• Target specific customers, opportunities, regions, and industries.
• Align the sales team with the prospects.
• Set realistic goals, optimize the strategies, and track progress.
• Spend more time selling.

When creating this sales plan, you have to:

• Define larger sales goals.
• Define the target market.
• Assess account quality and prospects.
• Map out the sales representatives’ strengths and weaknesses.
• Assign leads. Polish your plan.

3. Sales plan for specific sales

When it comes to this sales plan type, you must familiarize yourself with different sales domains, such as sales training plans or compensation, as well as:

• State the company’s mission
• Set objectives and timeframe
• Define the sales team
• Define the target market
• Evaluate the resources
• Create a comparative analysis of your offerings
• Set the sales budget
• Define the marketing strategy
• Work out the strategy
• Define the action plan

4. Monthly sales plan

If you prefer a traditional sales plan, you can opt for a monthly sales plan. It features tactics and revenue goals, which have to be accomplished within a month.

5. Sales tactics plan

A sales tactics plan includes execution strategies. It also involves detailed daily or weekly plans, including prescribed call sequences, meeting appointments, and email follow-up frequency.

Tips on how to create a sales plan

Are you looking for effective recommendations on how to make sales plan for your company? Then, check out the following:

Tip #1: Back up your plan with research and statistics

It is advisable to always back up your sales plan with research and statistics. This will help you define the sales team’s tasks needed to better meet your sales goals. These tasks should primarily stem from statistics and research.

Tip #2: Use SWOT analysis to analyze your capacities

From a sales perspective, SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis will help assess your company’s position in the market. It will also allow you to gain insights into leveraging your selling points, acquiring market shares, and comparing your business’ position with that of your competitors.

To make this easier, you can use a visualizing tool to document the results of your SWOT analysis. You can choose from flow-chart tools, spreadsheet apps with SWOT analysis templates, mind mapping software, SWOT analysis generators, or online presentation or graphic design tools.

Tip #3: Split your sales plan into specific tactical plans

You can use specific tactical plans to achieve your sales goals. The details depend on different variables, such as resources and time. You can make a plan for individual areas of sales, such as SDRs, sales enablement, sales operations, and customer success.

As you create a tactical plan, you have to consider the following key elements:

• Company mission
• Key performance indicators
• Flexibility
• Action items
• Responsible parties

These key elements will help you identify the plan’s success in many ways, including the likelihood of accomplishing it.

Tip #4: Use previous performance data

You can use previous performance data to build incentive, territory, quota, and sales capacity plans. Using this data as your crucial decision-making tool, your sales team can have a basis for making informed decisions and forecasting performance more efficiently and accurately. In return, your sales plan will likely help achieve efficiency, higher performance, and bottom-line growth.

Tip #5: Outline the tracking methods you’ll use

By outlining tracking methods, you can set process workflows, allowing your sales representatives to determine where each prospect stands and which steps they need to take next.

You can also track the following:

• Sale cycle length.
• Number of closed deals.
• Conversion rate.
• Average contract value.
• Pipeline value by quarter, by month, and by individual and team.
• The number of unclosed deals after reaching a specific stage.

Now that you know the peculiarities and components of a sales plan, let’s find out how to make a sales plan presentation, what to include in it, and discover the top 14 sales presentation tips from vetted professionals.

What is a sales deck, and how to best present one?

A sales deck is a set of slides you can use to guide your audience through your sales strategy presentation.

Slide presentations can help your target audience grasp crucial information, pricing, and product characteristics your sales representatives can build their story around.

The best sales presentation slides serve as a touchstone for your sales team’s pitches. They allow your sales managers to draw on their personal knowledge to deliver additional information tailored to the prospects and stakeholders they are presenting to.

What are the types of sales presentation?

Sales presentations are classified into three types: standard memorized presentations, formulated sales presentations, and need-satisfaction presentations. Each sales presentation deck type has distinct characteristics that suit different scenarios.

1. Standard memorized presentations

Standard memorized presentations are very detailed and precise and always follow a predefined structure. They ensure no detail is overlooked and enable the sales team to produce a well-rehearsed, flawless presentation, leaving no room for misinterpretations or potential inaccuracies.

2. Formulated sales presentations

Formulated sales presentations offer a balance between rigidity and flexibility. While they follow a structured sales presentation outline, they allow salespeople to adjust their presentation in real time based on the customers’ reactions. Because of this flexibility, the sales presentation is not set in stone but revolves around customer preferences and queries.

3. Need-satisfaction presentations

Need-satisfaction presentations follow a customer-centric approach, allowing the salesperson to focus on satisfying the customer’s individual demands. The emphasis here is on establishing a dialogue rather than presenting a monologue, encouraging the customer to actively engage in the process.

What are the features of a sales presentation?

The content of your sales presentation PowerPoint must be written carefully and portray the story behind the specific product or service. As time is of the essence in sales, ensure your presentation is no more than 10 minutes and the overall meeting time does not exceed one hour.

When you invite people to come to your sales presentation, make sure they are decision-makers and are related to the things you are selling. Also, try not to lose the prospect’s attention by choosing the wrong points. Your sales presentation doesn’t have to concentrate too much on your service or product. Instead, show the audience how your service or product will change their lives in a good way.

Sales presentation structure

Here’s how to build a sales presentation that catches your audience’s attention and delivers your product’s value proposition in the best way possible:

• Introduce the pain points of your prospects.
• Describe the impact of the problem your prospects are facing.
• Explain why change is urgently necessary and what they stand to lose by not acting.
• Present the solution: a clear path toward the prospect’s goals.
• Provide evidence, address reservations, and FAQs.

To create personalized sales decks quickly, you can use a sales presentation template with the most recent FAQs and case studies. This will allow you to easily copy a deck and create a customized sales presentation for each new prospect in a matter of minutes.

What to include in a sales deck?

Good sales decks have a few key elements, such as:

• Introduction. Say a few words about your company, mentioning your activities and mission. Make sure you grab the audience’s attention with a memorable opening slide or cover image.
• Definition of the problem. Identify the main issues that your company is trying to solve. Provide your audience with some data. Metrics can come from third-party sources or your own sales dashboard.
• Social proof. For instance, you might add quotes and success stories from customers to support your sales presentation. However, you must not repeat the things you say.
• Customized content. Customize your sales presentation for every single prospect so as to build a bridge between your services or product and your audience. In other words, make sure it is personalized.
• Next steps. Include a clear and brief call to action. Offer a few next steps for your potential prospects.
• Visuals. Graphs, charts, and other design elements are all effective techniques to illustrate your point. However, make sure they are simple. Do not overwhelm your sales presentation with too much data; use more visuals instead.

Lastly, make sure that the font (and font size) used in your sales presentation design is legible to everyone in the room.

Other points to consider

1. the product.

Demonstrate how your service or product operates in action. Create a perfect environment to showcase how the product works, if it is physical. Utilize technology if it is a digital product. For instance, you might ask your prospects to download the app. In some cases, you might use video as a demo.

2. Handouts

Hand out some materials to your audience. For instance, it might be a QR code or contact data. The information must be clear and to the point. Distribute the handouts once the sales presentation is over.

3. Practice and teamwork

Double-check your sales presentation with a few salespersons. Practice a lot before the actual presentation. Come earlier to make sure everything works well. Also, decide who will say some information during the presentation and who will do certain things to help you.

Expert tips: How to create your sales presentation?

Tip #1: sync.

Your main points must be synchronized with your sales deck. When you present statistics, you should speak slowly. Emphasize your tone of voice when you are talking about pain points. Express relief when you showcase how your company wants to tackle specific issues. Make sure all the questions you ask your audience have straightforward answers or are rhetorical.

Tip #2: Involve storytelling

People like exciting stories related to their daily lives and problems. They will listen to your sales presentation even more attentively if you tell a story that solves their everyday problems.

Tip #3: Avoid using technical slang

In your sales presentation, use general terms that are clear to every audience member. Do not use slang words. Most people in the room might not have a clue about your offering, so the simpler the lexicon is, the better the result.

Tip #4: Emphasize the value of your product or service

Try to demonstrate how your product or service differs from your competitors. Tell about the main differences slowly. Mention how your product or service will make other people’s lives more comfortable. In other words, emphasize their value.

Tip #5: Practice body language

Your body language must be confident during the presentation. Improve your body language by maintaining eye contact and standing straight. It will prove to people that you are interested in communicating with them.

Tip #6: Be funny

Use your sense of humor. For instance, you might play jokes, but you would better not force them. Keep in contact with your prospects by telling funny stories. Make sure everyone in the room is comfortable and relaxed.

Tip #7: Emphasize your expertise

Do not talk too much about your company. You should focus your sales presentation on the field of your expertise instead. For instance, you might demonstrate a slide with logos of the companies that have already invested money in your brand.

Tip #8: Focus on benefits

Emphasize the strong points and tell how your product or service will improve your prospects’ lives. Do not focus too much on the pain points. Make sure your presentation is personal and describe all the benefits they will get. You might also mention the names of people in the room to make them feel valued.

Tip #9: Include research

Add internal and external types of research to your sales presentation. Use statistics or graphs and cut the information into brief pieces for your company to get more authority. Add relevant numbers and examples to demonstrate how you helped previous clients.

Tip #10: Showcase the return on their investment

Tell how your company will master productivity, multiply market share, make more money, eliminate costs, and boost sales. In other words, you should show the results of investments both long- and short-term.

Tip #11: Rehearse

Rehearsing before a presentation will help boost your confidence and smooth “rough spots.” You will also get to know the approximate amount of time needed to deliver your presentation.

Tip #12: Talk directly to your audience

Do not speak just to your slides. Utilize slides to emphasize the things you say. If you fail to do so, your presentation will most likely sound boring. Try to engage every member of the audience. Express yourself by using your hands. For instance, you might ask them to raise their hands if they agree to some of the points.

Tip #13: Add a clear call to action

Make sure your last slide includes a call to action. Add your contact data, but do not go deeply into detail. Know when it is the right time to stop.

Tip #14: Answer the audience’s questions

Your prospects will ask questions, and you have to be prepared to stop the presentation and answer their questions as they appear. Your audience must be sure that you take them seriously. At the end of your presentation, you can also offer a product’s trial, discount, or other incentive to motivate the audience or create a sense of urgency. The main goal here is to make the audience involved.

Lastly, follow sales presentation best practices to ensure a polished and persuasive delivery. This includes maintaining a clear and concise narrative, addressing potential objections proactively, and incorporating compelling storytelling techniques. Utilize engaging visuals to enhance your message and capture the audience’s attention. Practice your delivery to ensure a confident and natural presentation style and encourage audience interaction through discussions.

By adhering to these best practices, you can create a sales presentation that not only increases the likelihood of successful outcomes but also fosters positive connections with potential clients or stakeholders.

Still wondering how to create a sales deck?

Don’t worry—our presentation design service has got you covered! With profound expertise in designing compelling presentations in different software and thousands of satisfied customers from across the globe, it will be a no-brainer for our dedicated team to transform your ideas into a visually stunning, impactful sales presentation. Take the first step towards a winning presentation by reaching out to us today.

Your success story begins with professionally crafted pitch deck slides —let SlidePeak help you make it a reality!

#ezw_tco-2 .ez-toc-widget-container ul.ez-toc-list li.active::before { background-color: #ededed; } Table of contents

• Presenting techniques
• 50 tips on how to improve PowerPoint presentations in 2022-2023 [Updated]
• Keynote VS PowerPoint
• Types of presentations
• Present financial information visually in PowerPoint to drive results

Private: In-depth guide: launch your project on Product Hunt

Introduce a new product idea in a presentation

• Design Tips

A complete guide to perfect pitch deck design: structure, tips & examples

Close more deals with the latest sales trends and tips from Salesblazers.

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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How to make the ULTIMATE sales presentation

• Written by: Joby Blume
• Categories: Sales presentations , Sales messaging , Visual communication
• Comments: 8

Sales presentations are the cornerstone of many companies’ sales efforts, yet so often they aren’t given the time and attention they deserve. Thrown together at the last-minute, often your sales reps stand up in front of a sales presentation that’s nothing more than a glorified page of notes.

The right sales presentation can be the Excalibur to your rep’s King Arthur. But if you’re sending your troops into battle with a wooden sword, they won’t be terribly successful – or do much dragon-slaying for that matter.

How to use this article

In this article you’ll find everything you need to know about sales presentations – what they are, how to go about writing a killer one, and how to deliver it like a pro. We’d recommend starting at the beginning – we’ve heard it’s a very good place to start – but you can also use the links below to jump to your favourite bit.

Sales presentations: An overview

Writing a sales presentation: the process, writing a sales presentation: context and competition, writing a sales presentation: persuasive structure, writing a sales presentation: sales presentation introductions, writing a sales presentation: content, writing a sales presentation: a powerful close, designing a sales presentation: visuals.

• Preparing to deliver a sales presentation
• Delivering a sales presentation

Outside of the telephone and email (and CRM), what’s the most important sales tool in most B2B companies? After careful consideration, I think it’s PowerPoint: salespeople use presentations all the time when talking to prospects.

What is a sales presentation: A sales presentation is a talk which promotes a product or service that you are trying to sell, which includes illustrative material such as slides, sketches, or props.

• Can most reps use PowerPoint properly?
• Can most marketing departments use it well?
• Are most reps given adequate slide decks to sell with?
• Do most reps have the content to enable great visual sales conversations?
• Are reps still wasting good leads by inflicting ‘Death by PowerPoint’?

The problem: How many opportunities do you create each month? Think about how valuable those opportunities are – not just in terms of whether you have enough of them, but also your cost per opportunity – all that marketing spend that gets you face-to-face with a prospect. And then how much did you spend on your sales presentation – the sales tool that helps tell your sales story and communicate value to prospects? For a lot of companies, it’s nothing.

People must think that creating sales tools is easy. Just open PowerPoint and type some bullet points to get your message across. Maybe if you’re feeling fancy, ask a graphic designer to take a look.

Never mind that arming your sales teams to read bullet points (even pretty bullet points) won’t work.

Never mind that the same techniques that work for a charismatic speaker talking to 1000 people at a conference don’t work when your average sales rep is delivering their sales presentation to four people from a laptop.

Why change: The figures on how buyers feel about sales people and sales meetings suggest a communication failure:  just 22% feel that sales people understand their issues and how they can offer value ( Forrester ). Looking at the sales presentations that many companies use confirms the same view: this isn’t an area that marketing has mastered.

Improving conversion rates at the bottom of the funnel is equivalent to sourcing many more ‘sales-accepted leads’ or finding 1000s more prospects. For this reason, improving your sales presentations is one of the most impactful things that a marketing team can do .

If your sales tools aren’t persuasive and compelling, if your sales people are spending time creating their own clandestine collateral, or if your conversion rates are too low – you need to do something different.

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A PowerPoint sales pitch allows you both to capture the messages you want to present to prospects (straight from the minds of your best sales people) and to distribute these messages in a way that others can use too. So how do we make sure we write a good presentation?

Always prepare properly: I’m going to begin with a disclaimer – creating an effective sales presentation takes hours. Before you even open PowerPoint, there’s a whole pile of stuff that it’s better to know beforehand: content, length, who will be presenting, how complex will your slides be, will you use icons or pictures, colour scheme, deadlines…and the list goes on.

You see, you can’t just make a sales tool and then throw it over the fence to the sales team. You need to work with them to find out what they need. When do they talk to prospects? What messages are they trying to articulate? What objections are they seeing? Where are competitors gaining ground? In summary, what conversations are sales people having that visual slides could support?

Gathering this kind of information does (and should) take time – and it’s definitely worth investing in it to do it properly.

The voice of the customer is often missing in sales messaging.  The solution? Just ask customers why they buy from you, or what you do that they value. Better yet, ask them what challenges  they  face (in your field of influence); now you can start to identify opportunities – areas where they need help but where you don’t currently have competitive advantage.

One word of caution though. Stated preferences and revealed preferences aren’t the same. Just because customers say they want something, doesn’t mean that they do. Offer them a real choice of products, and see what they choose – that’s a revealed preference.

To acquire new –  different  – customers, it makes sense to talk to those who  aren’t  currently buying from you, not just those who are. They may have different thoughts, value different things, and have a different view of your competitive strengths.

Here are some good questions to find the answers to:

• What are your prospects doing now?
• What do you want them to do?
• What are they thinking now?
• What do you want them to think?
• How are they feeling now?
• How do you want them to feel?

With all this data gathering done, you can move on – no, not to PowerPoint – to understanding what kind of a change you want your prospects to make, and then with that knowledge, you can set clear (and SMART ) sales presentation objectives.

Sales presentation objectives: Setting the wrong goals – unrealistic goals – for your sales presentation won’t help you. Before you work out what to say, you need to be clear about what you are trying to achieve with a sales presentation or sales conversation.

There are plenty of possible objectives, beyond making the sale immediately:

• To be invited to respond to a tender
• To be down-selected to the next round of a bidding process
• To be allowed to help write the tender
• To be invited back to meet with the decision maker
• For the prospect to meet with your technical consultant
• To get permission to run a study
• For your prospect to start a trial
• For your prospect to commit to a technical evaluation.

There are dozens of things you might want or need en-route to a sale. Be very clear about what you are trying to achieve  before  you write your sales presentation.

Understanding who you are competing with – in terms of how prospects are currently approaching the issues that you address – is fundamental to your sales messaging. If your sales messaging is directed against other companies, but your prospects aren’t even aware that they have a problem, or are thinking in terms of whether to keep on doing things in-house, you are selling the wrong thing.

There is one crucial question you need to ask:

Who are you competing with?

• Are you competing with the status quo or apathy?
• Are you competing with a DIY approach to solving the problem?
• Are you competing with solving the problem in a different way?
• Are you competing with companies you recognise as competitors?
• Are you competing with companies that you don’t even recognise as competitors?

‘Why change’ vs. ‘Why us’

Sales messages when selling a category ( ‘Why change? ’, whether to buy) should be different from those used when selling a particular solution (‘ Why us? ’, which one to buy).

• Have they decided to change, or do you need to persuade them?
• Do they know what category of solution they are looking for, or is that still open?
• Have they got established decision-making criteria, or can you shape their thinking?
• Will they talk to other companies, or could you win this before anyone else is involved?

Why change: At the start of the sales cycle, prospects might not be aware that they have a problem. They might not recognise that a problem they have can be solved. They could have no knowledge of the market you are in, or the vendors who might want to help them. At this stage, messaging needs to focus on bringing out the problems that they have , and all the messy implications. Fear of change, and a certain inertia are the main obstacle to overcome. You need to make it very clear that the prospect has a problem – if they realise it or not – and that the problem is hurting them – perhaps in subtle ways – but it is hurting.

Why us: Once a prospect acknowledges they have a problem, they start to try and find somebody who can help them to solve it. At this point, messaging needs to answer the question ‘Why us?’.

There’s no single way to structure a sales meeting or a sales presentation – as you move through the sales cycle, different things are required. At the very first meeting, you are likely to be fact-finding, exploring whether your company’s solutions are a good fit for the prospect, and discovering what challenges they feel most urgently. At a best-and-final pitch presentation, you may be responding to an entirely prescriptive meeting agenda, with scoring on how well you answer certain questions.

Here are a few good starting points to make sure, at whatever point you are in the sales cycle, your content is always structured in a compelling way.

How not to structure: Did you ever notice how a journey seems to take longer when you don’t know how far you have to go? Sales presentations are the same.

Those sales presentations that  do  make the structure visible – by using agendas – usually make the mistake of using headings that mean more to the presenter than the audience, or that are so dry that they do absolutely nothing to help sell.

Focus on the benefits: One way to make an audience-centred agenda is to think in terms of benefits: what’s in it for your audience. Don’t make the mistake of only talking about benefits in a summary slide right at the end of your presentation. The benefit slide can be used as an agenda that appears as a segue between sections.

This benefit slide ought to be written to answer the key question around which the sales presentation revolves – Why Change? or Why Us? We call this the value proposition – for more great insights on writing value propositions, take a look at this article . Value propositions help us in three ways:

• The advantages or benefits are stated early enough to be noticed
• The agenda is now audience-focused, not product-focused
• By showing a slide with the benefits multiple times during  your presentation, you help your audience to remember your key points

Now that’s a powerful and persuasive presentation structure!

How to write your value proposition: Though it may seem like a dark art, writing a value proposition is something anyone can do. There’s quite a simple formula that you can use:

• Decide whether you are answering ‘Why change?’ or ‘Why us?’
• List the three to five best answers to the question
• Create a slide that shows these answers
• Use that slide as an agenda to help structure your sales presentation, and show it each time you segue from one section to the next
• Arrange your content into sections according to the benefits or advantages they support. Typically, you might want a few slides in each section.
• Use the agenda slide to close the presentation

How many points should a value proposition have: Value propositions should be comprised of 3-5 statements about what your solution or type of solution offers. Any more becomes harder to remember. Any less can fail to structure the presentation content effectively and memorably.

In this  fascinating article  reporting on research by  Weaver et al in the Journal of Consumer Research , Heidi Halvorson points out that adding additional arguments doesn’t always help. If a value proposition has three very strong sections, adding an additional section that’s weaker (but still valid) actually dilutes the overall strength of the argument.

How to write a value proposition statement: Value proposition statements work best if they are of similar length and format. If one item is a single word (‘flexible’) and another is a long phrase (‘standards compliant for SIA accreditation’), it often looks and sounds awkward.

The best way to get the phrasing right is to note a question that the value proposition answers, and format all items to work with that question. So, for example:

• Why change?  ‘You should change in this way because you will get ___’
• Why us? ‘Choose us because we offer ___’

Category vs. solution: When selling the category , the key messages of your sales presentation will typically be made up of benefits, and focus on what your prospects will get if they try a new approach – ‘increase turnover’, ‘reduce risk’, or ‘improve efficiency’.

When selling your  solution , the key messages (or value proposition) will typically be made up of advantages that your product or service has over competing alternatives. If you used benefits here, there’s a risk that competing solutions would all just say the same thing, and you wouldn’t be able to differentiate.

Ordering your value proposition: Once you know your value proposition, you need to decide on the right order for your sections. Many presenters fail to look at structure from the audience’s point of view, and, as such, they make incorrect assumptions about what should go where. Stop and imagine you’re seeing this content for the very first time. What do you need to know first? What is the logical order to approach and take in these points? Opt for logic and simplicity and you won’t go far wrong.

Interactive presentations – let your audience choose: One way to structure a sales presentation is to do something interactive – non-linear. That means you can have a conversation without any pre-determined flow, and show things in response to the way in which the sales conversation develops.

Break your content up into smaller chunks – a few minutes of material at a time. Switch between topics of conversation based on what your audience says to you. So, instead of a single presentation with 30 slides, think more in terms of six topics with five slides in each. You might use some of them, or all of them. You might present them in a different order each time. The point is that you have a conversation and respond to what you are hearing.

A lot of presentations we see are very front-heavy: the presenter talks for slides and slides about the company, about their amazing product, and about why you would obviously want to be a part of what they’ve got going on. The trouble is – I’m sorry – no-one cares.

The problem: Often sales presentations are written from the point of view of Product Marketing, and not the audience. If the first few slides are about ‘ My Company ’, ‘ Company Structure ’, ‘ Company History ’, ‘ Office Locations ’, and ‘ Revenue by Division ’ – chances are the audience is getting bored before the presenter even gets started.

Lose the slides about your company history and awards and clients and internal structure. Nobody ever bought anything because Division A accounts for 36% of turnover.

They already know about your company, from your website. You don’t need to build credibility – they accepted the appointment. And it wastes precious time… Why spend the first five minutes of your sales presentation talking about you, when they want to know what you can do for them. It will just risk boring them, and ensure that attention levels plummet before you get going.

The solution: The start of a sales presentation should be interesting. That means encouraging reps to stop playing 20 questions, stop talking about the size of their company, and start challenging prospects to see the world in new ways. Explain  why  something is an important issue, and why current attempts to solve the problem don’t and won’t work.

Your sales presentation introduction ought to build credibility – but the way to do that is by showing that you  understand the prospect’s challenges , that the standard ways of meeting these challenges don’t work, and that  the prospect may need to do things differently .

Credibility is gained by having something interesting to say, not just by going on about your company in an entirely predictable way.

Do not rest on the assumption that just because you are standing in front of a screen dressed nicely that people will want to give you their attention. Many people you present to will not be inclined to care about what you are saying until you give them a really good reason to. In order to get your audience engaged, you have to bring them into the presentation by identifying their needs or addressing a problem they may be having.

Questions to consider:

• What challenges do companies like your prospect’s tend to face?
• Why have they been unsuccessful in overcoming these challenges so far?
• What do these problems cost them?
• What would a solution to these challenges look like?

In  The Challenger Sale ,  Dixon & Adamson reveal research into what customers want from sales reps. Ranking right at the top (below only ‘professionalism’) of things influential buyers want from sellers is a rep who:

• ‘Offers unique, valuable insights’, and
• ‘Frequently educates me on issues and outcomes.’

Don’t just tell customers what they  want  to hear. Educate them , and tell them what you think they  need  to hear. Challenger reps ought to deliver a teaching pitch: ‘A teaching pitch makes customers feel sort of sick about all the money they’re wasting, or revenue they’re missing, or risk they’re unknowingly exposed to.’ (p.67)

A  successful teaching pitch  in your introduction will be more useful than five minutes about your company history and office locations shown on a map.

Once you have created a structure for your presentation based around ‘Why change?’ or ‘Why us?’ you need to create the content to go into each section. You have the answer to the big, overarching question about why prospects should choose your solution – now you have to prove it.

There are loads of different ways to prove the overarching sales claims that you make:

• Do you have any unique features that provide unique advantages? Are there any performance figures that show that you can deliver benefits more effectively than others?
• Do you do things in a different way, or have a unique process that delivers better results?
• Have you won any important awards or been judged a leader by independent industry analysts?
• Do you have particularly impressive case studies or testimonials that back-up your claims?

‘New’ content: You can’t just repeat what’s written on your website  – they’ve already seen it. You need at least some content that’s somewhat new. There’s an argument that holding back some messages for use by sales (and  not  by marketing) helps in the creation of a sales presentation.

Section length: Keep sections relatively short and reasonably paced – to ensure that attention levels don’t drop off too fast.

Targeting competitors: It can make sense to create targeted sales messaging aimed at taking customers from a certain competitor. Work out what these customers want, what they are unhappy with, and what you can do better. You don’t need to mention competitors by name if you don’t want to – but think about what major competitors do badly, particularly if they have problems that you have solved.

Make the most of your best content: Don’t save your best content until the end as the audience might have stopped listening before you ever show it.

All killer, no filler: Don’t let your presentation have a ‘boring bit’. If you think it does, you need to tighten the content. Remember – sales presentation content doesn’t get better and better the more arguments you use. Putting in too much content risks making things boring, and risks giving audience members something weaker to fixate on and pick apart. Edit aggressively .

Length: And if you  really  want to know how long a sales presentation should be, the right answer is probably as short as it can be to work . Do you need to present for more than 20 minutes? Often, no.

With a great opening in place, and some great content supported by a great structure, it would be a shame if your ending let you down.

Don’t let your presentation fizzle out to nothing. Close with a call to action that moves your buyers on to the next stage and pushes your sale towards a satisfying conclusion .

The close slide needs to be powerful. I’m not talking about a vague ‘Any Questions?’ but a  slide summarising the value proposition , and then another slide with a very clear recommendation of what should happen next .

PowerPoint is often used badly. Of course. But that doesn’t mean that PowerPoint is a bad tool – you know what they say about poor workmen… PowerPoint really is an excellent tool for creating persuasive visual sales content that sales professionals are comfortable using, it’s just about how you use it.

Why bad sales presentations are so bad: Bad sales presentations are overladen with text , and cause ‘ death by PowerPoint ’. Typically, the presenter shows the content on their slide, and then repeats the same information verbally. But as the audience have already read the words on the slide, the presenter becomes unnecessary, and the audience gets bored.

The Weiss-McGrath Report (McGraw-Hill, 1992) demonstrated that, after 72 hours, people retain 10% of what they experience as audio only, 20% of visual only and 65% of audio-visual (or video).

How to increase audience engagement: Content that is well-designed, that uses visuals and animation in an intelligent way, is going to draw in and engage audience members. It compels them to pay attention and helps them to understand and remember what even the least charismatic presenter amongst your team has to say.

What to include: Bullet points are so 2004. Reading text and inflicting death by PowerPoint isn’t the way to make your prospects feel like you’ve made an effort. Sales presentations should use relevant images to help you explain complex concepts, paint a picture of what you are selling, and have your messages stick. Not clip art, not stock images of handshakes , but  relevant visualisations and charts that get your points across. Here’s a few tips on using photography effectively for storytelling .

Keeping it on-brand: PowerPoint – done well – can support your corporate brand and visual identity. Why abandon your brand when you engage people in conversation?

If you provide text-based slides to sales, there’s no reason why individuals can’t just start making edits and doing their own thing. Which can be terrifying in some heavily regulated industries, and often helps to undermine your brand… On the other hand, if you provide something that’s visual, animated, and generally compelling – most reps are going to realise that they can’t make a completely new version, and they will want to use what they’ve been given, in the manner you want them to use it.

Design hacks: Apologising for your slides is not a ‘get out of jail free’ card for not putting in the effort. Not being ‘tech-savvy’ isn’t an excuse for not trying to make something more visual. But it really is possible for anyone to make slides they can be proud to stand next to. If you need some help, why not take a look at this blog post giving you design hacks for more professional-looking presentations.

Preparing to Deliver a Sales Presentation

Preparing to deliver your sales presentation is a much overlooked stage in the process. For a lot of people it consists of flicking through the slides a few minutes before the big event. But great content can be completely let down by poor preparation. Here are some best practice tips to help you prepare like a pro.

Preparing your audience: Before you go to deliver a sales presentation, consider sharing an agenda for your sales meeting . This helps the prospect know you are professional, makes them aware you will respect their time, allows you to take some sort of control of the sales process, sets you apart as being clear in your communication, and lets the buyer know what you expect from them.

Tailor to each opportunity: Always think about how to tailor your sales presentation to each specific opportunity – even if you use a standard credentials overview presentation. Trotting out the same presentation to completely different types of audience won’t work. It doesn’t make sense to waste an opportunity by just presenting a canned presentation in the exact same way to every prospect regardless of their situation.

Tailor to your audience: Your slides and your language need to be tailored to whomever you are speaking. CFOs will have different concerns to technical experts; IT communication firms will have different needs to oil and gas operations. By contextualising information and making it relevant to your audience, you’ll make a much greater impact.

Name-dropping: Don’t be afraid to add specific details targeted towards key attendees or decision-makers. A good example would be to throw in a reference to the security standards that your IT solution is compatible with. It may not mean anything to nine out of ten people in the room, but the compliance officer at the back might be listening out for it.

Rehearsing: Time after time we hear of sales presentations being knocked together the day or even the night before an important pitch, often being tweaked and fiddled with well into the small hours, thereby giving the presenters no chance to learn and practice delivering the content.

Rehearse properly, and make it a priority. Make sure senior people with parts to play rehearse too, and don’t just fly in an hour before and mess things up.

And this doesn’t just mean flicking through the slides and going through what you want to say in your head. Stand up, and practice out loud .

To script or not to script: Writing out a script only ever hampers your delivery – it’s difficult to learn and even harder to deliver naturally. Instead, work out what the key points are you want to cover and practise talking through them. Don’t get caught up on your wording, instead concentrate on getting across the meaning, the value, and your passion.

For more presenting tips, head over to our ultimate guide to presentation skills .

Delivering a Sales Presentation

And with most of the hard work done, there really isn’t that much left to do but knock your excellent sales presentation out of the park. But you’re not quite out of the woods. Here are some things to consider whilst presenting.

Sorry, not sorry: When you’re delivering your presentation you need to be assertive. Don’t apologise for taking people’s time. Don’t apologise for your content. Don’t apologise for yourself. The more you give your audience excuses, the more you give them excuses not to listen and take note of what you say. Even if you’re not a hugely confident person, you can still give a good presentation. In fact if you’d call yourself an introvert, you might want to have a look at this .

‘We’ vs. ‘You’: Old-fashioned sales presentations are all about what the presenter’s company does. ‘We’ this, ‘we’ that, ‘we’ the other. In terms of the message, and also in terms of delivery, the audience is left thinking that the presenter is a narcissist, and only somewhat relevant. Talk about ‘you’ the audience, use ‘ you phrasing ’, and the audience will start to see how what you are offering applies to them.

Wave goodbye to the waffle: Keep things interesting by providing only relevant information. Refer back to important points throughout the presentation to help facilitate understanding.

Something missing: If you don’t have the right slide, blank the screen with the ‘B’ key (fade to black) or ‘W’ key (fade to white) and draw something. Or just talk instead.

Humour vs. passion: Be careful with humour in a presentation – it’s not always appropriate and needs to be handled carefully. Passion however, is rarely out of place – and is something that can make a real difference. Don’t be afraid to show that passion, your enthusiasm, and even your excitement when speaking to prospects. If it is genuine, it will make an impact. If you think something is great, say that it is great.

Train your reps: If you can manage it, think about training. If you are providing an awesome new sales presentation, consider actually training your reps to use it. This sort of practical training goes down well with sales people – people who would rather learn to deliver  their  particular presentation than sit through soft skills training on stuff like body language.

Consider an on-demand version of your slides: Buyers want information – but not all buyers can meet with your sales people. In this world of complex sales and collaborative buying – let your supporters sell on your behalf by providing an on-demand version of your sales presentation for busy buyers to view. Consider recording a narrated version of your slides, or add some labels to the slides that you presented so that they make sense to someone who wasn’t there to hear how you presented them. Then ask your contacts to distribute on your behalf if you can’t get face-to-face with everyone you would like to talk to.

If you enjoyed that, we have plenty more resources and insights to share on all things presentations and eLearning.

• For more help on writing presentations, have a look at these free resources .
• If it’s PowerPoint and design you want some help with, we have a free toolkit crammed full of layouts and elements to make your presentations pop and sparkle.
• We run online masterclasses regularly, so check out the events page to see what’s coming up.
• If you still need a bit of help with your presentation, read about our Presentation Creation or Slide Revamp services.
• Didn’t know we did eLearning too? Have a look at some of our insights here . Or read more about what eLearning services we provide over here .

Did you find this article useful? Let us know in the comments box below. Or if you have any questions, drop them below and we’ll get back to you!

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Wow, super thorough and helpful. Thank you so much for putting this together! As a content creator, I appreciate all the work that went into this article.

So glad you found it helpful Maggie. Good luck with your next sales presentation!

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Really Good Idea for Create Sales Presentation … Thanks for Sharing this Great Idea with us.

This is literally the best article I’ve ever read on creating a sales presentation, or just sales in general.

Thank you so much for writing.

Thanks Jay.

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23 Foolproof Sales Presentation Tips to Help You Close More Deals

Table of contents

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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RESOURCES - SALES

How to get clients fast with the most engaging sales presentations.

Written by Lidia Vijga

• CEO at DeckLinks, Speaker, Podcast Host
• Published on August 16, 2022
• Updated on March 6, 2024

Table of Contents

Did you know that, according to Crunchbase , the best sales reps spend an average of 6 hours every week researching their prospects? In today’s competitive market, having an engaging sales presentation can make all the difference in closing deals. In this article, I’ll share tips and techniques to help you create the most captivating sales presentations that will not only grab your audience’s attention but also drive them towards a buying decision.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Cover slide: The cover slide is crucial for making a good first impression. It should be attention-grabbing, professionally designed, and include your company name, logo, your name, and a message that speaks directly to the buyer.
• Solution slide: Start with the solution slide to immediately address the prospect’s pain points and present your value proposition. This approach captures the audience’s attention and demonstrates how your product or service can help them.
• Success story or Social proof slide: Including success stories or testimonials from satisfied customers can help build trust and credibility with your audience. This slide showcases the real-world benefits of your product or service.
• “The bright future” slide: Paint a picture of the positive outcomes your product or service can bring to the prospect. This slide should inspire and motivate the audience to take action.
• “Why us / About the company” slide: Provide information about your company’s background, expertise, and unique selling points. This slide helps establish your credibility and differentiates you from competitors.
• “Meet the Team” slide: Introduce the key members of your team, highlighting their skills and expertise. This slide helps humanize your company and demonstrates the talent behind your product or service.
• “Pricing and implementation” slide: Clearly outline the pricing structure and implementation process for your product or service. This slide should provide the necessary information for prospects to make an informed buying decision.
• “Next steps” slide: End your presentation with a clear call to action, guiding prospects on what they should do next. This slide should encourage prospects to take the next step in the sales process.
• Engaging and visually appealing presentation: An effective sales presentation should be easy to follow, visually appealing, and tailored to the needs of the audience. It should cover all key points, be concise, and easy to follow.
• Leverage video sales tools: Video sales tools can help engage your target audience in a more personal and interactive way. However, be cautious not to overuse technology, as flashy

What is an effective sales presentation?

An effective sales presentation is easy to follow, visually appealing, and delivered with honesty and transparency. It should be tailored to the needs of the audience and provide them with information that is relevant to them. It should cover all the key points, be concise, and easy to follow.

A B2B sales process is a system that inside sales teams use to identify and qualify potential clients, build relationships, and close sales. The sales process typically has six stages: awareness or prospecting, education, vendor selection or proposal, negotiation, commitment, and post-sale impact stage. An effective sales team uses sales presentations and educational materials at each stage of the sales process to engage prospective clients.

A sales presentation is a critical part of the sales process – it’s a visual presentation that tells your story and showcases your products or services. Creating a strong sales deck is an essential part of any successful B2B sales process.

Sales professionals know that creating the most effective sales presentation or a sales deck is not easy. B2B buyers are constantly bombarded with sales pitches, video presentations, and sales decks. They are quick to tune out anything that feels like a canned or generic sales pitch.

Did you know that according to Forbes about 35 million presentations are given each day to over 500 million people?

The best sales reps are always looking to improve their sales process. They are always on the lookout for new technologies that can help them sell more effectively.

Video sales tools have become increasingly popular in recent years amongst high growth sales teams. Video offers a way to engage a target audience in a more personal and interactive way. A well-crafted video sales deck or a video sales presentation can be highly effective in winning over new customers.

However, there is a danger in using too much technology in your presentation. The flashy graphics and animations can actually distract the client from your message. So if you are considering using some new technology in your next slide deck, think carefully about whether it will actually add to your message and engage the client or just create a visual distraction.

The main question you should be asking yourself: Does it help the prospects understand your offerings better?

To be effective, a B2B sales deck must be carefully tailored to the specific needs of the buyer. It should always be focused on solving the client’s pain points and display the value proposition.

4x Sales Content Engagement

Record and share Video PDF presentations and proposals and WOW your prospects and clients with the most personal customer experience. Access engagement analytics. Learn more.

Focus on creating a sales presentation that addresses the needs of the buyer.

A good sales presentation is one that is tailored to the needs of the audience and provides them with information that is relevant to them. It should be well-organized, visually appealing, clear, cover all the key points, be concise, and easy to follow.

The most effective sales presentation is also engaging and should clearly define the value proposition. The best sales presentations are those that leave the audience wanting more, so it is important to avoid over-selling or coming across as too pushy.

Ultimately, a good sales presentation is one that makes a strong case for the product or service being sold.

With so many sales presentation examples and sales presentation templates online which ones should you pick? Where should you start? No worry! We have put together a comprehensive guide with the best sales presentation techniques and insights that will help you create the most engaging B2B sales deck that will resonate with your target audience, and will make a good first impression.

FEATURED POST

Asking for the business is the best way to accelerate saas sales.

As any experienced salesperson in SaaS sales knows, the key to closing a deal is to ask for the business. You have to ask for the sale!

What is a B2B sales presentation or a sales deck?

A sales presentation or a sales deck is a presentation that contains slides with product and company information, product or service value proposition. It oftentimes includes success stories or testimonials, and pricing. Sales professionals use sales presentations to persuade clients to buy their products or services. They highlight the benefits of their products and service and demonstrate why they are superior to competing products or services.

Sales professionals use sales presentations to persuade clients to buy their products or services. They highlight the benefits of their products and service and demonstrate why they are superior to competing products or services.

Sales reps also use a sales deck to answer any questions potential customers may have about your offerings. You want your audience to understand your main points and be able to see why your product is the best solution for their needs. If you can do all of that, then you’ll be well on your way to creating the most effective sales presentation.

A sales presentation can be delivered in-person, via live video sales calls, or asynchronously by video narrating your presentation and sharing it with your prospect or client.

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What slides should a sales presentations include?

• Cover slide.
• Solution slide.
• Success story slide or a Social proof slide.
• “The bright future” slide.
• “Why us / About the company” slide.
• “Meet the Team” slide.
• “Pricing and implementation” slide.
• “Next steps” slide.

B2B sales presentation slides to include #1: Cover slide.

Many sales reps underestimate the power of the cover slide. This slide is often the first chance you have to make a good first impression on your audience, so it’s important to get it right.

A successful sales presentation cover slide should be attention-grabbing and should set the tone for the rest of the sales presentation. It should provide just enough information to pique client’s interest and get them curious.

An effective cover slide should be professionally designed and include your company name, logo, your name, and a message that directly speaks to the buyer.

When you send an email or a video email to a prospect or a client, the cover slide of your pitch deck will also be displayed as a thumbnail.

You can use this to your advantage when designing your cover slide. A nicely designed cover slide will help to capture people’s attention and can greatly increase the chance that people will click to view your slide deck.

People are more likely to click to view a presentation with an eye-catching cover slide than one that is plainly designed.

By investing the time to create a well-designed cover slide, you can set the tone for a successful sales presentation and increase your chances of making a sale!

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B2B sales presentation slides to include #2: Solution slide.

What? You heard it! Start with the solution slide. Not the slide about your company or the pain points you are solving, not the product’s features, not the pictures of your cat or dog. Lead with the solution slide instead!

An effective B2B sales deck doesn’t need to be a mystery novel with a long build-up and a big reveal on the final slide.

The best way to engage your audience is to present your solution and the value proposition in a clear and concise way.

You have very limited time to capture your client’s attention.

Most presentations start talking about the problem the client may be facing. Your client already knows about the pain point they are facing! They want to know that you have a solution that can help them solve it.

B2B buyers are not easy to sell to. You are typically dealing with people who are very knowledgeable about their industry and skeptical of any outside solution. That is why it is important to start your sales presentation with the solution slide. This is the slide that outlines exactly how your product or service will solve the prospect’s pain points. It should be clear and concise.

This is the time when you have the highest chance to capture the attention of the viewer.

B2B sales presentation slides to include #3: "Success story" or a "Social proof" slide.

Even the best sales reps often face skepticism when presenting their products and services. After all, businesses are built on numbers. Sometimes it can be hard to quantify the benefits of a new product.

One way to overcome this skepticism is to use a success story slide supported by case studies of other customers. The social proof slide should tell a compelling story of how your company has helped a specific customer achieve their goals. By showcasing a real-world example and success stories of your solution in your sales deck, you’ll give your potential client the confidence that your offerings can deliver real results.

The success story slide’s purpose is to engage the prospect by sharing a relevant, relatable story that demonstrates the benefits of your offerings.

It should be a part of every sales deck. Successful sales presentations always contain a compelling story or a great example that help sales reps to overcome initial scepticism coming from a prospective client.

Tell a story that is specific and quantifiable.

They show how your company was able to solve a concrete pain point for a real customer. When crafting a success story slide, be sure to focus on the key takeaways that will resonate with your prospect.

In order to create the most effective sales presentation, it is important to choose a relevant and inspiring story. The story should be clear, concise, and easy to follow. When done well, a success story slide can be hugely persuasive, showing a potential client that you have a track record of delivering results. Not only that but it can also help you build trust and credibility with the prospect.

If you have case studies from other customers or just a great example helping similar company, you should attach them to your sales deck.

By following up with the social proof slide in your own sales presentation, you can ensure that your audience remains engaged and interested in what you have to offer. It is a simple sales presentation technique but it is the best way to get your prospect to start talking and pay close attention.

B2B sales presentation slides to include #4: "The bright future" slide.

Many inside sales teams overlook the importance of the bright future slide. This is the slide that showcases what the prospective client can expect if they sign on with your company.

Your goal is to paint a picture of a world in which the prospect’s pain point no longer exist. It’s an opportunity to paint a picture of success and to demonstrate how your product or service can help them achieve their goals. This requires a deep understanding of the prospect’s business and their challenges. Only then can you create a compelling vision of a future in which their pain point has been solved.

This future should be specific, believable, and attractive to the prospect. By painting this picture on the sales pitch, you can help the prospect see the potential for your product to transform their business. This can help the buyer see the value of your solution. A well-crafted “bright future slide” can help to secure the ultimate buying decision, and so it is essential to put careful thought and planning into it.

Including a bright future slide in your sales deck is essential for closing deals. So if you’re not already including the bright future slide in your own sales presentation, you’re missing out on a key opportunity to win over new business!

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B2B sales presentation slides to include #5: "Why us / About the company" slide.

This is the slide where you can share your company’s history, talk about its mission and values, and highlight its key strengths.

In addition, this slide should highlight your company’s accomplishments and successes. Doing so will help to establish trust with your audience and show them that you’re a reputable and reliable business.

Remember that B2B buyers are looking for a long-term partner. They need to know that they can trust your company to deliver on its promises. Finally, remember to keep your sales deck up-to-date so that it accurately reflects your current company status.

By including a slide about your company in your own sales presentation, you’ll be able to effectively communicate who you are and what you do – two key elements in closing any B2B deal!

B2B sales presentation slides to include #6: "Meet the Team" slide.

When you’re creating a sales deck to present to new clients, it’s important to include a slide that introduces your team. Why? Because when you’re selling to a company, you’re not just selling to an individual – you’re selling to a team. The team slide helps the buyer visualize your team as part of their own, and see how you would fit in and contribute to their success.

You can also use the slide to highlight your team’s expertise, accomplishments, and talents. Including a “Meet the Team” slide in your presentation will help create a more personal connection with your audience. It will help them see your company as more than just a faceless entity.

Depending on who is seeing your sales pitch, this slide can very formal or informal. Remember the goal is to trigger an emotion that can help you connect with the client on a human level. So check the recipient’s LinkedIn, see what they post and how they engage with others. You would be surprised 😉.

Including a team slide in your next sales presentation is a great way to build trust and credibility with your prospects. So next time you’re preparing your sales deck, make sure to include a team slide – it could be the difference between winning and losing the deal!

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B2B sales presentation slides to include #7: "Pricing and implementation" slide.

Provide the client with a clear explanation of what the implementation or onboarding process looks like. For example, if you’re selling cloud-based accounting software, make sure to explain how long it will take to set up the system and train employees. Providing this level of detail will show that you’re knowledgeable about your product and that you’re committed to providing a seamless transition for your customers.

If you are selling multiple product tiers or bundles, clearly explain the benefits of each option. The value proposition of each offering should be well defined in your sales deck. The most important factor to consider is the needs of the prospective client. For example, if they are looking for a comprehensive solution, then a top-tier option might be the best choice. However, if it is a small businesses and they expressed interest in specific product features, then a lower-tier option might be more appropriate.

Ultimately, the main point is to provide a recommendation that meets the needs of the prospective client while also providing clear justification for why that particular option is the best choice.

It is essential, to be honest, and transparent with your potential clients.

Trying to oversell your product or service on a sales pitch can often backfire, leading to mistrust and ultimately losing the sale. By being honest and transparent, a sales rep can establish trust with prospective clients and create a foundation for a successful business relationship.

B2B sales presentation slides to include #8: "Next steps" slide.

One important element of a B2B sales deck that the best sales reps always include is the next steps slide. This is the final slide that helps to reinforce the sales message and provides a clear call to action for the prospect.

B2B sales process often involves many many decision-makers with different needs and priorities. As a result, it’s important to ensure that each decision-maker has a clear understanding of the next steps. Otherwise, the sales cycle can quickly stall as decision-makers wait for clarity. This is why it’s essential to have a clearly defined next step in your sales presentations. By doing so, you can keep the momentum going and move closer to a successful sale.

This final slide should clearly outline what the prospect needs to do in order to move forward with the purchase. It should be concise and easy to understand. The call to action should be obvious, and there should be no ambiguity about what the next steps are.

Including a next steps slide in your sales deck can help to increase your close rate and boost your sales numbers.

So when you work on your next sales presentation try following these sales presentation tips you’ll be able to craft a more compelling story and engaging sales pitch that will accelerate your sales cycle!

If you want to learn more about maintaining momentum in sales be sure to read our article.

What are the biggest sales presentation mistakes to avoid at all costs?

After a long and meticulous sales process, you finally managed to get a chance to present your powerpoint presentation to the buyer. This can be done either on a live call or asynchronously. Don’t let all that work and efforts go to waste.

• Having too much text on your in your sales presentation.
• Using visuals in your sales deck that don’t support your messaging.
• Using too much technical jargon when delivering your sales presentation.
• Rushing through your sales presentation to share more information.
• Reading the slides.
• Excluding the prospect from your story.
• Heavily using parasite words on your sales presentation.
• Focusing on product’s features, not benefits and value proposition in your sales deck.
• Making your sales presentation too long.
• Not showing a clear next step.

Most common mistakes to avoid #1: Having too much text on your in your sales presentation.

“It doesn't matter how good or bad the product is, the fact is that people don't read anymore.” WIRED Steve Jobs

No matter how complex your product or offerings is you have to simplify the messaging and substitute text with visuals whenever possible. If your sales presentation is too text-heavy and lacks data visualizations, it will be difficult for the audience to process important information and follow along.

The best sales decks strike a balance between text and visuals, using concise language and clear visuals to convey important information in an easy-to-understand format. More information is not always better. In fact, less is often more when it comes to a sales deck. When in doubt, leave it out. It is better to have a concise, well-organized sales deck than one that is crammed full of information. Find some sales presentation templates to get some inspiration.

So, next time you’re putting together a static sales deck or a video sales presentation, remember to keep your audience in mind and use text sparingly. A little goes a long way!

Most common mistakes to avoid #2: Using visuals in your sales deck that don't support your messaging.

A successful sales presentation requires more than just a well-organized deck and knowledgeable sales rep. It also needs to be visually engaging to capture and hold the attention of the audience.

Visual elements can be a powerful tool in creating a great slide deck.

Proper use of graphics can help to convey complex ideas in a way that is both clear and memorable.

In addition, graphics can add an element of excitement and dynamism to a presentation, making it more enjoyable for both the presenter and the audience.

When used effectively, graphics can be a powerful asset in creating a successful sales presentation. However, it is important to use graphics judiciously, as too many can confuse and overwhelm prospects.

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In a sales presentation, the use of visual elements that don’t support the messaging can be a major mistake.

The reason is that the decision-maker is looking for specific information to help them understand how your product addresses their pain points. If the graphics in your sales deck don’t reinforce this message, it can distract from your overall argument and confuse your audience.

It is also important to avoid falling into a rabbit hole of constantly changing the design of your sales presentation. Find good looking powerpoint templates or a pitch deck online and customize the content. Using a sales presentation template can help you save time and create an effective sales presentation in no time!

Using too many or too few visual elements in your sales deck can be detrimental.

The key is to use graphics judiciously, selecting only those that are truly helpful in conveying your main points.

If you are selling a B2B SaaS platform, show some screenshots to reinforce your messaging, the most important features, and the value proposition. If you are selling SEO services, show examples from Google Analytics and use data visualizations, charts, and graphs in your sales deck.

When used effectively, graphics can be a powerful tool in a slide presentation. But when used improperly, they can do more harm than good.

A successful sales presentation strikes a balance between text and visuals, using each to complement the other. By carefully planning the layout and design of their presentation, sales professionals can ensure that their graphics make a positive impact and contribute to a successful outcome.

Read our article on how to embed videos in PowerPoint presentations.

Most common mistakes to avoid #3: Using too much technical jargon when delivering your sales presentation.

When giving a B2B sales presentation live or sharing a video sales presentation, it is important to avoid using technical jargon. While you may be familiar with the terms and concepts, your audience may not be. Using jargon in your sales deck can alienate your listeners and make it difficult for them to follow along.

Instead, focus on speaking in plain language that all prospects understand.

Use specific examples and analogies to explain complex concepts. That doesn’t mean you have to dumb down your message, but it does mean avoiding technical jargon that only a small percentage of people will be familiar with. Of course, there are times when you can use technical jargon and be absolutely certain that people will understand it. Doing so will help ensure that your message is understood and appreciated by all.

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Most common mistakes to avoid #4: Rushing through your sales presentation to share more information.

According to a recent study by Zoom , on average, people remember about 10% of your presentation after 48 hours. So focus on the main points and repetition. According to the study, repeating the 10% message and reinforcing it visually lead to precision memory in 74% of the participants.

It is important to remember not to overwhelm prospects. Too much information can be confusing. Instead, focus on providing the essential and important information that the buyer needs to know in order to make an informed decision.

Don’t try to show everything you have to offer on your sales pitch.

Do your research and focus on things and the most important features that are relevant to the buyer. This way, you can tailor your sales deck to their needs and interests. What’s more, you’ll be able to anticipate any objections they might have and address them head-on. Researching your prospect can also give you some sales presentation ideas that can help you deliver a killer sales presentation and close the deal! So don’t skimp on preparation – it could mean the difference between success and failure.

Be sure to read our step-by-step guide on how to use Chat GPT to overcome sales objections.

Most common mistakes to avoid #5: Reading the slides.

When giving a B2B sales presentation, it is important to remember that the slide deck should be used to support your messaging.

The audience wants to hear from you!

If you spend too much time reading from your slide deck, you will lose the audience’s attention. Instead, use the slides as a tool to reinforce the key points you’re making verbally. This will help keep your audience engaged and focused on what you’re saying.

Sales reps who rely solely on reading from their slide deck during presentations are missing out on a key opportunity to connect with their audience. Instead of simply regurgitating the information that’s already on the slides, the best sales reps use the sales deck as an opportunity to share their insights and expertise. They use facial expressions and body language to connect with the client on a human level. This not only makes the presentation more engaging but also helps to build rapport with the audience. In addition, by sharing their thoughts and observations, the best sales reps can add an element of urgency and excitement that often gets lost when presentations are purely factual.

When it comes time to close the deal, that extra level of connection can make all the difference. So next time you’re preparing for a live slide presentation or recording an asynchronous video sales presentation, resist the urge to simply read from the slide deck. Instead, use the slides as a tool to support your powerful storytelling.

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And last but not least, be aware of the body language you are projecting, as it can influence the outcome of a sale. According to the study by Albert Mehrabian, professor of psychology at University of California, body language accounts for 55% of communication. It is very important for a sales rep to learn how to use body language effectively. By using body language effectively, you can increase your chances of delivering the best sales presentation and making a successful sale!

Most common mistakes to avoid #6: Excluding the prospect from your story.

A sales presentation should be about the prospect, not the product or the product’s features. Prospects want to know how your products and services will benefit them, not just what it is and how it works.

When giving a sales presentation, it’s important to engage your audience and make them invested in the story you’re telling. One way to do this is to include the prospect in the story.

You can do this by using the pronoun “you” when you tell a story. For example, “Let’s say you’re trying to increase sales by 10% this quarter.” This simple change will make your prospects feel like they are part of the story and help them to see themselves using your products and services. This will help them to see themselves as the protagonist, understand how your products and services can benefit them, and connect with your message on a personal level. In addition, this approach will help you create a more conversational tone that will make your presentation more lively and engaging.

When you tell a story, consider what problem the buyer is trying to solve and how your product or service can help them to overcome it. Use specific and relatable examples to illustrate your point. Make sure to address any objections in your sales deck that the buyer might have. In addition, including the prospect in the story can help build rapport and trust. When prospects feel like they’re part of the story, they’re more likely to be interested in what you have to say and be receptive to your sales pitch.

So next time you’re preparing a sales presentation, remember to include your prospects in the story. It’s a small change that can make a big difference and help you close more deals!

Most common mistakes to avoid #7: Heavily using parasite words on your sales presentation.

When delivering a B2B sales presentation, it’s important to sound professional and confident. One way to do this is to avoid using filler words such as “um,” “like,” “basically,” “actually,” and “you know.” These words can make you sound uncertain and reduce the impact of your message. Similarly, words like “just” or “simply” can downplay the importance of what you’re trying to say.

Instead of using filler words, take a moment to pause and gather your thoughts. It’s best to avoid using any type of filler words in your presentation. Not only do they make you sound less confident, but they can also distract from your overall message.

In addition, filler words can also increase the amount of time it takes to deliver your presentation, which can bore your audience and cause them to tune out. Instead, focus on using language that is clear and concise.

By avoiding parasite words and speaking with confidence, you can ensure that your next sales presentation is more impactful and makes a lasting impression!

Most common mistakes to avoid #8: Focusing on product's features, not benefits and value proposition in your sales deck.

When you’re giving a sales presentation, it’s important to remember that your audience is primarily interested in understanding how your products and services can help them achieve their business goals. Your clients are not as concerned with the specific product’s features of your offering as they are with understanding how those features will benefit them.

It is important to focus on benefits and value proposition when doing a sales presentation because it is one of the main reasons why a potential client will move towards making the buying decision. They should be clear, concise, and easy to understand.

For example, if you’re selling a digital product like a CRM, your slide deck should not focus on the product features. Instead, start talking about how the system can help the buyer increase sales or improve customer retention. As a result, your sales deck should focus on highlighting the business results that your products and services can deliver. By doing so, you’ll be able to capture your audience’s attention and build a strong case for why they should do business with you.

If you can effectively communicate the benefits and the value proposition of your products and services in your slide deck, you will be more likely to close more deals!

Most common mistakes to avoid #9: Making your sales presentation too long.

The key to successful sales presentations is to keep your audience engaged. After all, it doesn’t matter how great your products and services are if no one is paying attention.

According to the developmental molecular biologist John Medina viewers will tune out after 10 minutes.

Most sales presentations are often long and dry, filled with statistics and jargon that lose the attention of the audience within minutes. This is a huge mistake. The key to a successful B2B sales deck is to keep it short, sweet, and to the point.

Remember, you’re selling to busy professionals who have better things to do than sit through a tedious presentation. In fact, research has shown that shorter presentations are more likely to be successful in terms of both conversion rates and client satisfaction. Shorter presentations are easier to digest and remember.

By keeping your sales deck short and focused, you’ll stand a much better chance of holding your audience’s attention and making the sale!

Most common mistakes to avoid #10: Not showing a clear next step.

At the end of your live sales presentation or an asynchronous video sales presentation, it is incredibly important to establish the next steps in order to move the deal forward. This next step could be something as small as scheduling a follow-up meeting or it could be starting the onboarding process.

Not having a next step defined is one of the surefire ways to kill any momentum that might have been gained during the sales presentation.

If you do not define the next steps, it gives the impression that you are not interested in continuing the conversation or that you do not have a clear understanding of what needs to happen next. This can damage your relationship with the prospect and make it less likely that they will do business with you.

The goal of a B2B sales presentation is to eventually land the sale, and without a defined next step, it will be very difficult to move closer to that goal. By contrast, if the next steps are clearly laid out in your sales deck, it gives both parties a sense of direction and purpose moving forward. To put it simply, not defining the next steps in your slide deck is bad for business!

How to deliver the best sales presentation?

• Establish value then talk price.
• The best reps proactively bring up competitors.
• Share a video narrated presentation before the discovery call.
• Don’t underestimate the power of insight.
• Personalize your pitch to position yourself as an advisor.
• Don’t memorize your sales pitch, but practice it.

B2B sales presentation tips #1: Establish value then talk price.

When giving a B2B sales presentation, your first step is to demonstrate the value of your product before you start talking about the price. This is because decision-makers want to know that your product will be worth the investment before they commit to anything. If you are selling to small businesses that are very price sensitive, establishing value is even more important. Many decision-makers also are looking for solutions that will improve their bottom line.

Too often, sales reps focus solely on the price and fail to establish the value of their products and services. As a result, the prospective client is left feeling like they don’t really need what you’re selling. To deliver successful sales presentations, you need to focus on the value of your products and services. Talk about how it will benefit the client and eliminate their pain point.

By showing them the value of your product first, you’ll be able to make a stronger case for why it’s worth investing in.

Once you’ve demonstrated the value, you can then talk about pricing and how it fits into the overall picture. By taking this approach, you will be able to demonstrate the value of your solution and position yourself as a partner rather than a vendor.

B2B sales presentation tips #2: The best reps proactively bring up competitors.

Most presentations don’t include the competition slide and it is a big mistake!

In today’s business world, your competition is just a Google search away and a common mistake that sales reps make is to avoid talking about their competition.

They may think that by doing so, they are giving their competitors “free publicity” or making themselves look bad by comparison. However, in many cases, the opposite is true. By mentioning your competition in your sales presentations, you can actually make yourself look more professional and credible. This is because you are showing that you are aware of the landscape of your industry and that you have done your research.

By acknowledging your competition in your sales pitch, you can show that you are confident in your products and services and that you are not afraid to bring up your competitors.

This is one of the most powerful sales presentation techniques that the best reps use, as it shows that they believe in their product and are willing to put it up against the best that the competition has to offer.

Additionally, by proactively bringing up your competitor’s products and offerings, you can address any objections that your prospect might have before they even have a chance to bring them up. By proactively bringing up your competition, you can take control of the conversation and help to close the sale.

Furthermore, by showing that you are aware of your competition and are actively working to improve upon their product features. It also demonstrates that you are dedicated to meeting the needs of your clients. This shows that you are a company that can be trusted and that you will work hard to ensure that the client is satisfied.

Finally, discussing your competition in your sales pitch can help you come across as a trusted adviser rather than just another sales rep looking for a naive buyer.

So don’t be afraid to mention your competitors in your sales deck. It can actually work in your favor.

B2B sales presentation tips #3: Share a video narrated presentation before the discovery call.

The discovery call is a crucial step in the sales process. It’s an opportunity to learn about the prospect’s needs and pain points, and to establish whether there’s a fit between the product and the client. One way to make the most of this opportunity is to share a general presentation before the call. This gives the prospect a chance to get a general understanding of your products and services.

Sharing a video sales narrated presentation or a sales deck is even more effective as it can greatly amplify the impact of your presentation. It will make it easier for the recipient to digest the important information. Not only that but it can help the buyer get used to your voice, see your body language, and it will also give them a better sense of who you are as a person. It will help you establish a human connection with your client before the discovery call. Ultimately, sharing a video sales presentation is a great way a sales rep to connect with their clients on a human level and showcase their expertise.

Read our video selling guide to learn about video sales best practices and key tactics and watch some great sales presentation examples.

Sharing an asynchronous video presentation before the discovery call will allow you to have a more natural conversation with the client.

Moreover, sharing a video sales presentation before the discovery call also allows for more efficient use of time on the call itself. As both parties will already have a good understanding of what’s being discussed. This will ensure that you spend more time engaging in a more natural conversation with your client.

If you are looking for a tool to quickly create video presentations, you should try DeckLinks . It allows inside sales teams to create video narrated sales presentations by simply video narrating an existing PDF slide deck or a powerpoint presentation. This asynchronous video presentation is then can be shared in a single trackable link.

A trackable sales presentation can help you sell better by allowing you to see how recipients interact with your content. This data can be used to improve the effectiveness of your slide deck, strategically prepare for an upcoming discovery call, identify the most engaged decision-maker, or get some sales presentation ideas. You will get access to very granular analytics, like open rate, time spent on each slide, clicks, downloads etc. This information can help you determine which topics, products or services are most interesting to your prospect or a client, and which parts of your presentation are most effective.

For example, if you see that recipients are not viewing your entire presentation or skipping slides, you can change the order or reduce the number of your slides. You can also make your slide deck more visual or adjust your messaging to make your content more engaging.

By using a trackable video sales presentation, you can gain valuable insights that will help you sell more effectively. And the best part part? There’s a free plan!

Make sure to read our guide on how to make video presentations and when to use them.

In short, sharing video presentations before a discovery call is a good way to make sure that everyone is on the same page from the start. Win win for both sides!

If you want to learn about what video presentation types all fast-growing companies use , read our article here.

B2B sales presentation tips #4: Don't underestimate the power of insight.

Gong Labs data show there is an 8% increase in close rates when the sales rep and the buyer curse on the sales calls, compared to nobody cursing at all 🤯.

When delivering your killer sales presentation, it’s important to start off with an insight that will grab your audience’s attention and set the tone for the rest of the presentation. This is one of the most popular sales presentation techniques employed by high-performing B2B sales professionals to pique their customers’ interest.

An insight is a piece of information that helps your audience see the pain point in a new light. It can be something as simple as an interesting statistic or a surprising fact. An insight could be something that challenges their assumptions, highlights a new trend in your industry or brings up an interesting case study.

Whatever you choose for your next sales presentation, make sure it’s something that will resonate with your audience and make them want to hear more. By sharing an insight that is relevant to your product or service, you can demonstrate your expertise and build trust with a prospective client.

Additionally, insight can help to clarify the benefits of your offering and make it more relatable to your audience. Once you have their attention, you can move on to the rest of your pitch deck.

So if you’re looking to give your next sales presentation a boost, be sure to include an insight or two. It could make all the difference in closing more deals.

B2B sales presentation tips #5: Personalize your pitch to position yourself as an advisor.

When creating a B2B sales presentation, it is important to remember that no two clients are exactly alike, so a cookie-cutter approach is bound to fall flat. You can try to find sales presentation examples or sales presentation templates online to get some inspiration but you still need take the time to get to know your prospect and tailor your sales pitch accordingly.

While there are certain elements that a good sales presentation should have, such as an engaging opener and a clear call to action, the best sales decks are tailored to the specific needs of the client. What pain points are they trying to solve? What objectives do they hope to achieve? For example, if you know that your prospect expressed interest in saving money, you can focus on how your product can help them to reduce costs. By addressing these questions in your sales deck, you’ll be able to create a more meaningful connection with your prospect – and increase your chances of making a sale.

A generic slide presentation that doesn’t take into account the specific needs of the client is often met with resistance or indifference. On the other hand, a sales deck that is tailored to the client’s industry, company size, and specific pain points is much more likely to be well-received. Not only that but sales deck personalization can help to build rapport and trust, which are essential for making a successful sale.

It can be tempting to take shortcuts when preparing a sales presentation, but if you want to close the deal, personalization is key. Your prospect will appreciate the effort you put into understanding their business and crafting a sales deck that resonates with them. Furthermore, by putting extra effort and time into understanding the client’s business and challenges, you can position yourself as a valuable resource and advisor.

Positioning yourself as an advisor rather than a salesperson can be extremely effective. Businesses are always looking for ways to improve their RevOps and bottom line, so they’re always open to new ideas that can help them achieve their goals. As an advisor, you can provide them with insights and recommendations that will help them make the best decisions for their business. This sales presentation technique requires more initial investment than simply pitching a product, but it can be much more effective in the long run.

By positioning yourself as an advisor, you build trust and credibility with potential clients. This will make it much easier to close deals and build strong long-term relationships with clients.

B2B sales presentation tips #6: Don't memorize your sales pitch, but practice it.

Pitching is an art form, one that takes practice to master. When you’re giving a sales presentation, it’s important to sound natural and confident, not like you’re reciting a script. If you memorize your sales pitch, you’ll sound robotic and unnatural, and you’re likely to forget key points or get tongue-tied if you get thrown off by a question. There’s a fine line between being prepared and sounding like you’re reading a script. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t practice your pitch beforehand.

There are a few simple sales presentation tips that can help you hone your pitching skills. The key is to memorize the structure of your sales deck, not individual words or phrases. Try to memorize the key points you want to hit. You want to sound natural, more spontaneous, and confident, but you also don’t want to get tripped up on the details. Practice your next sales presentation until you know it inside and out, and can deliver your pitch smoothly and confidently. The more practice you get, the more comfortable you’ll feel when it comes time to give your pitch. This way, you’ll be able to deliver it in a conversational and engaging way, and you’ll be able to improvise if necessary.

So don’t try to memorize your sales pitch – instead, practice it until you have complete confidence in your ability to deliver it flawlessly. And if you do happen to forget something, don’t panic – just take a deep breath and move on. Your audience will appreciate your candor and professionalism!

Key takeaways

As you prepare to create your sales deck, keep in mind that your goal is to deliver value to your audience.

• Your sales deck should be designed to educate and inform your audience, not simply sell them your product or service.
• A good sales presentation is well-researched and relevant to your audience’s needs.
• In addition, it should be focused on delivering a clear and concise message.
• Tell a story but don’t turn it into a novel with a big reveal on the final slide.
• Share successful customer stories and social proof.
• Be ready to provide any relevant case studies.
• When delivering a sales presentation use simple language and avoid jargon, make it easy for prospects understand your sales pitch.
• Make sure to practice your elevator pitch and body language ahead of time so that you can deliver it with confidence.
• Finally, don’t forget to have a clear next step at the end of your sales deck!

Follow our sales presentation tips and tricks, you can be sure that your next sales presentation is engaging and informative and that it leaves a positive impression on your audience.

For more presentation tips and tricks be sure to read our article.

How to create the most engaging and impactful sales presentations?

Focus on showcasing the value proposition in a compelling story format focused on quantifiable customer benefits. Use data visualizations, relatable success stories, and relevant examples tailored to your audience’s specific needs and pain points. Make the presentation conversational with two-way dialogue.

How to develop sales presentations that drive results?

Thoroughly research your target audience and market. Establish credibility and build trust from the start. Highlight ROI, business outcomes and quantitative results. Acknowledge competitors proactively. Practice an authentic yet confident delivery. Always have a clear and actionable call to action.

What is an optimal length of a sales presentation?

Limit your core sales pitch to 10 minutes or less with 8-12 slides focused only on key points. Lead with the agenda and value proposition. Make the presentation scannable, conversational and interactive. End with a summary and call to action.

What types of visuals make the biggest impact on a sales presentation?

Effective visuals include charts demonstrating ROI, screenshots showing product capabilities, logos of current customers, data visualizations like graphs, relevant images reinforcing key points, short customer quotes and statistics.

How to craft impactful, memorable openings and closings for sales presentations?

Start strong by leading with an insightful statistic or compelling example tailored specifically to your audience. Wrap up by clearly stating next steps, contact info, and a specific call to action.

What common mistakes to avoid when delivering sales presentations to prospects?

Avoid rushing through your pitch, overloading slides with too much text, using complex industry jargon, focusing solely on product features rather than benefits, and sounding overly scripted or salesy.

How to make sales presentations interactive, conversational and engaging for prospects?

Pause frequently for questions and feedback. Invite audience participation. Leverage interactive product demos relevant to the prospect’s needs. Use thought-provoking prompts related to their business challenges.

How to practice and prepare before presenting a sales deck?

Memorize your sales pitch structure rather than a word-for-word script. Practice until your delivery is fluid, natural and authentic. Time yourself when practicing to perfect your pacing.

How important is the cover slide of a sales presentation?

Cover slide is often the first chance you have to make good first impression on the audience. Successful sales presentation cover slide should be attention-grabbing and should set the tone for the rest of the sales presentation. It should provide just enough information to pique client’s interest and get them curious.

What is the solution slide and why is it important?

Solution slide is the slide that outlines exactly how your product or service will solve the prospect’s pain points. It should be clear and concise. Most presentations start talking about the problem the client may be facing. Your client already knows about the pain point they are facing! This is the slide that outlines exactly how your product or service will solve the prospect’s pain points.

Lidia Vijga

About the author.

Lidia Vijga is a seasoned professional with nearly 10 years of first-hand experience in B2B sales and B2B marketing. She has a proven track record of driving growth for companies across various industries. Throughout her career, Lidia has led numerous successful sales campaigns and implemented innovative marketing strategies that have significantly increased revenue and reduced customer acquisition cost for her clients. Lidia regularly shares her insights and experiences on LinkedIn, webinars, and public speaking engagements. Lidia believes in the power of personal qualities such as kindness, empathy, and the willingness to understand others. She is committed to empowering client-facing teams with tools that enhance their talent instead of automating it, and she firmly believes that teams that show their human side grow companies much faster.

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TOP 9 Best Sales Presentation Examples

We all get that same feeling when we are prepping for a presentation. It is the jittery anxiety of hoping you have all that you need and that you will be able to answer all of their questions. Conversely, maybe you instead are the calm, cool, collected one. But no matter how you are feeling before, nothing beats that feeling of nailing a sales presentation. 

In this post, we will give you nine of the all-time best sales presentation examples. Each example will even have its own script you can follow to adapt the pitch to your sales opportunity. Stay with us as we cover nine out of this world sales presentations, including everyone from Apple to Zuora.

Highly Recommended Next Article to Read:

7 Elements of a Sales Presentation that Converts

1. The Apple Team And Their Sales Conferences

Apple  uses a unique team-centric approach to their presentations. They use multiple team members to deliver content at different points in their sales presentations. And everyone working during this presentation is passionate about Apple and its products. This strategy keeps the audience engaged and wanting more.

How To Model Your Sales Presentation Like Apple

To model your sales presentation after Apple’s approach, you want to keep the following points in mind:

• Use more than just static images  – Videos and sound bites increase engagement. 
• Pass the mic  – Use your team to your advantage and share the floor with them.

Also, to keep everyone engaged, know that the tone of your voice goes a long way. People can hear the passion you have for a project in your tone. 

2. Appsflyer’s Sale Presentations Have Great Visuals

Appsflyer’s sales presentations rely heavily on brand recognition and little to no text. Because this company specializes in analytics, images speak louder than words in many cases. They use strong examples within their presentation to highlight their successes. 

Creating Your Own Highly Visual Sales Presentation

To create your own visual sales presentation, you need to know what message you are trying to convey in your presentation. 

The following is a list of  key elements  to focus on when creating a highly visual sales presentation:

• Choose powerful and meaningful images  – If you stray away from using lots of text, make sure the images you use can evoke emotion and gives the audience a sense of what you are talking about
• Do not focus on one point for too long  – When presenting, you want your audience to come away with a specific feeling or call to action. Try to avoid hammering one point in too many times, some repetition is important, but too much repetition can cause a boring presentation.
• Practice makes perfect  – With little to no cues on your slides for you to speak from, you need to know what you are planning to say all the way through to create a crafted and coherent message. That means you need to practice your slides and practice them again!

3. Facebook’s Captivating You Through Simplicity

Facebook’s  sales presentation is all about simplicity. They use a streamlined approach to sharing their key points. In Facebook’s sales presentation, they use the following  guidelines :

• Limit clutter  – Every quote, excerpt, and blurb has a purpose. There is no frivolous detailing.
• Stay readable  – Their presentation uses limited text to allow the presenter to be the focus. The presentation only serves as the guide. 

If you can keep these two points in mind and incorporate Facebook’s more universal strategies below, you are bound to have an impactful sale presentation. 

Three Strategies To Model Facebook’s Presentation 

Facebook is an internet and social media giant. It may seem difficult to compete with all of their skill and talent, but if you can use the following strategies like Facebook, you will, without a doubt, improve your sales presentations:

• Incorporate testimonials or proven success stories . Impart the sense that your business is thriving (because it is!) to your audience by using stories from real customers or clients. 
• Select graphics that evoke emotion.  Choose smiling faces over neutral expressions.
• Use icons to convey statistics . Relate numbers in a visual format to be more pleasant on the eyes and easier to assess visually.

By incorporating Facebook’s sales presentation strategies, you too will develop an out of this world sales presentation!

4. How Contently Uses The Before-After-Bridge Method

With Contently’s sales presentation, they focus on their successes and use those to show how they encapsulate their mission. They also create visually stunning, stand-alone presentation slides. 

The following is a list of things that  Contently  is doing right for its sales presentations:

• Highlights their mission wisely  – They put their mission front and center to remind you just exactly what they are good at before you even leave the title slide.
•   Implements the before-after-bridge formula  – Even though these slides are text-heavy, they tell an important story. Read on for exactly how to use this method in your sales presentations. 
• Use of striking visuals  – These visuals get the point across and allow you to expand upon your points without the teleprompter feeling of reading straight from a slide. 

Try Before-After-Bridge In Your Next Presentation

If you wonder how you can present the perfect testimonial when doing a sales presentation, look no further. The before-after-bridge delivery will set you apart from the competition and clearly illustrate how your company is great at what it does.

The following is a description for each part of the before-after-bridge method:

• Before  – This describes what a customer needed from you or lacked before entering into business with you.
• After  – The after tells the audience exactly what your company did for your customer 
• Bridge  – The bridge details the specific outcomes and actions 

Now the best way to deliver this is by marrying great visuals with minimal text. Use text as a supporting feature but be as concise as possible. 

5.Reddit Uses Unexpected Content To Its Advantage

Reddit  can capture its audience’s attention by using an image that is striking and out of the ordinary. This is a great way to establish and maintain their specific brand identity. 

In Reddit’s sales presentation, they use humor as a way to captivate and engage their audience:

• Highlight  impressive data
• Incorporate  timely pop culture references
• Value  creation and feature it as a top priority

The unexpected and humorous nature of Reddit’s sales presentation makes it really stand out from the crowd. They balance both the fun and engaging, with the serious and data-driven, very well. This is an unconventional approach that creates a deeply positive feeling among their audience. 

How To Feature Humor In Your Sales Presentation

To use humor like Reddit, you must ask yourself first if it is the right direction for your brand:

• It must be authentic  – If you are not a humorous person, humor may not be the best route for you to take during a sales presentation. 
• It must be engaging  – Using humor can be difficult because you have to choose an appropriate level of humor for the workplace. It can’t be too dark or too raunchy. But it must still be engaging and heartfelt enough to elicit an audience response. 
• You must be alright with it falling flat  – Not everyone will understand the joke or reference. That is normal. Keep moving through your talking points, and do not get too hung up if your joke flops. 

6.Buzzfeed Offers A No-Nonsense Delivery

Buzzfeed has created a business model that works to their advantage. They cover viral news and trending topics in a way that is always clickable. Their sales presentation is almost the complete opposite of their business model. Buzzfeed’s sales presentation is great at:

• Making use of bullets
• No frills language

Because of this, Buzzfeed gives off an air of confidence. They stick to the facts and do not leave any room for interpretation. They spell it all out for you in their sales presentation. 

Trim Your Sales Presentation & Give Just The Facts

• Having no visuals gives you an aloof and confident vibe
• Keep it short
• Keep text on slides to a minimum
• Use bullets

Buzzfeed’s use of minimalism is striking compared to some of the more over the top sales presentations. It definitely makes them stand out amongst the competition. 

7. Try LinkedIn’s Comprehensive Approach For The Win

LinkedIn is known for its ever-professional attitude. This feeling translates well to their sales presentation. Their presentation covers everything we have discussed so far:

• Creates engaging data visualization
• Highlights key points
• More is better mindset
• Simplicity on each slide 
• Uses visuals to their advantage

Not only does LinkedIn share their sales pitch, but they also give its audience an engaging way to use their platform to its fullest potential. 

Explore More Is Better & Match LinkedIn’s Model

The reason more information works for LinkedIn is because of the following:

• Balances captivating and informing the audience 
• Uses text and visuals to their advantage, not too few and not too many
• Uses time to its fullest potential 

Sometimes time is not on your side. If that is the case, aim for simplicity and brevity. It is always in your best interest to be respectful of your audience’s time. 

8. Uber: The Best Combo Of Data Visualization & Text

In addition to powerful text,  Uber  uses data visualization to present many of its important company statistics. Their five-pronged approach to sales presentations can be used again and again.

What is Uber’s five-pronged approach to sales presentations?:

• Synthesize it  – You, as the sales presenter, should know what market you are after and how your business aims to dominate that market. This means getting all the facts in order and sharing them as part of your pitch. 
• Seed germs  – Create a nurturing environment that fosters growth and enrichment. For Uber, this means selecting the right cities for future expansion. 
• Become contagious  – You want to be the next hottest, in-demand thing on the market, no matter whether it is a good or service. To spread wide and far, you need strong partnerships and consistency with your customers. 
• Mutate fast  – You want to focus on what is next and how you are going to be the first on the market. It is important to evolve in a way that suits your clients’ needs and puts you at the front of the pack against your competitors. 
• Defend  – Put protections in place to keep your spot at the top. This could be by focusing on the legislature that will grow or inhibit your company or through finding new ways to support your workers in times of stress. 

If you can adapt and tailor Uber’s sales presentation to your needs, you have a recipe for success! Nothing can beat the numbers. If your company has strong data points, highlight them with fewer words and more visuals representing the data. 

Using Data Visualization To Your Advantage 

If your company runs on numbers, as many in today’s world do, data visualization is a key part of any sales presentation. Now, you may be wondering how you create visuals based on your numbers. Well, the answer is simple, and there are a few different ways to do it. 

The following is a list of ways in which you can begin visualizing your data when giving a sales pitch:

• Do it yourself  – Doing it by yourself may seem daunting and very time consuming, but you will have a presentation you understand front to back at the end of the day.
• Gather a team  – This is probably your best course of action. Get a group of colleagues together that are familiar with the numbers. Break down the story you are trying to tell and assign each group member a piece of the pie. Remember, to be cohesive, you need to establish some parameters for the visuals’ look and feel. 
• Hire a professional  – While outsourcing is by far the easiest option, it can be the most difficult because once the visuals are made, you are stuck with figuring out how to make sense of them.

As you can see from the other sales presentations we have discussed, in addition to Uber, visuals are very important. And visuals can make or break a presentation. 

If you do not strike the right balance, your audience could feel bombarded and overwhelmed by too many visuals. But you do not want to overcorrect and leave them with paragraphs to read during your sales presentation. 

9. Zuora Uses Beautiful Imagery & Narrative Flow  

Zuora  uses storytelling as their main form of giving a sales presentation. They will lead the audience through their discoveries and ideas to lay out the concept they are trying to create. 

Zuora is good at using the following elements within their sales presentations:

• Uses background images  – An image speaks a thousand words. If you choose a good visual, it will not only support your story but reinforce the emotions and feelings you are trying to evoke. 
• Uses quotes  – A strategically placed quote can tie up a story nicely. It can also have a lasting impact if used correctly. Do not add too many frills around your quote to keep the final message vivid in your audience’s minds. 
• White space  – Creating balance and space for the audience to assign meaning and importance.

If you harness any of the elements above, you are that much closer to an out of this world sales presentation. 

Borrow From Zuora’s Playbook And Tell A Story

Zuora  uses five major elements in all of their sales presentations to make them stand out. The following is a list of important elements you can consider incorporating into your sales next presentation:

• Be bold and be the change  – Show your audience how you have adapted to what once was and what is to come in the future.
• Cite the spark  – Tell your audience exactly why you are here and what has happened in the world to need your business as part of their lives.
• Create excitement  – Highlight features that set you apart from the competition
• Prove your worth  – Use meaningful soundbites and client testimonials to support your story
• Solve their problems  – Tell your audience how your product or service will solve a problem, show them why your company exists

Zuora does a wonderful job of using imagery and text to their full potential. 

In Brief: Use Sales Presentations For Your Benefit

If you are worried about finding the right balance, you can always seek an outside opinion. Sometimes, if you choose to practice on a fake audience, they can guide you and offer corrections. Whatever you do, make sure you use the tips above to create a stunning sales presentation.  

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How to Make a “Good” Presentation “Great”

• Guy Kawasaki

Remember: Less is more.

A strong presentation is so much more than information pasted onto a series of slides with fancy backgrounds. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others. Here are some unique elements that make a presentation stand out.

• Fonts: Sans Serif fonts such as Helvetica or Arial are preferred for their clean lines, which make them easy to digest at various sizes and distances. Limit the number of font styles to two: one for headings and another for body text, to avoid visual confusion or distractions.
• Colors: Colors can evoke emotions and highlight critical points, but their overuse can lead to a cluttered and confusing presentation. A limited palette of two to three main colors, complemented by a simple background, can help you draw attention to key elements without overwhelming the audience.
• Pictures: Pictures can communicate complex ideas quickly and memorably but choosing the right images is key. Images or pictures should be big (perhaps 20-25% of the page), bold, and have a clear purpose that complements the slide’s text.
• Layout: Don’t overcrowd your slides with too much information. When in doubt, adhere to the principle of simplicity, and aim for a clean and uncluttered layout with plenty of white space around text and images. Think phrases and bullets, not sentences.

As an intern or early career professional, chances are that you’ll be tasked with making or giving a presentation in the near future. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others.

• Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist at Canva and was the former chief evangelist at Apple. Guy is the author of 16 books including Think Remarkable : 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference.

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Here are the highest-paid WNBA players for 2024

A las vegas aces star leads the way at the top., by sanjesh singh • published april 16, 2024 • updated on april 16, 2024 at 7:34 pm.

The WNBA may be a league on the rise, but its players’ pay is still low. 

Caitlin Clark's official entry into the league as the No. 1 overall pick bolstered the league's popularity, but it also highlighted a significant gap in pay compared to other major leagues.

Clark, for example, is expected to make $338,056 over four seasons , per Spotrac, which is an average of $84,514 per year. It's the same figure as fellow top-four picks Cameron Brink (Los Angeles Sparks), Kamilla Cardoso ( Chicago Sky ) and Rickea Jackson (Sparks).

For comparison's sake, San Antonio Spurs 2023 No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama is on a four-year contract worth north of $55 million, via Spotrac . And the player with the highest average NBA salary is Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic at $55.2 million.

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So, who are the WNBA's highest-paid players for the 2024 season? Here's everything to know with all figures via Spotrac :

5 winners, losers from the 2024 WNBA Draft

Caitlin Clark and Indiana Fever to have most national appearances on WNBA broadcast schedule

Who is the highest-paid player in the wnba.

In terms of average salary ranking, Las Vegas Aces star Jackie Young is alone at the top, making $252,420 a year going into 2024.

Who are the highest-paid players in the WNBA?

After Young, 20 other players make at least $200,000. In 2020, the league’s  latest collective bargaining agreement  bumped the possible maximum salary for the highest-paid players from $117,500 to $215,000. That CBA is slated to expire in 2027, though the WNBA Players' Association has the option to abandon that agreement after the 2024 season.

Here's the full list of the 20 players:

• Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces: $252,420
• Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm: $245,508
• Kahleah Copper, Phoenix Mercury: $245,059
• Arika Ogunwobale, Dallas Wings : $241,984
• Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury: $234,936
• Natasha Howard, Dallas Wings: $224,675
• Erica Wheeler, Indiana Fever: $222,154
• Brionna Jones, Connecticut Sun : $212,000
• Skylar Diggins-Smith, Seattle Storm: $211,343
• Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun: $209,000
• Marina Mabrey, Chicago Sky: $206,667
• Kayla McBride, Minnesota Lynx: $206,500
• Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana Fever: $206,000
• Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty: $205,030
• Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty: $205,000
• Nneka Ogwumike, Seattle Storm: $204,500
• A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces: $200,000
• DeWanna Bonner, Connecticut Sun: $200,000
• Kelsey Plum, Las Vegas Aces: $200,000
• Ariel Atkins, Washington Mystics: $200,000
• Natasha Cloud, Phoenix Mercury: $200,000

Other notable players like Mercury's Brittney Griner ($150,000) and Aces' Candace Parker ($100,000) are outside of the top 20.

Who is the highest-paid WNBA rookie in 2024?

Four rookies are tied for the highest WNBA salary entering the 2024 season. They are the draft's top-four picks: Caitlin Clark (Indiana Fever), Cameron Brink (Los Angeles Sparks), Kamilla Cardoso (Chicago Sky) and Rickea Jackson (Sparks).

Why are WNBA salaries so low?

There are multiple reasons as to why WNBA salaries lag behind other major leagues in the U.S., primarily league revenue generated, revenue sharing between league and player contracts and season length.

The NBA, for example, recently generated an estimated $10 billion for one season. The WNBA reportedly came in around $200 million for 2023, but it's a figure that has been gradually growing.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said ahead of the 2024 draft that the league is planning to expand to 16 teams by 2028 , which would be one possible way to increase player salaries. Re-negotiating the CBA after the 2024 campaign could be another medium-term solution as well.

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Caitlin clark breaks jersey sales record, top-selling draft pick ever, caitlin clark breaks jersey sales record ... top-selling draft pick ever.

Caitlin Clark continues to break records -- the basketball superstar skyrocketed to the top of the merch charts after being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft ... earning the top-selling jersey EVER for a draft pick.

The former Iowa Hawkeyes baller was the obvious choice for the Indiana Fever on Monday ... and considering her historic run in college, no one was surprised to hear her name called first.

Right after Clark's big moment, Fanatics -- the official online retailer for the WNBA -- was quick to offer preorders for her No. 22 jersey ... and they rapidly sold out.

In fact, we're told Clark's WNBA jersey is the top-selling draft pick across all sports in the company's history!

Indy was super excited to officially welcome Clark to the team ... and 17,000 Fever fans had a watch party at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse just to see the 22-year-old raise the Fever jersey on TV.

Of course, this record-breaking moment is just another one on Clark's long list of accomplishments -- which includes becoming the top scorer in men's and women's college basketball history.

Clark spoke about her success in an interview ... saying she is ready for the pros.

"I always believed in myself," Clark said on GMA after the WNBA Draft. "Also I worked really hard for it. I think that's what I'm really proud of is like, I earned it. I deserve it. Nothing was ever given to me. More than anything just believe in myself."

"That's what I'm trying to take to the next level."

The Indiana Fever open their season on May 14 against the Connecticut Sun ... and you can expect to see A LOT of No. 22 jerseys!

We covered it all on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast , available on all podcast platforms.

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