how to make sales presentation ppt

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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Sales presentations: templates, examples and ideas on how to present like a pro

A good sales presentation is more than a simple pitch, a demo or a list of facts and figures. Done well, at the right time in your sales process , it’s a tool for getting your prospects’ attention, drumming up excitement and moving prospects toward a buying decision.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to use the power of storytelling to drive decision-making and close more deals. We’ll also cover the fundamental elements of the best sales presentation ever, what to include in your sales decks and practical ideas on how to deliver them.

What is a sales presentation?

A sales presentation is a live meeting where your team showcases your product or service and why it’s the best option for your prospect.

Although the terminology differs from company to company, a sales presentation is not always the same as a sales pitch.

A sales pitch is what your sales professionals do all day long, on the phone, over Zoom or in person with clients.

A sales presentation (although it’s still a sales pitch) is a point-in-time event that usually happens when your sales team is trying to close a more lucrative deal. It’s not a simple phone call, as it often involves a meeting and a demo.

Because you’re likely presenting to a group of senior decision-makers and executives, even the best sales presentation ever requires ample prep time and coordination across multiple team members.

Key takeaways from this sales presentations article

Deliver effective presentations: Make your sales presentations compelling with storytelling, effective slide decks, tailored content and strong delivery techniques. Benefits of great presentations: Sales presentations grab attention, excite prospects and drive decision-making, helping close more deals by showcasing your product’s value. Pipedrive’s tools, including customizable sales dashboards and Smart Docs , help you create professional, tailored presentations that enhance your sales strategy. Try Pipedrive free for 14 days .

How (and why) to use storytelling in your sales presentation

Use stories in your presentations to help people remember and relate to your brand.

Statistics, facts and figures can help when you’re trying to persuade a prospect to become a customer, but they’re more impactful if you can frame them with a memorable story.

For example, tell a story about a customer who faced the same challenges as your prospect and supplement it with powerful data, they are more likely to listen and want to know more.

Human beings have a deep relationship with storytelling. Stories move, teach and, in a sales context, persuade audiences.

Chip Heath, a Stanford professor and the co-author of Made to Stick , demonstrates the importance of storytelling by doing an exercise with his students. He divides them into groups and asks them to deliver a one-minute persuasive pitch based on data he’s just shown them.

After the pitches are delivered, he asks the class to jot down everything they remember about them. Although most students use stats rather than stories, 63% remember the stories, while only 5% remember an individual data point .

The stickiness of stories makes them a useful tool for developing a sales presentation outline. They help prospects understand and remember the key points of the presentation and your product.

Thomas Dredge Sales Manager, Particular Audience

Start with a problem (and a deadline)

Your presentation is about the solution you’re offering your prospects, but it shouldn’t start with that solution.

Instead, lead with the problem your solution was designed to solve.

“ Value selling is key,” says Bradley Davies, business development at Cognism . “It is important to understand your buyer and tailor their journey to what you can do for them.

“First, you need to understand what is motivating them to have a discussion, which allows you to identify their pains and present how your offering solves their pains. Everything presented to a prospect should be based on the value for them specifically.”

You might choose to tell a story that positions your product as the hero, helping the customer vanquish a villain: their pain point.

Your story should be tailored to the pain points of the prospects in the room. For example, a change to their business, industry or the technology they use.

“If an element of your offering is not relevant, then don't distract them from the important features. It will keep them engaged and help to build their user story,” adds Bradley.

Recommended reading

Digging deep to determine customer pain points and make the sale

Create a sense of urgency around your product: It’s a solution to their problem, but if they don’t act now, they could miss an opportunity. Tell a story about what might happen if your prospect doesn’t change, framing the consequences of inaction.

Focus on outcomes

You’ve outlined the problem and, if you’re doing your job, your audience is nodding along. Now it’s time to start talking about the solution.

However, that doesn’t mean you should launch into the features and benefits of your product just yet.

Rather than presenting your product, a good sales presentation draws a picture of what life could look like for a customer once they start doing things differently. How will their workload or productivity improve? What will they be able to do with additional time and resources? How will they reduce spending and increase revenue?

From there, introduce your solution and the features that can make this brave new world possible. Do this in a few ways:

Position your features against the old way of doing things

Present those features as “superpowers” that will solve your prospect’s problems

Compare those features to competitors’ features

Quantify the value your features bring vs. the cost of doing nothing

Use a combination of some or all of the above

Creating a winning sales presentation slide deck

Most sales presentations include a slide deck to deliver facts, case studies and statistics that convey the value of your solution.

Create your sales pitch deck in an application like PowerPoint or Google slides to ensure your presentation is visible to everyone in the room (or in a virtual setting).

The best sales decks have a few key elements:

A great cover image or opening slide. Like the story you open your presentation with, your cover slide should grab your audience’s attention.

Data and key points . Charts, graphs, infographics, quotes and other information back up your presentation. Your slides should support your presentation by visualizing data, not repeating what you’re saying. You can get metrics from third-party sources or (if appropriate) from your own sales dashboard .

Testimonials and case studies from other customers. Quotes and success stories from or information about other customers, preferably in the same industry as your prospects, will act as social proof and go a long way to backing up your claims.

Competitive context. In all likelihood, your product isn’t the only one a potential customer is evaluating. Savvy sales professionals take the opportunity to proactively communicate how their product stacks up to their competitors’ and anticipate objections.

Customized content. While it might seem tempting to use the same content for every presentation, you should personalize your presentation for each meeting. You might want to use your prospect’s brand colors, find data specific to their market or industry, or reference an earlier exchange. You can find ready-to-use customizable sales decks through a graphic design app, such as Canva.

A glimpse into next steps. Give your prospects an understanding of what new customer onboarding looks like with a slide that includes a direct call to action offering next steps. For some companies, the training and customer support experience can be a value proposition in and of itself.

A note about text in your sales deck : Keep the slides simple and light on text. Your prospects don’t want to look at a wall of words to read. According to data from Venngage , 84% of presenters use visual data in their presentations – and for good reason: You don’t want to overwhelm your audience with text as they listen to you, look at your sales deck and watch the demo.

When you do include text, ensure you use a font (and font size) that can be easily read by everyone sitting in on your presentation.

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What else to bring to your sales presentation

Now that we’ve discussed the story elements of a sales presentation and your slide deck, what else should you bring to the meeting?

Most sales presentations are in-person affairs and include visual elements like a sales deck, handouts or even an in-person demonstration of the physical product. Here are a few things to think about including in your pitch.

13 examples of sales collateral you need to drive revenue

The product.

Nothing sells a product like seeing it in action.

Take Scrub Daddy, a sponge that changes shape depending on the heat of the water. When Aaron Krause, Scrub Daddy’s founder and inventor, presented the product on Shark Tank in 2012 , he demonstrated the sponge cleaning dirty kitchenware and greasy countertops. He also used bowls of water and two 10-pound weights to show the sponge’s amazing morphic abilities.

The tactic paid off: Scrub Daddy partnered with Lori Greiner for $200,000, in return for 20% equity in the business and is now considered one of Shark Tank’s most successful products.

Not all products are easy to demo, so you may have to improvise.

With a physical product, think of the perfect environment for a demo. What would show the product at its best?

With a digital product, make sure you have the technology on hand to show what your product can do (and check beforehand that the tech works). If it’s a mobile app, have your prospects download it. If it’s a platform, consider producing recorded or interactive product demos that can be embedded in your sales presentation.

For items that are too big to be brought in or which are location-specific, you may have to rely on a video as part of the presentation.

7 steps to putting together a brilliant sales demo

Leave behinds.

Depending on the nature of your solution, you may want to have materials you can leave with the prospects in the room.

This can be as simple as contact information or sales literature you pass out at the end of the presentation. It can also be something that’s part of the presentation, like a QR code that allows them to download the demo on their phones. Whatever format you choose, make sure the material is concise and to the point.

Tailoring your sales presentation to speak to your audience

Once you develop a strong sales deck template, it’s tempting to use it over and over with your target audience. Remember, personalization is essential in sales.

During lead generation , prospecting and sales calls, you know that prospects are more interested in buying if your pitches are tailored to them. It’s the same with your sales presentations, especially if you have an unusual prospect.

Let’s say your product is a CRM that’s normally used by sales organizations, but a human resources department is interested in using it to create a recruiting pipeline.

You wouldn’t use a sales deck with sales-related examples to sell it during the presentation.

Instead, you’d research talent acquisition challenges, ask your product department to create a template or a demo aimed at recruiting and build your sales deck accordingly.

Different industries have unique challenges and opportunities. It’s your responsibility to tailor your value proposition and key bullet points accordingly.

“To craft the perfect sales presentation pitch,” advises Danny Hayward, Sales Manager at Unruly , “ensure you take care of these three things:

Ask the right questions beforehand to understand the needs of the client, especially their flaws

Learn your product inside and out

Rehearse, rehearse and rehearse again

Danny Hayward Sales Manager, Unruly

How to nail your sales presentation delivery

Here are a few tried and true sales presentation techniques to make sure you close the deal.

Whether you’re presenting solo or as part of a team, it’s important to plan in advance. Follow these sales presentation tips for preparation.

Practice, practice, practice . You’ll need to get the timing right, especially if your presentation has a lot of moving parts. Go through it to make sure your timing works, so that you can nail the meeting itself.

Make sure everything works . You don’t want to go into a meeting with a faulty PowerPoint presentation or a broken sample – or find out there is no whiteboard when one is integral to your demonstration. Do your best to make sure everything goes to plan.

Decide on everyone’s roles . This one is just for those presenting as a team. Will different sales reps speak through each section? Will one rep talk while the others handle the sales deck and demo? Decide who will do and say what ahead of time.

Know your attendees. Make sure you know who from the prospect company will be in the meeting, their titles and the roles they each play in the buying process. Conducting light social media research can also clue you into attendees’ past experiences or alma maters (information that can fuel pre-presentation small talk and forge closer connections with your audience).

Practice confident body language

Presentations usually happen in person, which is why you need to practice strong body language. You want to look relaxed and confident (even if you’re shaking in your shoes).

Here are some ways you can improve your body language:

Eye contact . Make and maintain eye contact, even in virtual meetings. This shows people you’re interested in them and invested in what they have to say.

Stand up straight . Pull your shoulders back and straighten your spine; fixing your posture is an easy way to convey confidence. You’ll also feel better if you’re not hunched over.

Chin up. It’s hard when you’re in front of people, but don’t look at the floor or your shoes. Face straight ahead and make eye contact (or look at the back wall rather than the floor.)

Have a firm handshake. Some people judge others by their handshakes. Offer a firm handshake to make a good first impression.

Engage your audience

Presentations can span 30 to 60 minutes or more, so you need to be able to hold your prospects’ attention. There are a number of ways to keep everyone interested:

1. Understand your audience’s attention span

The beginning and the end of your presentation are the most memorable, so that’s where you want to use your strongest material.

Rather than leading with your product’s features, use the first few minutes of a presentation to briefly introduce yourself, and share the compelling story we mentioned earlier. If your demo itself is compelling, lead with that.

Then talk about product features and pricing. Your prospects might have already researched it or can look it up afterward, so it’s fine that it’s occupying real estate in the middle of the presentation.

Lastly, finish strong. Return to your story, sharing how your product solved an important problem. Close with confidence, and open the floor for questions.

2. Be funny

Humor can be tricky, so if you’re not comfortable making jokes, don’t force it. If, however, humor is part of your brand voice and you think it will be well-received by your audience, go for it. Humor can be a good way to connect with prospects, make your presentation memorable and relax everyone in the room.

3. Use a little showmanship

The best thing about a sales presentation is that it lets you show off your product. Unlike a pitch, a presentation lets you pull out the stops, make a splash and showcase your solution.

Use this to your advantage and be as memorable as you possibly can.

Sophie Cameron Business Development Representative, CAKE

What to do after the sales presentation to close the deal

The sales cycle isn’t over when the sales presentation ends. Here are some tips on how to wrap up loose ends and close the deal.

Take questions

Encourage questions to show prospects you care about their experience.

Sometimes prospects may want a question answered right in the middle of a presentation. Interactivity is a great sign of engagement. If that happens, stop the presentation and take their questions head-on to show you’re listening and validate their thoughts.

Other times they may sit silently waiting for you to give them all the information they need.

In either case, proactively ask for questions once you’ve ended your presentation. Encourage them to share their concerns. This is a consultative selling approach that works to build a relationship with your prospects.

By the end of your sales pitch, your prospect should be ready to come along with you and start your business relationship.

Outline the next steps of the process. The first could be offering a trial of your product, scheduling a follow-up meeting or sending over a proposal.

Whatever the steps, make sure they’re clearly defined. If you don’t hear from the prospect soon after the proposal, check back in with a follow-up email or call.

How to write a response-worthy follow-up email (with 15 templates)

Great sales presentation examples (and why they worked)

Here are some sales pitch examples you can use to inform your next sales presentation; these examples range from great sales decks to presentations and we’ll explain why they worked so well.

The successful demo

Stephen Conway of vegan chocolate brand Pure Heavenly opened his elevator pitch on the UK’s Dragons’ Den in 2019 by handing out samples of his chocolate. The product, paired with Stephen’s story about wanting to create an allergen-free treat that his young daughters could enjoy, led to three offers.

Why it worked: Conway knew the strength of his product and packaged it in a personal story, betting (correctly) that it would sell itself.

The data-driven presentation

Lunchbox is a restaurant technology company that specializes in online ordering, customer loyalty and guest engagement software. The sales deck the company used to raise its $50 million Series B in 2022 relied on bold visuals and graphs to illustrate its market opportunity, ARR history and competitive differentiators.

Why it worked: The deck tells two stories, one about the company itself and another about the way consumer dining habits have changed in the wake of COVID-19. Lunchbox used data to show how it met the industry’s new pain points for both itself and other companies.

Sales data: How to analyze sales data and a sample Excel spreadsheet

The presenters with overwhelming confidence

When Brian and Michael Speciale went on Shark Tank in 2017 to pitch their product, The Original Comfy, they had very little – no numbers or inventory, just a prototype of a big fleece blanket/hoodie and video of that hoodie being worn everywhere from the couch to the beach. What they did have was a good product and confidence in that product. Their presentation earned them an offer of $50,000 for 30% from Barbara Corcoran.

Why it worked: Corcoran says she bought in because the Speciale brothers had a good idea, the guts to present it and knew they had to strike while the iron was hot. While you probably should be more prepared for your own sales presentation, the Original Comfy story shows just how important confidence is in a sales presentation.

Begin your sales presentation by capturing your audience’s attention and establishing a solid foundation for the rest of your presentation. Here are some steps to consider:

Greet and introduce yourself

Establish rapport

State the purpose and agenda

Address the pain points

Present a compelling hook

Outline the benefits

Establish credibility

Set expectations

Remember to maintain a confident and enthusiastic demeanor throughout your presentation.

The ideal length of a sales presentation can vary depending on factors such as the complexity of the product or service, the audience’s attention span and the context in which the presentation is being delivered. However, keeping a sales presentation concise, focused and within the timeframe is generally recommended.

The conclusion of a sales presentation is a significant opportunity to leave a lasting impression and inspire action from your audience. Here are a few steps you should take to end your presentation effectively.

Include a call to action

Summarize key points

Showcase success stories

Open the floor to questions

Offer additional resources

Here’s an example of how to end your presentation:

“To quickly recap, we’ve covered these key points today: [Summarize the main features and benefits briefly].

“Now, let’s revisit our success stories. Our clients, like [Client A] and [Client B], achieved [mention their specific results]. These successes demonstrate how our product/service can deliver tangible benefits for your business.

“I’d be happy to address any questions or concerns you may have. Please feel free to ask about anything related to our offering, implementation process or pricing.

“Before we finish, I’d like to encourage you to take the next step. Schedule a demo, request a trial or start a conversation with our team. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience the advantages firsthand.

“Lastly, we have additional resources available, such as case studies and whitepapers, to provide you with more insights. Feel free to reach out to our team for any further assistance.

“Thank you all for your time and consideration today.”

Final thoughts

It can be tempting to play it safe with a sales presentation by keeping it to a sales deck and a speech – but a sales presentation should be a show-stopper.

The best sales presentation tells your customer’s story, validates with data, offers a demo and more. It’s a major undertaking that shows the strength of your product. Done well, it keeps your prospects engaged and will make them want to do business with you.

Show customers how your product can push their business forward (or better yet, how your product can make them the superhero) and you’ll have a winning sales presentation that sparks your customer’s interest and drives revenue.

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15 Sales Presentation Techniques That Will Help You Close More Deals Today

Updated: June 01, 2022

Published: May 31, 2022

Hate the thought of doing sales presentations ? You’re not alone. But the best reps have sales presentations down pat, even if it’s not their favorite activity.

The best sales reps know that, when done right , sales presentations are a high-earning skill.

So, let’s hone that skill with simple sales presentation techniques that communicate an irresistible narrative and get buyers to close.

Sales Presentation

An effective sales presentation tells a compelling story, highlights your value proposition, and aligns with your audience's needs and desires. It ends with a strong call-to-action and leads prospects to your differentiators instead of leading with them.

As it can sometimes mean the difference between closing a deal or losing a customer, you definitely want to get your sales presentation right. There are strategies and tips you can follow to ensure your sales presentations are effective, memorable, and engaging. Let’s go over them below.

Sales Presentation Methods

1. structure your presentation. .

Guiding your prospects down a clear path is key to a successful sales presentation. You’ll follow a logical structure, and listeners will understand how each element of your presentation relates to one another, rather than them having to piece together disjointed information on their own. 

There are times when flipping the structure can add unique elements to your presentation, though, and we’ll discuss this further below. 

2. Use data visualizations. 

Using visuals, like charts and graphics, to supplement your message is a valuable way to showcase your content in an easy-to-understand format as they make your words more impactful. 

For example, if you’re selling SaaS that helps users organize their sales process for a shorter cycle, you can create a visual that displays the average length of your clients’ sales cycle vs. those using other tools. 

By doing this, you’re adding extra emphasis to your words with a visual picture, and a bonus is that visuals are more likely to stick with your audience and get them thinking versus just hearing you talk. 

3. Rely on spoken words — not text.

If your presentation slides are text-heavy, prospects may get caught up reading the words you’ve written instead of listening, causing them to miss out on the value you’re sharing. Aim to include less text by calling attention to the most significant elements with short bursts of text that you supplement with your words. 

In addition, when you have less text on your slides, you may be less inclined to just read from them, which can be a bad part of presentations. You’ll have to speak instead of relying on written content. 

Let’s go over some sales presentation techniques that, when paired with the three methods above, will help you nail it every time.

Sales Presentation Techniques

1. send your buyer the presentation deck before your call..

You might assume that sending a buyer a deck before a call is like revealing whodunnit on the cover of a murder mystery. No one will pay attention to the rest of the book, right? 

When the Gong.io team started sharing our deck before opening sales calls, we learned it was a winning move. 

If your deck is compelling, prospects will want to get into it with you, even if they know the main point. Together, you can dive in, dissect the good bits, and talk through questions. It’s going to be a juicy conversation, and they know it.

Then, you can begin the conversation during your presentation with a statement like, “Based on the information in the deck I sent, where should we start?”

2. Invoke self-discovery.

It’s tempting to stick to a positive linear story during your sales presentation. That usually invokes talking about benefits, outcomes, and desired results. But, that approach isn’t always the best. 

Before discussing solutions and results, you must understand your prospect's problem. More importantly, you have to be sure your prospects understand the problem. 

Self-discovery is the ticket that gets you there. Instead of telling the buyer what the problem is and how you’ll address it, get your buyer to connect with the problem on their own. 

3. Talk about Point A. Don’t skip to point B.

This is 100% linked to the tip above. There’s a problem (point A) and desired outcome (point B). Point A is the status quo. It’s a problem your buyer will continue to face if they don’t make a change. 

You can stand out by focusing on point A, as talking about a pain point is shockingly more effective than talking about positive outcomes. 

Make your buyer feel the pain that results from the status quo. Convince them the pain will only worsen without your solution — because you know that to be true.

You should only talk about benefits once they’re on board with that line of thinking. Urgency is what allows benefits to land. Without urgency, benefits are just happy points that hold no real meaning.

4. Insight is your #1 lead story.

Buyers are experts on their circumstances, but they want insights into their situation from you. 

You’re most likely to impress a buyer by telling them something new about themselves, as your offering is a unique insight into their problems and opportunities.

Check out this TaylorMade video. It’s a bang-on example of how to lead a presentation with insight, and then move on to your product’s strengths:

You learned how to get more distance from your golf swing (an insight into what you’re doing). Then you learned how that’s supported by the product’s particular strength.

Insight comes first. It changes how your buyers think about the problem your product solves. Only then benefits can land effectively.

5. Don’t lead with differentiators, lead to them.

At Gong.io, we’ve taught our sales reps to speak with buyers about a critical problem only we can solve. It’s the delta between top producers and the rest of the team.

• "The numbers from your top reps are fantastic."
• "The downside is they’re annulled by everyone else who’s missing their quota."
• "Your team goes from outstanding numbers to breaking even or missing quota. Both of those options are unsustainable."

We only introduce our key differentiator once the backstory is clear and the buyer gets it. Then, our reps say something like this:

"Gong is the only platform that can tell you what your top reps do differently from the rest of your team. We can tell you which questions they ask, which topics they discuss, when they talk about each one, and more."

See why we lead to our differentiator, and not with it? It just wouldn’t land the same way if we started with the differentiator. In fact, it might not land at all.

6. Focus on value, not features.

Gong.io research found that focusing on features over value is not impactful. Prospects, especially decision-makers, want value propositions about how you’ll help them solve their problems rather than an overview of the features they’ll get. 

7. Flip your presentation.

he next, eventually achieving a shiny, final outcome. This isn’t always the best strategy. 

Instead of building up to the most significant and impactful part of your demo for your prospect, begin with the most valuable part, which is how you’ll help them, and let the conversation flow from there. 

There’s one other tactic underlying it all: The best product demos start with topics the buyers highlighted on the discovery call . For example, if the buyer spends 4 minutes talking about X and 10 minutes talking about Y, you want to begin with Y, as the buyer has demonstrated that they’re heavily interested in Y. In the opening section of your presentation, address the biggest issue from discovery. Address the second biggest issue second, etc.

It’s called solution mapping, and it’s going to change your sales presentation process forever. Stop saving the big reveal for last. Stop building anticipation. Start with the good stuff. Let it rip right out of the gate.

8. Turn your presentation into a conversation.

If you sensed we were looking for a two-way dialogue during your pitch, you’re right. That’s a relief to most salespeople, especially the ones who hate delivering traditional presentations.

A two-way dialogue is going to make your pitch feel more natural. To do this, Gong.io says to get buyers to ask questions by giving them just enough info to inspire them to ask more questions and keep the conversation going. In fact, top performers ask fewer questions because they don’t bombard prospects with too much information but instead give buyers just enough information to have them ask questions. 

Long monologues won’t help you have real conversations with your buyers. Instead, aim for a great two-way conversation. 

9. Mind the 9-minute period.

This tip is crisp and clear: Don’t present for more than nine minutes. Gong.io data supports this. 

Presentations for lost deals last an average of 11.4 minutes. Why do they go so poorly? Because it’s hard to retain attention. If you do go longer than nine minutes, switch it up. 

Vary something that re-captures attention and keeps people engaged. Change channels by doing something like switching up who’s speaking in real life or on video. This can rest your clock to zero, and you’ve got nine more minutes for the next portion of the show. 

10. Be strategic with social proof. 

Social proof. Best friend or worst nightmare? It can be either one, so use it carefully. For example, generic social proof (i.e., naming impressive clients for brand power alone) is a disaster. Buyers might not identify with them. Sure, they’re dazzled, but they may not see how they relate to your current client.

An effective strategy is to reference clients similar to your buyer, with the same pain points, challenges and needs that they can relate to. You can tell an accompanying story about the client and their pain points, helping the buyer see themselves in the story you’re telling.

11. Talk price after you establish value.

Would it surprise you to know it matters when you talk about certain topics? It can actually affect whether you win or lose a deal. Pricing is a great example of this principle.

The top salespeople wait to talk about pricing. They know it’s important to demonstrate their product’s value first.

Set an agenda at the start of your call so your buyer knows when to expect a pricing discussion. They’ll be less likely to raise it early, and if they do, you can refer back to the agenda.

Open with something like, " I’d like to talk about A, B, and C on our call today. Then we can go over pricing at the end and -- if it makes sense for you -- talk about next steps. Does that work for you?"

You’re all set.

12. Reference your competitors.

Our data shows that you’re more likely to win a deal if you talk about the competition early in the sales process instead of ignoring them completely.

For best results, practice this during your first sales presentation. Waiting until the end of your sales process puts you into a dangerous red zone. Your buyers will already have formed opinions, and they’ll be harder to change.

In other words, at the end of the day, buyers will justify a decision they made early in the process, which is why it’s critical to set yourself up as the winner early on. Talk about the competition in your presentation. Put the conversation out there. Get your buyer to see you through that lens, and you’re golden.

Over To You

You now have 15 new tips and techniques to throw down this quarter. Many of these data-backed moves come from Gong.io’s own findings and have proven to be effective for us. Implement them, and I know you’ll boost your numbers.

Don't forget to share this post!

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24 Top Sales PowerPoint Templates (Sales Presentation PPT Examples 2024)

Property Templates for PPT

This sales presentation example is great if you're in real estate. Add the property that you're trying to sell to this sales presentation. There are seven different color schemes to choose from.

Sales Templates for PPT

This is a sales slides PPT designed with a sales presentation structure in mind. This product presentation PPT template comes with charts and graphs It could also be a great source of product presentation template.

Sales PowerPoint templates has a professional and modern design. Each slide is a source of presentation ideas which makes it the perfect product presentation templates for PPT. 

Sella - Product Presentation Template

This is a product presentation template, and it'll help your sales go up! Showcase your business and illustrate your ideas effectively with this example. This PowerPoint sales presentation includes nice features: 

MOUVE – Sales Pitch Presentation Examples

MOUVE sales presentation example is an elegant, modern and professional sales PowerPoint template. This template is great for anyone looking for a nice modern PPT sales presentation. 

Extra - Sales Presentation Example

This sales presentation example is perfect to win your next pitch. Don't fall for sales PPT templates free downloads. Instead, use sales templates for PPT for any of your business needs.

Zeiro - Sales Slides for PPT

These sales presentation themes will get potential customers fixed on what you have to offer. The appealing visuals will allow you to create a lasting impression and improve your lead generation.

Creativa - Sales Presentation Themes

This sales presentation themes are a great source of sales presentation ideas. You can create an engaging sales presentation PPT with features you won't find on a sales presentation PPT template for free.

Fly - Sales Presentation Themes

Sales presentation examples have a simple but professional design. Customize your sales presentation with colors, vector icons, and charts and make it look amazing in this product presentation PPT template.

Course - Sales Presentation Examples

This is a great sales PowerPoint presentation template that has a simple but professional design. Customize it with colors, vector icons, and charts and make it look amazing in this product presentation PPT template.

Slab - Sales Pitch Presentation Examples

Creating your best sales presentation examples? This is one of those stylish sales presentation templates. Try this option instead of a free sales presentation found online. 

Doodle - Sales Slides

This one is an example of a sales pitch presentation example. Create an engaging annual sales presentation PPT with this template. This works as a perfect product presentation PPT template. 

Power - Powerful Sales Slides

This is one of the best PowerPoint sales presentation examples you'll find online. Work with premium sales presentation templates and see why. If variety and customization options are what you're looking for, you'll get that and more. 

Gradio - Sales Presentation Templates

This product presentation template is great if you're an energetic entrepreneur, especially if you're in the car dealership business. It'll be hard to find free sales presentation templates as good as this one.

Sales Strategy Plan - 

Deliver persuasive, clear presentations that will help you meet your goals, and exceed expectations. The specs on this sales pitch PowerPoint template are the right presentation themes for the job.

Xmoto - Sales Presentation Templates

Automobiles are fast, energetic, and exciting, and so is this sales presentation PPT template! It has a nice sleek design that will allow you to present your data accurately and professionally. 

Business Sales - Clever Sales Pitch PPT Template

Modern and fun are two words that describe this business sales PowerPoint template. The sales pitch PPT template's professional design is paired with incredible specs that will boost your presentation.

Sales Dashboard Templates for PPT

Talk about a professional, visually appealing and easily customizable PPT template! Create different sales pitch PPT presentations in one download and the features it offers.

Proforia – Sales Presentation Examples

Do you have a sales proposal that you want to go over well and get the interest you need? There's no better way to achieve that than with the right data and a strong sales pitch presentation PPT template to back you up.

Chictic Sales Product Presentation

Looking for minimalist, clean, and beautiful sales presentation examples with eye-catching infographics and visual elements? Take a look at this clean sales product presentation template.

Fashion Mega Sales - Sales Slides

This versatile sales PPT template pays attention to detail, so you can rest assured you have a high-quality design for your pitch decks. Plus, the sales PPT is full of amazing features. 

Statistic Sales Presentation Template

The best way to present statistics is with visual elements to make the data easier to read. And this sales presentation template is just the way to do it. Here's how you can get all you need.

Shoes Sales - Sales PowerPoint Template

A professional design will improve your sales presentation template. This classy and stylish sales presentation template can send your client list into outer space because it will hit your target market.

Strategy - Sales Presentation Template

Last but not least, getting your clients, investors, coworkers, and other interested parties engaged with your content is key in a successful sales presentation. 

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You've seen some premium sales presentation PPT examples from Envato Elements. You saw how easy it is to customize your sales presentation template. Download a premium template to save time.

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Editorial Note: This article has been completely rewritten to make it more usable for the reader.

Effective Sales Presentations: 11 Tips to Win Deals + Templates

What makes a sales presentation truly effective?

Is it that secret-sauce font, the comprehensive case studies, intricate graphs, or your shining personality? Or is it… something else?

It might seem like a simple question, but understanding the answer unlocks a world of opportunities for sales reps.

If your sales presentations are truly effective, they should accomplish these 4 things:

• Give prospects confidence in your brand
• Develop a deep relationship and mutual understanding of needs and priorities
• Convince potential customers of the value of your product
• Give clear direction for the next conversation

How many of your recent sales meetings have fallen short of these results?

A study by Forrester of more than 300 C-level buyers found that many reps are lacking key information for a successful sales meeting:

Put simply, most salespeople go into meetings:

• Unprepared for questions
• Without knowledge of the business or industry they’re selling to
• Without understanding the prospect’s situation and problems
• Without relevant social proof

Want to avoid falling into the trap of generic, ineffective sales presentations?

While preparing for and delivering a really good sales presentation isn’t an exact science, the following best practices will lead you to better results.

Let’s dive into the top methods sales professionals are using to nail their presentations and deliver killer sales pitches .

How to Prepare the Perfect Sales Pitch Presentation

Think you can get away with giving a great sales presentation on the fly? Think again. A PowerPoint presentation that was thrown together over lunch is not going to impress your decision-makers.

Preparation is a key aspect of every effective sales presentation.

Here are five ways you can prepare for success:

1. Set a Clear Agenda

Your sales presentation is built to guide the conversation and gives you a structure to work with throughout the meeting. But the prospect doesn’t know how your presentation is structured.

Does this situation sound familiar?

Prospect: “This is really interesting, but how does your product solve XYZ?”

You : “Actually, we’ll talk about that in a few slides. Anyway, as I was saying…”

These kinds of interruptions are common, and the popular response of “We’ll get to that” doesn’t normally go over very well with prospects.

Here’s how to avoid this: Set a clear agenda for the conversation, and share that with your prospects.

This could mean sharing an outline of the presentation topics you’ve prepared, or it can mean sharing the whole sales presentation with your prospect.

This way, your prospect can review the information before your meeting, see where you’ll cover certain topics, and save their questions for the right moment.

2. Adapt Your Script and Presentation

Above, we saw that 77 percent of reps enter meetings without a clear understanding of the issues that their prospect is facing, or areas where they can help.

There are two clear ways to fix this problem:

First, do your homework. The more you know about your potential client's business and current situation, the better. Also, try to understand their industry and target audience, read up on current news in the sector, and get a feel for the particular pain points this person is likely feeling the most.

Second, base your presentation and accompanying sales script on your ideal customer profile. If your sales team has multiple ideal customer profiles to sell to, discover which profile this prospect fits into and base your arguments, questions, and main points on the specific needs of this profile.

3. Pick Three Main Points for Each Prospect

No matter how many crazy statistics and fun features you throw at your prospect, they’re still only human. Shocking, we know.

In other words, they’ll probably forget at least half of what you say.

To create effective sales presentations that your prospects will remember, focus on three main bullet points that you want to highlight.

This isn’t a number we pulled from a hat. It’s based on an experiment performed by Kurt A. Carlson and Suzanne B. Shu. Their study found that, when your audience knows you’re trying to persuade them, the ideal number of positive claims to make is three. After four claims, your audience will start to become more and more skeptical of anything you say.

The title of their paper is a catchy phrase to help you remember this principle: Three Charms but Four Alarms .

So, go through your slides and pick three key points that you want your prospect to remember. Maybe these will be product features or maybe not, but once again, base these points on the real, felt needs of your prospect. You’ll see better results.

During the presentation, draw your audience's attention to these points as you introduce new ideas. Phrases like these draw attention at the right moments:

• Here’s the point…
• This is crucial…
• But this is what matters…
• But it gets even better...
• This next point is really important...
• This is what XYZ could mean for you, Jack…

And make sure these key points lead directly where you want them to—to your call to action. If they aren’t leading you to that, what’s the point?

For more, check out this video, where I talked in-depth about captivating and directing your prospect's attention during a sales conversation. Remember: whether you're delivering in-person or via video conferencing, maintaining eye contact and using body language to draw attention to main points works.

4. Use Visuals to Show, Not Tell

A sales deck can have several different functions. For example, if your sales deck is going to be read and discussed among stakeholders at your prospect’s company, it will need to include text that explains the visuals presented.

However, if you’re giving a sales presentation with that deck, it doesn’t need all that text.

To prepare a sales presentation for a product or service, make sure you include infographics and visuals that complement what you’re saying. You can use Canva or even a responsive whiteboard to do this.

Think of your slides as visual aids that give more meaning and context to your words.

These visuals can help to:

• Simplify complex processes
• Provide a clearer understanding of data/metrics
• Add credence to your words
• Keep your audience engaged
• Help your audience remember main points (this one is backed by science )

In short, for an effective sales presentation, keep your script and your slides separate. Use your words to add meaning to the visuals, and use your visuals to maximize the power of your words. With this approach, you will elevate your value proposition —and increase your close rate.

5. Show Them You Know Their Pain

Using a narrative in your presentation shows that you’re sympathetic to the problems your prospects are facing and that you know how to solve them.

So, what’s the narrative for your product?

Generally, the story you tell with your presentation will follow this pattern:

• There is a problem caused by a shift in the market, a change in the company’s circumstances, or the world situation
• That problem is solved, the business is saved, and your product is the hero

A compelling narrative that captures the feelings and frustrations of your prospect shows them that you understand them, you’re on the same page, and you’re here to help.

Maybe this is the story of how your product was born, to solve a problem internally at your own company. Maybe it’s the story of one of your successful customers. Or maybe it’s just a narrative that they can relate to and see themselves in.

In any case, using stories instead of just facts makes your presentation more memorable. According to one study, people only retain about 5-10 percent of the statistical information they hear. But they’ll remember 65-70 percent of the information they hear as stories.

Take advantage of this fact: Turn your data into a narrative.

Once you’ve prepared your sales deck and accompanying script, you’re ready to nail your next sales presentation.

Or are you?

Day-Of Sales Presentation Tips: Nail Your Next Sales Presentation

Ready for the big day? Here are six more tips you can use while actively presenting to your prospect, to give a truly effective sales presentation.

6. Open With Your Biggest Selling Point (Don’t Save it for the End)

Many sales reps like to save their product’s biggest selling point for the very end of their presentation, as if they’re coming to some grand crescendo.

But your prospect didn’t come to this meeting hoping to hear the Philharmonic Orchestra play Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. So, don’t play this pitch deck like another day at the theater.

Instead, open with your big selling points. Dazzle your prospects from the get-go, and you’ll have them hooked to the end.

To be counted among the Sales Success Stories and Stars of your organization… just go for it. Get the show on the road with a big opening. Leave them in (happy) tears.

7. Ask Open-Ended Questions

To understand your prospects and to keep them engaged with your presentation, questions are essential.

But wait, if you’re giving a sales presentation, aren’t you the one that’s supposed to be doing the talking? You answer the questions, right?

True. But, how do you know if your prospect is paying attention? How can you highlight the relevant points in your presentation if you don’t know what interests them?

To engage your prospect and draw them into your presentation, ask questions like:

• Can you walk me through how your team handles [problem]?
• Have you found any clever workarounds for when [issue] happens?
• What would your ideal solution to this problem look like?
• How would you expect a solution to this problem to affect your team?

It’s true; you’ve probably asked a lot of similar questions during the qualifying stage . But with these questions, you can lead the conversation and keep your prospect engaged with what you’re saying.

Open-ended questions will also help you with the next tip:

8. Build Context Around Your Biggest Value Points and Differentiators

The same questions we shared above can help add context to what you’re saying.

Don’t just tell the prospect: “ Our product helps you solve X problem. ”

Add meaning to that value point by asking questions:

• How often do you face X problem?
• How much time/money do you lose when this happens?
• How does X problem affect the morale/productivity of your team?

When you have the numbers clear, reiterate the problem: “ So, you lose $X every week because of this problem. That’s more than $Y per year that’s going down the drain until you solve this issue. ”

Then, bring in your value point: “With our product, you could save $Z every year by eliminating this problem for your team.”

The same method works for highlighting your key differentiators.

Instead of telling prospects that your product is the best because it’s the only one that does X, lead prospects to the features and benefits that set your product apart with open-ended questions.

This creates value and context around a problem that only your product can solve.

9. Make Social Proof Engaging: Mirror the Prospect’s Situation

This data blew our minds and will probably blow yours, too: According to studies from our friends at Gong , sellers who use social proof in their sales calls have a 22 percent lower close rate .

Have you noticed a similar pattern with social proof in your sales presentations?

We all know that social proof is a powerful tool in the hands of sales reps and marketers. No need to throw out all your social media customer quotes or company testimonials. But, it must be used correctly to work effectively.

Otherwise, you could actually hurt your chances of closing.

So, what’s the correct way to use social proof in your presentations?

Favor customers that are part of this prospect’s tribe .

For example, imagine you’re selling to an SMB, and you tell them that Facebook is your customer. They’ll be impressed, sure… but they’ll also start to wonder if your product is really a good fit for their small business.

Instead, when selling to SMBs, talk about your other SMB customers. Use examples of happy customers who are in the same field or industry. Or, find customer stories that mirror this prospect—with similar pain points.

With tribal social proof, you’ll gain the respect of prospects while demonstrating that you truly “get” them.

10. Never Talk Price Before Value

Chances are, you’re talking price somewhere in this sales presentation. At this stage in the sales pipeline , it’s normal that your prospect is ready to hear what your solution will cost.

But don’t open the conversation like this.

Sometimes, you get into a room (whether in-person or virtual) with your main point of contact and important stakeholders, and the first thing they want to know is: “How much will this cost us?”

One of the golden rules of sales is this: Never talk price before value .

If you fold to the pressure and start off by talking about the price of your solution, your audience will view your product as a commodity, not as a valuable solution to their problem.

When stakeholders push you for a number, don’t be afraid to push back. If they’re insistent, turn the question back around on them:

“Before we talk about price, let me ask you this: How much will it cost your company if you don’t get these issues solved by next quarter?”

By focusing on the real monetary value that your product provides, you’ll help position your product as a premium solution, not a wholesale band-aid.

11. Keep It Less Than 10 Minutes

Did you know that every presenter at Apple’s product launches speaks for just 10 minutes or less?

This is because science tells us that the brain gets bored easily—our attention spans just can’t expand beyond a certain point. However, you can reengage your audience by introducing a change every 10 minutes.

Apply this principle to your keynote sales presentations: If you’re presenting longer than 10 minutes, the prospect’s interest will steadily decline. Wrap it up.

Our friends at Gong found that there’s a sweet spot for winning sales presentations: 9.1 minutes. It’s like the ideal elevator pitch for sales presentations.

So, stick to this rule of thumb: Keep your presentations under 10 minutes.

Sales Presentation Templates: Use These Sales Pitch Decks to Win More Deals

Want to build a stellar sales pitch presentation? Steal these presentation templates and customize them to your business—including stunning visuals, striking text, and a presentation process that wins deals.

Get the Powerpoint or Keynote version of these templates, and start creating your own effective sales presentations!

Ready to Give the Best Sales Presentation Ever?

You’ve got all the pro tips you need to nail your next presentation.

In the end, you want to demonstrate that you understand your prospect’s needs and concerns. Show you “get” them by adding a compelling narrative and including customer stories that mirror their own situation.

An effective presentation must also be engaging, which is why it’s essential to highlight three main points and add context with open-ended questions.

With this info, you’re ready to deliver a winning sales presentation. ( Psst... don't forget to use our sales presentation templates to get started!)

But what happens next? There are still some unaccounted-for areas of the sales process. If you want to really crush the follow-up and close more deals, you need a CRM to help you do it.

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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!

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• Presenting techniques
• 50 tips on how to improve PowerPoint presentations in 2022-2023 [Updated]
• Present financial information visually in PowerPoint to drive results
• How to present a research paper in PPT: best practices
• Keynote VS PowerPoint

Introduce a new product idea in a presentation

• Design Tips

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

8 rules of effective presentation

👀 Turn any prompt into captivating visuals in seconds with our AI-powered design generator ✨ Try Piktochart AI!

7 Sales Presentation Examples for Successful Pitches

A successful sales presentation can significantly influence a potential client’s decision-making process. It needs to be engaging, informative, and persuasive.

This guide explores the components of an effective sales presentation, and best practices for creating one, and provides seven exemplary sales presentation templates from various sources.

What Is a Sales Presentation?

A sales presentation is a strategic dialogue designed to persuade a potential client or customer to purchase a product or service. It typically involves a detailed explanation of the product’s features, benefits, and potential return on investment.

What Is Included in a Sales Presentation?

A sales presentation typically includes sections on:

• Introduction : Brief introduction of the company and the presenter.
• Customer Needs : Identification of the client’s needs and how they align with the product or service.
• Product/Service Details : Detailed information about the product or service, highlighting unique selling points.
• Success Stories : Real-life examples or case studies demonstrating the value of the product or service.
• Pricing and Packages : Overview of pricing options and any customizable packages.
• Call to Action : Strong conclusion that prompts the audience to act or decide.

Sales Presentation Best Practices

Creating an effective sales presentation involves several best practices:

• Tailor Your Message : Customize the presentation to address the specific needs and interests of your audience.
• Keep It Concise : Focus on key points to maintain the audience’s attention and keep the presentation within an appropriate timeframe.
• Use Visuals : Employ charts, graphs, and images to make your points clearer and more engaging.
• Rehearse : Practice your presentation multiple times to ensure smooth delivery.
• Engage Your Audience : Encourage questions and interact with the audience to make the presentation more dynamic.

7 Sales Presentation Examples

1) piktochart: “sales pitch examples”.

Piktochart’s Sales Pitch Examples illustrate how to effectively communicate the value of your product or service. These examples showcase various strategies to capture and retain the audience’s interest, making them highly practical for anyone looking to enhance their sales presentations.

Canva Sales Presentation Template offers visually appealing templates designed to make sales presentations more engaging. These templates are easy to customize and suitable for a wide array of industries, helping presenters create professional-looking presentations effortlessly.

2) Slidebean Sales Pitch Deck Template

Slidebean Sales Pitch Deck Template is designed to streamline the creation of impactful sales presentations. The template guides users through structuring an effective pitch, emphasizing the art of storytelling to captivate potential investors and clients.

3) Prezi Sales Plan Presentation Template

Prezi Sales Plan Presentation Template offers a dynamic way to engage audiences with its distinctive zoomable canvas. The template allows sales professionals to outline their strategies and goals in a visually engaging sequence that captures the natural flow of a sales process.

It is designed to help presenters illustrate complex sales plans through a structured yet flexible narrative, enabling the audience to follow along through a visual journey of targets, tactics, and expected outcomes.

4) Queza : Pastel Color Sales Marketing Powerpoint

Queza : Pastel Color Sales Marketing Powerpoint from Envato Elements is designed with pastel colors and a clean, modern aesthetic, making it ideal for sales and marketing presentations that require a fresh and inviting look. This PowerPoint template is versatile, featuring a range of slide layouts that can be used to showcase products, market analysis, sales strategies, and more.

5) SlideSalad Sales Deck PowerPoint Templates

SlideSalad Sales Deck PowerPoint Templates ****offer a comprehensive sales deck that is robust and creatively appealing, ideal for making impactful sales presentations. It features hundreds of unique slides designed for various sales niches, allowing for extensive customization.

6) Solua : Cyber Monday Sale Event Powerpoint

The Cyber Monday Sale Event PowerPoint on Envato Elements is a powerhouse for creating high-impact sales presentations. This template features a modern design that effectively combines bold colors and sleek layouts to capture audience’s attention. It includes multiple slide options to showcase products, promotional offers, and pricing strategies.

7) SlideModel Sales Pitch Presentation Template

SlideModel Sales Pitch Presentation Template offers professionally designed templates tailored for sales presentations. These templates are structured to facilitate clear communication of complex data, strategic alignment, and persuasive storytelling. They are particularly useful for sales teams looking to present data-driven arguments effectively.

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35+ Best Sales PowerPoint Templates (Sales PPT Pitches)

Learning to craft successful and better-looking sales presentations is one of the key skills you should master as a marketer or sales rep.

In this digital era, being able to deliver great presentations is not enough. You also need to be able to design attractive and beautiful slides that engage with your audience while adding more context to your speech.

The good news is that you don’t have to be a designer or take courses to design such effective PowerPoint presentations. All you need is the right PowerPoint template.

In this post, we bring you a collection of PowerPoint sales presentation templates to help you find the right designs for your sales plan, proposal, and pitch slide decks. Be sure to save these templates for future events and meetings.

How Does Unlimited PowerPoint Templates Sound?

Download thousands of PowerPoint templates, and many other design elements, with an Envato membership. It starts at $16 per month, and gives you unlimited access to a growing library of over 19+ million presentation templates, fonts, photos, graphics, and more.

BeMind Minimal Template

Animated PPT Templates

Fully animated.

Pitch Deck Templates

Startup pitch deck.

Explore PowerPoint Templates

SalesUp – Sales & Marketing PowerPoint Template

SalesUp is a dynamic PowerPoint template designed for effective sales and marketing presentations. With 15 unique slides, a light background, and a widescreen format, this template also includes a handmade infographic feature that can be fully customized for any business. It’s ideal for making your business propositions more impactful.

Sales Growth – Marketing PowerPoint Template

This PowerPoint template is perfect for showcasing your sales and business development journey. It features 15 unique slides, a light background, and captivating handmade infographics, all housed within a widescreen format. The template is fully customizable, allowing a personalized touch to your presentations.

Sales Deck Presentation PowerPoint Template

A versatile PowerPoint template designed to enhance your sales and business presentations. It boasts features like a 16:9 widescreen size, unique slide variations, editable charts and elements, a preset color scheme, and more. This easy-to-use template equips you with infographics for each stage of business development, aiming to boost user satisfaction and improve your brand’s presence.

Modern Sales Strategy PowerPoint Template

This PowerPoint template is a highly customizable slideshow for creating impactful presentations. Featuring a yellow and purple design, the template includes 20 unique slide layouts with easily editable graphics, infographics, and placeholders for pictures. Ideal for a range of business purposes like sales strategies or company profiles.

Dark Sales Strategy PowerPoint Template

A stylish PowerPoint template aimed at enhancing your sales presentations. Featuring a widescreen format, unique slides, editable charts, and elements, it is user-friendly and adaptable to your brand’s needs. From kick-starting a project to improving goal propositions, this template is designed to give your talks an edge.

Sales Plan PowerPoint Template

An expertly crafted PowerPoint template designed to communicate sales strategies and objectives clearly to varied audiences. Its presentation potential spans from showcasing marketing campaigns to 30-60-90 day plans. The template allows for easy customization of features such as pie charts, colors, and text to fit your specific needs.

Sales Growth Strategy PowerPoint Presentation

This is an impressive PowerPoint template that allows you to build sales presentations in minutes. It’s perfect for various needs – be it a sales pitch, an innovative sales strategy display, or regular business meeting. The template includes useful features like fonts, color schemes, and image placeholders.

Sales Growth PowerPoint Template

A carefully crafted PowerPoint template perfect for illustrating sales tactics, performance indicators, and growth plans in a professional and engaging way. Tailored for sales pros, business development teams, and marketing managers, this template, presented in PowerPoint format, offers uncomplicated personalization options.

Business Funnels Infographics PowerPoint Template

This is a unique and professional PowerPoint template to enhance your sales presentations. With 16 characterized slides, it’s easily customizable and comes with drag-and-drop image options, editable charts, and distinctive mockup devices. This template is specially designed to emphasize text readability and usability, ensuring your ideas are well communicated.

Sales Dashboard Infographic PowerPoint Template

This PowerPoint template is perfect for dynamic business and sales presentations and showcasing company profiles. This package features 30 unique, widescreen (16:9) infographic slides, designed for accessibility and ease of use.

Business Sales PowerPoint Presentation Template

Sales presentations don’t always have to be all stats and data, they can be beautiful too. This PowerPoint template allows you to design more effective slideshows with modern layouts with creative animations. There are more than 50 unique slide designs included in this template. You can easily edit and customize them to your preference.

Sales Strategy Powerpoint Template

If you want to make your sales strategy presentations more effective, you should consider creating a slideshow with more visual elements. This PowerPoint template will help you get that job done. It includes 30 unique slides you can use to present your sales plan and strategy in a step-by-step approach.

Sales Pitch PowerPoint Template

A great pitch deck goes a long way to make sure your sales pitch stays on point. It will also help convince your audience of your skills and knowledge on the topic. Be sure to use this PowerPoint template to design such a killer slide deck for your sales pitch presentations. It includes 20 master slide layouts with fully customizable layouts.

Marketing & Sales Strategy PowerPoint Template

There are many different types of charts, graphs, and infographics you need to use in your sales presentations to visualize data and key points. This PowerPoint template includes 30 unique slides you can use to add some of the most popular charts and graphs to your presentations. There are slides for sales cycles, planning, strategy model, B2C and B2B strategy plans, and much more.

B2B Marketing and Sales PowerPoint Template

Whether you’re working on a smart strategy for your B2B marketing approach or creating a master plan to beat your competitors, this B2B marketing PowerPoint template will help you create the best presentation to showcase your plan. It includes a total of 60 slide layouts that can be used to create both marketing and sales presentations.

Sales Meeting – Free PowerPoint Template

This is a free PowerPoint template that comes with a set of slides you can create professional slide decks for sales meetings. It features 30 unique slides with modern designs and fully customizable layouts.

Free Sales Planning Process PowerPoint Template

With this free PowerPoint template, you can create visual presentations for your sales process presentations. There are 35 different slides included in this template that you can edit and customize to change colors, fonts, and images.

Sales – Marketing PowerPoint Presentation

This professional PowerPoint sales presentation template uses a beautiful color scheme to create a consistent look across all its slides. The template lets you choose from 40 different slide designs to create slideshows for all kinds of sales and marketing presentations. The template includes master slides as well.

Sales Funnel PowerPoint Template

Sales funnels are an important part of creating an effective sales strategy. With this PowerPoint template, you can create a presentation to showcase your plan for sales funnels with lots of visual elements. There are 20 unique master slide layouts included in this template that feature important charts, graphs, and infographics for sales funnel presentations.

Sales Proposal PowerPoint Template

With this PowerPoint presentation, you can create professional slideshows for presenting your sales proposals. The template comes with some of the most important slides for sales slide decks, including slides for showcasing your marketing plan and business strategy. Each slide comes in 5 pre-made color schemes as well.

Anasalez – Sales Analysis PowerPoint Presentation

You can make a complete visual analysis of your sales process or plans using this useful PowerPoint template. It comes with more than 50 unique slides that are designed specifically for sales presentations. Each slide is available in both light and dark color themes as well as 10 pre-made color schemes.

Sales and Digital Funnel PowerPoint Templates

This professional PowerPoint template allows you to create more effective slides for showcasing your sales funnels. There are 20 different styles of sales funnel designs included in this template. Each slide can be customized to your preference to change colors, fonts, and images.

Free Creative Sales Strategy Presentation Template

Another free PowerPoint template for creating sales strategy presentations. This template has over 30 unique slides with very creative designs. It features colorful shapes, illustrations, and graphs as well.

Free Sales Process PowerPoint Infographic Slides

Grab this free PowerPoint template to design effective presentations for outlining your sales process. It includes 32 unique slides with many different styles of sales infographic designs.

Dashi – Sales Report PowerPoint Presentation

Dashi is a PowerPoint template made just for professional marketers. You can use it to design visual and beautiful slideshows for presenting your sales dashboards and reports. The template has 10 slides featuring more than 30 character positions, over 2000 vector icons, and 30 business concepts. Each slide is available in light and dark color themes as well as 30 pre-made color schemes.

Sales Pitch Presentation PowerPoint Template

This is a multipurpose PowerPoint template for making all kinds of pitch proposals. Whether it’s a sales pitch, marketing pitch, or even startup pitch decks, this template can handle them all. There are more than 120 unique slides in this template with 6 different color schemes to choose from, making it a total of over 800 slides.

Sales Playbook PowerPoint Template

Creating an attractive slideshow for your sales and marketing campaigns will get much easier when you have this PowerPoint template at your side. It features over 35 unique slide layouts with professional designs. Everything in each slide design, including the colors, fonts, shapes, and images are fully customizable as well.

Sales Process PowerPoint Presentation Template

Use this PowerPoint template to create slides with visual diagrams and graphs for presenting your sales process in a professional way. There are 40 unique slides in this template with useful sales process designs. Each slide is available in 10 different pre-made color schemes, which makes it a total of 400 slides to choose from.

Kanigara – Marketing & Sales PowerPoint Template

Kanigara is another multipurpose PowerPoint template that comes with modern and stylish slides for making all kinds of sales presentations. The template features over 40 slides with beautiful layouts. There are lots of creative graphs, charts, and graphics included in this presentation.

Felicia – Free Sales Presentation PowerPoint Template

This PowerPoint template comes with lots of colorful and creative slide designs for making sales presentations that will surely leave your mark. It includes more than 20 unique slides. And it comes in both PowerPoint and Google Slides versions.

Ardall – Free Sales Presentation Template

Ardall is another free PowerPoint template that’s also available in Google Slides format. This template features a set of modern and professional slides for making sales and marketing presentations. There are 20 slide layouts included in the template.

B2B and B2C Digital Marketing & Sales Presentation

This PowerPoint template works perfectly for creating presentations for both B2B and B2C marketing slideshows. The template includes over 35 unique slides and you can choose from 5 pre-made color schemes as well. The slides are easily customizable to your preference.

Real Estate Marketing & Sales PowerPoint Template

If you’re working on a marketing presentation for a real estate agency, this PowerPoint template will come in handy. It includes 50 unique slides that are designed with property and real estate marketing presentations in mind. They are available in 7 different color schemes.

3D Stairs Diagram for Sales Process Presentation

The stairs diagram is commonly used in marketing and sales presentations to showcase various stats and reports. This PowerPoint template will help you add such diagrams to your presentations with ease. It includes 6 unique slides with 3D-like stair diagram designs.

Ozone – Sales & Marketing Portrait PowerPoint Template

Ozone is a creative PowerPoint template that comes in portrait-style slide designs. There are 50 unique slides included in the template with over 60 master slide layouts to choose from. It features transition animations and infographics as well.

For more great presentation templates, check out our best professional PowerPoint templates collection.

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Blog Marketing 15 Sales Presentation Examples to Drive Sales

15 Sales Presentation Examples to Drive Sales

Written by: Danesh Ramuthi Oct 31, 2023

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

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

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

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

Click to jump ahead:

6 Sales presentation examples

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

• Final thoughts

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

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

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

Clean sales presentation examples

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

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

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

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

Minimalist sales presentation examples

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

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

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

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

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

Simple sales presentation examples

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

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

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

Professional sales presentation example

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

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

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

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

Sales performance sales presentation example

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

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

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

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

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

Testimonial-based sales presentation examples

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What to include in a sales presentation?

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

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

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

Related: 120+ Presentation Ideas, Topics & Example

How to create a sales presentation? 

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

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

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

1. Find out your ideal audience

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

2. Pick a platform to Use

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

3. Write the ‘About Us’ section

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

4. Present facts and data

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

5. Finish with a memorable conclusion & CTA

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

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

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

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

Sales Presentation:

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

Pitch Deck:

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

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

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

Final thoughts 

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

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

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

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Learn How to Start a Sales Presentation

The opening of a sales presentation is key, as it can determine its outcome . How you start a sales presentation will influence your audience’s impression of you. It can influence them positively towards what you’re going to say afterward, or on the contrary, make them decide that they’re not interested at all.

We know how important the start of your sales presentation is for your business’s success, and we want to help. That’s why we interviewed our Head of Sales, Robert Juul Glaesel , to give you the BEST tips and insights on making a strong first impression with your sales presentation’s opening. Let’s get started!

We’ll go over:

How to start a sales presentation: Why first impressions matter

• How should you begin a sales presentation? Let’s check out what our experts are saying

Let’s begin! Or, feel free to skip to your preferred section.

Research shows that first impressions are usually built between the first 7 to 10 seconds of meeting someone . And sales presentations are no exception to this rule! The opening to your presentation can definitely play a key role in how effectively you close business deals.

The beginning of any presentation has a strategic significance. It defines how the rest of your presentation is going to be read by your audience. The start of a sales presentation can help you convey trustworthiness and professionalism and make the rest of your presentation more credible.

Learning how to start an effective sales presentation is all about connecting with your audience . The more engaging you are, the more likely they will be positively predisposed to the rest of your presentation.

How should you begin a sales presentation: Lets check out what our experts are saying

There is no one true formula for how to start a successful sales presentation. Like most things, it can depend on many different factors. For example, the previous relationship you have with your audience, what kind of product or service you’re offering, how far into the sales funnel you’re working on, and so on. All these elements come into play when creating the perfect opening for your sales presentation.

Let’s take a look at some insights from Robert , our head of sales so that you can put them into practice in your next sales presentation:

Insight #1: Show curiosity

It’s important not to give the impression that you are going head-on to sell but that you genuinely care about the customer . How can you show that you care? First, give yourself some space at the beginning to show curiosity and see if they could actually benefit from your product or service.

Start by asking questions to see if they are the right prospect and if they are similar to your other success stories. As Robert says:

“First, you talk to the customer to understand their situation and see if they are experiencing the same kind of needs as other customers you’ve seen.”

You could ask these questions:

• How do you typically approach this situation or challenge in your organization?
• Could you share more about your business's usual process when dealing with [specific issue]?
• In your experience, is [the problem you’re discussing] something you see in your business?
• Have you identified any specific needs related to [the issue]?

Curiosity allows you to see if you actually are a good fit, and it allows you to create a good bond with your prospects from the start, as they feel that you’re really trying to understand them. As Robert mentions:

“They don’t feel like you’re just jumping in and trying to sell them something. They see that you ask them questions, challenging questions. It’s key that they feel like you’re asking them those questions to really understand their situation.”

Only when you have a clear picture of their business and needs, and their need actually fits with what you want to sell them, then you can start talking about solutions.

Insight #2: Create trust

Building trust is another of the best ways to start a presentation. For many salespeople (most, actually), their approach to selling is to push their solution , regardless of whether it will actually be valuable to their prospect. This way, they come across as untrustworthy, showing they only care about selling and not about improving the potential customer’s business.

Now, how can you get your prospect to trust you? Robert mentions a couple of ways:

• Show that you are incredibly competent about what you’re talking about

Obviously, you must show that you deeply understand your business: you know exactly how it works, the processes, the features, costs, etc. However, it goes beyond that; your speech should also reflect that you understand your audience . Avoid sounding like you’re repeating a rehearsed script, and instead, customize your message to them.

Demonstrate that you've done your homework by knowing:

• Their specific industry
• Their brand values and mission
• The pain points they probably face
• Their target audience
• Show that you are willing to put the collective over your own needs

It is crucial to show you’re not only interested in selling but that you’re really invested in helping them deal with their pain points. You should express that solving your prospect's need is more important to you than your need to sell . In Robert’s words:

"Instead of pushing your product, your message should be, "I don't want to sell you something; I rather want to improve your business." Because I don’t only care about selling something, but that it provides real value."

This should be a key message from the start of your sales presentation in order to foster trust. Let it be clear that you getting some revenue is a byproduct of them being more successful at whatever they want to achieve.

Something to keep in mind…

Along with being trustworthy comes the acknowledgment that sometimes, the prospect might not be a good fit for your product . It's essential to communicate this openly, promoting transparency. You can express it like this:

"You know, this solution may not be the best fit for you; having [your product] might not be ideal unless you [meet certain conditions]. Our goal is to provide you with something that truly benefits you.”

While it may not be the most pleasant conclusion, it's important to be honest. In such situations, you should keep looking for examples where your product aligns seamlessly, much like the success stories you've previously encountered. Remember, for a successful sale, there must be a match .

Insight #3: Connect your audience with a need

Another successful way to start a sales presentation is to connect your prospect with a need . How can you do this? Let them see a problem, a shift in the industry, or an undeniable transition. Present it as something they're definitely going through or will be soon. You can use Zuora’s first sales presentation slide as guidance:

This will allow you to swiftly present your service or product . Once they have recognized and accepted the need or pain point, you can start discussing your products as a solution, and it will come on as a logical answer to their problem. As Robert says:

“When the person recognizes that it will be a problem for their business, then they will be motivated to find a solution. They will start getting uncomfortable, thinking their company might face trouble soon, and getting eager to solve it. That's when... voilà, you step in and show them how you can solve it."

In this way, you are not pushing a product or forcing a sale, but rather, you are making them connect naturally. When you talk about your product or service, they are already looking for a solution . In Robert’s words:

“The best way to approach sales is to tie their needs together with your solution.”

Insight #4: Use storytelling techniques

Using storytelling is a good option for tackling how to start a sales pitch presentation. Storytelling gives a presentation an emotional charge and makes the audience feel closer to the issue presented . Stories can enhance a message and illustrate a point. And, they can also help you break the ice and make yourself feel closer to your audience.

These are some ideas of stories you could tell in your sales presentation introduction:

• Your customer reviews
• The employees’ success stories
• Your company’s mission
• Challenges you’ve overcome with your team

However, it’s important to remember that storytelling should be carefully planned out . It’s not just about sharing any emotional story; it should be strategically crafted to connect with your goal. You need to be clear on WHY you’re telling your story and HOW you’ll tailor it to a specific audience to promote a particular course of action.

Shawn Achor’s TEDTalk is the perfect example for those looking for examples of how to use storytelling to begin a presentation.

You might also like 7 Essential Storytelling Techniques for Your Business Presentation

Insight #5: Share statistics

Statistics can be a powerful tool to start your sales presentation with. They can help you show your value proposition, create a sense of urgency, and really connect your prospects with a pain point . Likewise, they demonstrate your commitment to thorough research and investigation, showing dedication to understanding their needs.

You can use statistics to prove how your product or service can improve your prospect’s performance and save them time or money. Check out how Spendesk is doing it:

Check the complete presentation for a sales presentation introduction example .

However, there are some things to keep in mind about starting your presentation with statistics:

• Make sure to show where your numbers came from. Like in the example, you should definitely cite your sources; they could be articles, research, a study, or a poll you conducted. Remember to ensure that you use reliable sources.
• Be careful about using too many statistics: Use just enough statistics to prove your point, but not too much that you bore the audience and end up sharing irrelevant information. You could end up distracting and distancing them from the main message.

Insight #6: Add an inspiring quote

When thinking about how to start your sales presentation, a quote might be an idea to consider. Especially when it comes from a renowned source, a quote can help give authority to your presentation . Letting your audience read and reflect on the quote can be a great starting point for a more engaging, participative presentation!

Check out the quote that Klima starts their presentation with . Just from the first slide, you can feel that your company, and the world, will be better once you start using their product:

Click here to view another great sales presentation introduction example.

Insight #7: Engage with your audience

Building rapport with your audience is one of the most effective ways to get them to listen to you. PowerPoint offers a wide array of options for making a presentation more engaging. Polls and quizzes are a great option to make your audience feel like an active participant .

How can you engage with your audience? Encourage them to talk, you can say something like:

“Feel free to jump in with any comments or questions at any time…”

“It would be great for this presentation to be a discussion…”

“You’re the experts in your business here, so feel free to share your insights..”

By opening your presentation this way, you’ll not only create a more friendly environment by inviting them to participate in the presentation, but also make them more receptive to learn more about the potential solutions you’ll offer.

You might also be interested in how to improve your business presentations .

The beginning of your sales presentation can determine the outcome

Preparing a sales presentation takes time and effort, and there’s no easy way around it . If you want to get the results, you must work on it first! There’s no one magic formula for learning how to start a sales presentation. But putting some work into it will definitely pay off. Whether through a quote, a story, or a poll, engaging your audience will help you get a better disposition toward the rest of it.

Don’t forget that the visual elements also play a huge role in your sales pitch first impression . Just like you should invest some time and effort in looking as polished and professional as possible, the same goes for your PowerPoint! Your presentation slides can become an exceptional tool to convey your message more effectively. Professional custom PowerPoint design can help you get outstanding results you couldn’t achieve on your own.

And, it’ll free you some time to invest in improving your delivery and content! Learning how to start a truly outstanding sales presentation is a process of trial and error. It’s all about defining your personal style, what works best for you and your product, and what values and messages you can convey through your slides.

Want to learn more?

• The Best Sales Presentation Services for Winning Sales Decks
• How to Create the Perfect B2B Sales Presentation
• +10 Sales PowerPoint Presentation Examples to Get Inspired!
• Top 20 Free Templates for Corporate and Business Presentations
• +20 Self Introduction PowerPoint Templates: Download for free!

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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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13 Powerful Sales Pitch Presentation Templates to Land Your Next Client

Written by: Orana Velarde

An effective sales process has seven cyclical steps; prospecting, preparation, approach, presentation, overcoming kickbacks, closing the sale, and following up.

Every step is as important as the next for landing a client or closing a deal.

But when crafting your sales pitch presentation, you need to make a solid case for your product or service.

From our experience, deploying storytelling, great design and effective sales techniques  can impact prospects and clients' minds. The slides will persuade them to get in touch or make a purchase by showing them product features, benefits and your value propositions.

Are you ready to land your next client? Today, we’ll look at step 4 in the sales process: the sales pitch presentation.

We’ve got sales pitch presentation examples, templates and expert tips to help you land deals quickly.

Let’s get started.

Here’s a short selection of 8 easy-to-edit sales pitch presentation templates you can edit, share and download with Visme. View more templates below:

Table of Contents

What is a sales pitch presentation, what should a sales pitch presentation include, 13 sales pitch presentation templates, sales pitch presentation tips to close deals quickly.

• A sales pitch presentation is essentially a sales pitch in presentation form. It’s not an elevator pitch or a cold-call scrip.
• The purpose of a sales pitch presentation is to sell. It’s used to bring you one step closer to closing a deal.
• Sales pitches and pitch decks resemble each other in terms of content, but they’re used differently. Sales pitches are for selling services or products. Pitch decks are for convincing investors to back your startup with funding.
• Visme offers an extensive library of sales pitch presentation templates . Each template is professionally designed to meet your needs and industry standards. Instantly create branded templates with our AI-powered Brand Wizard and more.

A sales pitch presentation is essentially a sales pitch in presentation form. It’s not like an elevator pitch or a cold call script; it goes deeper than that.

The initial sales contact, be it a cold call or an email, goes straight to the point and is mainly about the prospect. That’s how you get their attention, letting them know you have a good grip on their pain points. When you get to the presentation, they’ve already heard from you several times, and it’s your opportunity to share more information like pricing, benefits, product features and use cases.

Yes, the principal purpose of a sales pitch presentation is to sell, but it’s not usually the last step toward closing a deal. You’ll likely need to follow up and keep the conversation going until you get a yes.

That said, your sales presentation needs to inspire, engage and make the prospect feel that they need what you are offering. Otherwise, no amount of follow-ups will help.

Kalyn Lewis, Head of Sales & Customer Experience at Visme, emphasizes the need to incorporate visuals and storytelling.

Kalyn Lewis

Head of Sales & Customer Experience at Visme

"If you're dealing with busy executives who won't sit through your presentation, try using a startup one-pager . It'll help you capture their interest faster and more efficiently. Once they're hooked, you can arrange a meeting to present the entire pitch deck with all the juicy info and data to seal the deal – Kalyn says."

Sales Deck vs. Pitch Deck

Occasionally, a sales pitch, otherwise known as a sales deck , is confused as being the same as a pitch deck.

Sales pitches and pitch decks not only sound similar, but they also resemble each other in terms of content.

As we mentioned above, sales pitches are for selling. On the other hand, pitch decks are for convincing investors to back your startup with funding. Yes, both involve exchanging monetary funds, but in different ways.

Made with Visme Infographic Maker

Sales pitch presentations follow a standard format that most business people recognize. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get creative with the content and the design.

We’ve studied some popular sales pitch presentation examples and identified the slides that are most relevant. To structure your next sales pitch presentation, kick things off with these key slides, some of which can be combined for maximum impact.

• A branded cover slide
• An introduction
• State the problem clients want to solve
• How are current solutions failing
• Suggestions for better solutions (don’t name your product or service yet)
• Your value proposition
• Presentation of your product or service
• What benefits does the client receive
• Examples, reviews and social proof
• Pricing and call to action

Here are other supplemental slides you might want to include:

• Message from the CEO and a bio
• An introduction to the team
• Explainer videos
• Comparisons

When creating your sales pitch presentation, don’t make it too long or else the viewer won’t swipe to the end. Aim for a number between 8 and 13. You can combine some of these slides as long as they are easy to understand and follow a sequence.

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• Reach out to prospects with impressive pitch decks and proposals that convert
• Monitor clients' level of engagement to see what they are most interested in
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In this section, we’ll showcase a wide range of essential sales pitch slides from various industries and services.

Each example of a sales pitch presentation comes with actionable tips you can use to polish your template to make it your own.

1. Simple Theme

The Visme Simple Theme is more than just a presentation template; it’s an all-in-one library of ready-to-use slides. They all follow the same aesthetic, making creating a sales pitch presentation easier. Don’t feel tied down by specific design compositions; choose from hundreds of options in the slide library.

And FYI, two other presentation themes are available if you want to try another style.

2. Consultancy Services

State your short and sweet elevator pitch opener on the first slide. This practice is reminiscent of what a landing page does, showing the viewer quickly what you’re about and how you can help. In this case, a consultancy service sales pitch deck starts with a bang.

Continue with a few introductory slides before explaining exactly how your company will fulfill the promise it offers on the opening slide. Finally, add relevant contact information so the prospect can get in touch with you and close the deal.

3. Business Presentation

This business presentation is perfect for your sales pitch presentation if you’re looking for a sales pitch slide that doesn’t have contextual content to fix or improve. All your content is ready to go, you just need to input it into a template. Use any or all of the infographic slides to showcase important data about your company.

Add the content about the client's pain points and your solutions in the introduction and company overview slides. Explain how each team member of your company will help you reach your business goals. This sales pitch deck template is perfect for a lively and creative business that offers services to small businesses and young companies looking to grow.

4. Marketing Strategy Services

This sales pitch template for a marketing agency is perfect for personalized communication with prospects.

The table of contents is straightforward and can be made interactive with hyperlinks to each section. Early in the deck, some slides lay out the prospect’s problem and how you plan to solve it.

A timeline slide gives more details about an ideal roadmap to reach the common goal, and the pricing section is self-explanatory. The “Get Started” buttons can lead to landing pages or booking platforms to schedule a call with the sales team. A testimonial slide brings it all home with social proof.

5. Promotion of Services

Not all sales pitch presentations need to look corporate or somber; take a look at this holistic-style slide deck for a creative business. White backgrounds and golden details transmit the brand values of a company that could be a content creator platform or modeling agency. The style is clean and inviting while also fresh and inspiring.

The What We Do, Services and Process slides are perfect for laying out how you’ll help a potential client achieve their own goals. Use the quote slide to add a special tidbit about what it means to work with you. The Mission & Values slides are perfect for clients looking to work with a business that shares ideals.

RELATED: How to Create a Pitch Deck for Investors [Templates + Design Tips]

6. Tangerine Business Presentation

Your SaaS company needs a sales pitch presentation showing your personality and vitality. Color block slide designs are super easy to brand with your colors . The white backgrounds will combine with everything and make your sales pitch content stand out.

Share your SWOT analysis for honest communication and how your company has grown over time with a timeline slide. Show off your social proof in the User Reach slide and share the pricing plans on a slide with links to landing pages with more info or a booking site to get in touch with you.

7. Corporate Presentation

Who says creative and corporate can’t go hand in hand? Look at this template for a media and design agency offering its services to larger companies and enterprises.

The design is catered to appeal to high management and the C-Suite with just enough eye-catching slides to inspire further communication with the sales team.

The second slide will set the tone for the rest of the presentation. Alternatively, use your short elevator speech or personalize it for the client by adding their name. Add a short bio about the CEO and why he started the company; make sure to make it relatable!

8. Colorful Business Presentation

Grab and keep the prospect’s attention with this stand-out presentation design. Keep your content short and to the point about how your services will help clients reach their goals. This style of sales pitch deck is ideal for a serious business with a creative edge, like a coworking space or a talent recruiter.

Cut out team photos and use circle frames to match the style of slides in this presentation. Use device mockups to showcase portfolio work or special pages on your website and app. Share details that will entice the client to know more.

9. Comic Style Business Presentation

Young and lively Gen Z startups need sales pitch presentations too. This is one of the best sales pitch decks you'll find out in our library.

With this template, you won’t have to settle for serious and dull; make your slides fun instead. Show the client how your team will help them with creative roadblocks they can’t solve themselves. Transmit your business personality through the slide designs.

Create a powerful mission slide where you share what your company is all about. Being honest is the best way to reach the clients that will click with your team.

Businesses and professionals are looking to work with companies they can relate to and brands with which they have things in common. Reach the clients you deserve with a presentation that represents you.

10. SaaS Product - Easy Design App

Unique layouts grab attention. For example, this template stands out before you even see the content. This presentation style is perfect for a company that likes to stand out and be disruptive in its field. They’re not only selling a product or a service; they’re also selling a feeling.

Veering away from the corporate look and feel, this presentation works for digital editorial companies, social media agencies, freelance portals and other vibrant online entities. Add some background music to these slides to create a full experience.

11. Product - Coffee Machine

Sales pitch presentations for specific products are detail-oriented and full of reasons why the product is a great buy. This sales presentation for a multipurpose coffee machine takes you on a journey of existential coffee conundrums that the machine aims to solve with its many functions.

This template is a great example of how feelings and emotions sell more than images and content. The milk coffee color background throughout the slides sets the tone for the message and the product features.

12. Product - Portfolio App

When your potential clients and prospects are freelancers, you must tap into their major pain point: landing new job contracts.

How will your service or product help them? This presentation for a writing portfolio app is simple and to the point, getting a freelancer’s attention fast.

This sales pitch presentation example is not content-heavy but still imparts a message of dependability and ease of use. Use calm and subdued colors to share a feeling of trustworthiness and calm.

You want to make your freelance clients feel like they need you, and this sales pitch presentation does just that.

13. Product - Home Appliance

How do you sell a home appliance without falling into gender stereotyping? You concentrate on talking to a specific audience, in this case, people who don’t have time to cook for themselves after a long day. And how do you get their attention fast? By asking the right questions and doing so in vibrant, happy colors.

Sell your product easily with a sales pitch presentation that delivers your message without the fluff. Share data to support your claims and offer real life-changing solutions through empathy and excellent copywriting.

For a sales pitch presentation to be effective and help your team close the deal, it has to cover the basics and go beyond. We’ve put together some tips to help your sales pitch presentation be the best it can be in the present and future.

Let’s get started with some Do’s.

Sales Pitch Presentation Do’s

1. share the presentation as a digital experience.

From our experience, sales pitch presentations are more effective when they’re digital and interactive. A PDF sales presentation is fine, but why not create a digital experience? Presentations made with Visme offer so much more for both the sales rep and the prospect than many other tools.

Kalyn says it's important to have a sales presentation deck that’s conversational.

"You do not want to have a 50-slide presentation deck that is a PDF that the sales rep has to scroll back and forth in order to land on the right slides when a certain topic or point of conversation is coming up – Kalyn says"

When you create a digital experience sales pitch presentation, you can use all sorts of features that aren’t available in a static PDF. We’ve included several of those in the sections below.

When you’ve finished creating the branded, personalized, and interactive sales pitch presentation, send it to your prospects with a live link . Add password protection for extra security, and choose the option for the presentation not to be tracked by search engines.

2. Track The Views on Your Presentation

Sending sales pitch presentations without tracking their progress or views won’t help the sales process. When you are sure that a prospect has seen the presentation, you have a better chance of succeeding during follow-up. It’s not surprising that 50% of sales leaders say demos or sales presentations are one of the most important productivity metrics to track.

With Visme, you can track analytics for every presentation you send out, including sales pitch presentations. When you personalize each sales presentation and save it individually with the prospect's name, you’ll be able to track activity in more detail.

3. Personalize Your Sales Pitch Presentation Template

Sales pitch presentations don’t generally exist independently and are rarely sent out to just one prospect.

Your sales process is repeated with every new client, and in turn, each receives a sales pitch presentation after initial contact.

In this case, automation would be a huge timesaver. However, personalizing your sales pitch can help you get better results.

Personalize sales pitch decks with the recipient’s name, position, company, and a specific pain point or solution, as well as references to the conversation you had with them previously.

"There are various ways to achieve this. For example, Visme supports sales teams in this regard by providing branded templates, visuals, and a library that’s easily accessible. They can edit certain elements while other aspects remain fixed. This allows them to customize their sales deck in a reliable environment where they have the guide rails to work efficiently. Additionally, there are collaboration options available, allowing them to work with someone from the sales or marketing team to create and modify materials more effectively, says Kalyn".

The main goal is to close the gap before the buy-in, and personalization helps with that. Clients subconsciously appreciate personalized communication; it breaches the gap between prospects and loyal clients.

The technicality behind personalization starts with the sales pitch presentation template. As a brand, you can create a branded template as a base on which to add all general and personalized content. Once in the editor, Visme business plans include a dynamic fields feature , which helps your team input the same content on multiple slides with one edit.

4. Employ Interactive Features

When it comes to design and interactivity, Kalyn reiterates the value of having a slide deck that’s not overwhelming.

“If you pull up a slide filled with text and visuals, your audience If you show a slide filled with text and visuals, your audience will focus on reading rather than listening to you talk and pitch. You want them to listen to what your sales team is saying. Based on my experience, incorporating interactive elements into your pitch deck allows you to have a simplified visual and conversational presentation.” - says Kalyn Lewis."

When your sales team designs slide decks with Visme, they’ll be able to add interactive features like animations, videos, hyperlinks and popups. First, create an interactive table of contents linking each item to its corresponding slide. Don’t forget to add a back-to-home button on every other slide!

Another feature your team can take advantage of is pop-ups with supplemental information to create an interesting reading experience. Add explainer videos about your product and use animated icons, illustrations and slide transitions.

5. Add a Voice Over or Embedded Video of Yourself Presenting

Earlier, we mentioned the option of personalizing sales pitch presentations with dynamic fields. But there are more ways to make your presentations even more personal. With Visme, any sales rep in the dedicated workspace can add a personalized voice-over or use Presenter Studio to record themselves presenting a sales pitch to the prospect.

6. Always Follow Up

Not exactly a design or content tip, but an important one all the same. Never send a sales pitch presentation to a prospect without following up.

When you follow up, send them the live link or attachment again, just in case they didn’t see it the first time. Not following up after sending a sales presentation is a lost opportunity to keep a conversation that could potentially lead to a sale going.

The conversation after the presentation is usually about overcoming kickbacks and objections. This is the opportunity to clear doubts and reassure the prospect that your product or service is the solution they need for their pain point.

7. Do Some A/B Testing and Iterate

Finally, if your team sends out numerous sales pitch presentations—automated or personalized—conduct A/B testing to see what works better. One obvious choice would be to test automated presentations versus personalized ones. Others include the length of the presentation, whether it's PDF or interactive, whether it uses Presenter Studio or not, etc. Use Visme’s integrated tracking features along with your team’s analytics to come to conclusions and iterate new presentations.

Sales Pitch Presentation Don'ts

1. don’t make the presentation too long or complicated.

Avoid adding too many slides or making the sales presentation too complicated. You want the deck to convince the buyer to close the deal or be more interested, not scare them away with heavy content and confusing visual compositions.

2. Don’t send the presentation without an intro email or cold call first

Don’t rely on a sales pitch presentation as the only point of communication with a prospect. Use it as part of a repeatable sales process where the presentation comes after initial contact. Depending on your sales process, this can be an intro email or a cold call. It can be both if either one goes unanswered first.

After you’ve gotten their attention, kindly inform the contact that you’ll send over something they want to see. Confirm their email address and send them the sales pitch. Sending a presentation without an introduction first is a waste of time for your team.

Create Branded Sales Pitch Presentations With Visme

There you have it: we've shared templates and examples of sales presentations to get you started.

Now, it’s your turn to create a sales pitch presentation for your business. Hopefully, one of the templates in the collection above has inspired you to put together your next best slide deck.

When using Visme as a presentation maker, your sales team has all the tools on hand to create interactive, engaging and effective sales pitch presentations. The best part of all is that they can do so collaboratively.

Do you need to brainstorm first? Use the Visme whiteboard feature to lay out ideas with the team and draft out a structure to work with.

Have you used Visme to create branded material yet? Try the Brand Wizard to generate a large selection of templates for all your business needs. We promise that none of your visual graphics will ever be boring again.

Easily craft compelling sales pitch presentations using Visme

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About the Author

Orana is a multi-faceted creative. She is a content writer, artist, and designer. She travels the world with her family and is currently in Istanbul. Find out more about her work at oranavelarde.com

How to Smash Your Next Sales Presentation [15 Tips and Tricks]

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We all know that sales presentations are a love-it-or-hate-it part of B2B sales .

You might consider yourself a natural presenter, and love slaving over PowerPoint, thriving on every moment of the experience.

Others? Dread it like a trip to the dentist.

Luckily building and delivering an effective and truly great sales presentation is something that can be taught.

In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to smash your next sales presentation. From must-have slides to sales presentation tips and examples, you’ll find out all it takes to captivate your prospects and close deals.

Let’s start with the basics:

What is a sales presentation?

At its simplest, a sales presentation is a collection of slides that tells a story through visual elements and text.

Teamed with a salesperson’s narration (either in person or via video), its aim is to convey a product or service’s value proposition, and ultimately convert potential clients into paying customers.

A successful sales presentation will resonate with your prospect – linking in with their current needs and challenges, and positioning your company as the ideal solution. Here’s a great structure for one:

Knowing this formula will put you ahead of some of the competition, but how do you make sure you beat them all ?

What slides make up a good sales presentation?

1) The cover slide

Too many reps make the mistake of creating a generic cover slide for their sales deck. Our view? This is a big waste of valuable real estate.

Come on, this is where you make your first impression. You want to reel your prospect IN.

Whilst it might not be a clincher on its own, it can start to get across your main point: the value of your product.

Let’s go with an example.

You’ve immediately suggested some of the benefits and value your software offers before you’ve even reached the first “real” slide of your PowerPoint presentation.

So, now you have your prospect’s attention. Nice work – now it’s time to build on that.

2) The context slide

The context slide: where you set the stage with information on the trends and pressure points that are spurring change in your prospect’s market.

It’s all about setting your prospect up, hinting at the pain points you’ll touch on next. Build tension, and in turn, interest.

Your context slide might include the following snippets:

• Work is becoming increasingly remote and dispersed.
• Collaboration occurs across countries and continents.
• As the pace of work increases and competition rises, slowing down is not an option if you want to succeed.

3) The problem slides

Next, you’ll want to dedicate a few slides of your sales presentation to covering the problem, or a key pain point.

You’ll need more than one slide to do this because problems – especially big, business-critical ones – are complex and interconnected.

What’s more, prospects don’t always see the full range or depth of the problems they’re experiencing – it’s all too easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day, isn’t it?

According to the principle of loss aversion , people will work twice as hard to avoid loss as they will to gain a benefit. So, by painting a clear picture of the problems your prospect faces (and will continue to face in the future), you can motivate them to seek a solution.

Example time:

Let’s examine this through the lens of our fictional company, Projector.

Sure, your prospect knows they don’t currently have dedicated project management software. They might know it’s difficult for their teams and departments to keep tabs on work or communicate on progress, but have they considered anything like:

• How this impacts productivity
• How many hours their team loses every week, month, and year due to low productivity
• Connecting the dots between low productivity and less revenue
• How needless meetings and excessive communication apps can actually make things worse

You get the idea.

4. The “enviable future” slide

Cool, so you’ve hit them where it hurts (their pain points), the next step is to portray how it could be if the problem no longer existed.

From there, provide solutions to prove this is actually possible. Something like this…

Projector enables:

• Centralized communication to eliminate unnecessary video calls, email threads, and text messages
• A visual way to monitor progress and identify bottlenecks, so nothing slows you down
• A single source of truth for all of your resources and deliverables, so you never need to go searching for the latest version
• Customizable workflows to meet the needs of any project

The secret is to instill a true sense of longing for all of these benefits. This can help secure the ultimate buying decision.

5) The bridge slide

Next up in your sales pitch is the bridge slide. This slide provides the path to a problem-less world, and how your solution can get them there.

The bridge slide is a great opportunity to include the first touch of social proof, because people (and businesses) often copy how others behave – especially if they see proof of positive results.

In sales, it means demonstrating that someone relevant to your prospect (like a close competitor or a category leader they respect) has gotten real value from your solution. The implication is that:

• Your prospect could too
• If they don’t, they’ll be missing out on a real competitive advantage

This comes to life through a customer quote, stat, full case study, or all of the above on how a customer improved a business metric while using your solution.

See what we did there?

6) The solution slides

Like the problem slides, you’ll want to include more than one slide dedicated to describing the solution in your sales presentation.

The first of your solution slides should give a brief, clear explanation of what your product or service does.

This likely won’t be the first time your prospect is hearing about your offering, so there’s no need to cover every single detail. Try to boil down your product or service – as it relates to your prospect’s unique needs – into one to three clear sentences , and include a few visuals of your product in action where you can.

The next of the solution slides should focus on the value your offering will bring to the prospect. Make sure your value proposition ties directly back to the “enviable future” you previously outlined, so it’s clear your offering is the key.

Once again, social proof – like testimonials and customer stories with results from clients – can really lift these slides and grab your prospects attention.

“Projector helped my team cut back on 70% of emails and eliminated the need for weekly team sync meetings. Now everyone’s status and progress is clearly visible to the whole team on Projector’s platform.”

“With full visibility into our marketing campaign budgets, we can quickly reallocate spend and optimize our campaigns. This quarter alone, we’ve increased inbound leads by 200%!”

Those are some pretty compelling stats (even if it is a fictitious company).

7) The closing slide

You’ll want to end your deck on a short slide with a powerful statement that helps ignite a sense of urgency in your prospect.

Like we said before, visuals of your solution’s success will always make an impact; a nice little upward trending graph or a video testimonial of a loyal customer, perhaps.

If your final slide touches on both the emotional impact of resolving the pain point and the potential business gains, you’ve hit the mark. Not only will your prospect want to stop losing out on productivity, revenue, or whatever else they’re losing, they’ll want to reap the benefits of your great offering.

Powerful sales presentation templates to learn from

Explanations are good, and fictional decks are nice, but we all know learning by example is the best way to gain new skills.

You can find examples of sales presentation decks and PowerPoint templates scattered all over the web, but below we’ve sorted the wheat from the chaff just for you.

Get ready to borrow from the best:

• 21 incredible sales deck examples guaranteed to get buy-in
• 9 incredible sales presentation examples that succeed
• 10 best sales presentation to inspire your sales deck

6 sales presentation tips to help you crush your pitch

After you’ve crafted your narrative, built your slide deck, and got your design looking slick, it’s time to practice delivery.

The way you deliver your sales pitch is key to your prospect’s engagement, understanding, and their interest in continuing the process.

Here are six tips to help you communicate best.

1) Don’t talk for too long

There’s no specific winning length for a sales presentation, but data suggest that keeping under 10 minutes is smart.

According to a study from Gong (which analyzed 121,828 web-based sales meetings), successful presentations in intro meetings lasted on average 9.1 minutes . The unsuccessful presentation? 11.4 minutes .

This mirrors neuroscience research which found that human attention begins to wander when a listener hears a single voice for 10 minutes.

It’s actually why Apple doesn’t let its keynote presentations run for more than 10 minutes without introducing a change (like a switch to video, a demo, or just a new speaker).

2) Rely on data and insights

Now, we might be biased, but this one is really important. ☝️

If you want to drive a business decision, you need to prove there’s a problem, and what the impact of the solution would be – all using real numbers.

A sprinkle of competitor analysis , a measure of revenue forecasting ( if they close a deal with you), and a dash of ‘what could be’ goodness is the magic recipe.

If you’re able to confidently recall some persuasive, meaningful figures and drop them in where relevant, you could be in for the win.

3) Clearly illustrate the problems

The challenges you’re describing might be big, messy, and complex. But your sales presentation and pitch needs to be concise and digestible. Don’t overload slides with text.

Choose the most relevant information and illustrate it in a logical, clear way.

When crafting your problem slides and thinking about how to deliver the information, keep the following pointers in mind:

• Use numbers and data to back it up : As mentioned, data is key. Connect each main problem to tangible losses, like revenue, human capital costs, customer churn, etc.
• Focus on the strongest (most painful) points: Your goal is to distill a web of problems into a few core examples.
• Paint a telling picture: Think charts, graphs, stats, and images.

4) Personalize it

Even the most pixel-perfect PowerPoint presentation won’t get you anywhere if it looks like you’re just going through the motions.

What we mean is: your sales presentation needs to feel like it’s been specially crafted with them in mind – even if you know the majority of it stays the same from week to week.

Dropping in meaningful insights about their business is a great way to do this. These could relate to their own performance in the marketplace, to their competitors’ performance, or to an opportunity you’ve spotted for them.

Ideally you’ll be telling them something about their business that they don’t already know, and guess what? Your product can help them to exploit, navigate, or overcome it.

A tool like Similarweb Sales Intelligence can generate attention-grabbing and compelling data like that. It helps to inform any sales conversation you have, thanks to traffic and engagement data on over 100 million companies worldwide.

The Sales Intelligence Insights Generator allows you and your sales team to automatically find “insight nuggets” to either include on slides or incorporate into your dialogue. This is the secret to a consultative selling approach, which we won’t shut up about (and for good reason).

With an effortless way to source the freshest data tailored to your specific audience, building and delivering a successful sales presentation can become your most powerful selling strategy yet.

5) Welcome interruptions

It’s easy to get fixated on landing your key points while presenting. So fixated, in fact, that you don’t give your prospect a chance to get a word in.

Encourage your prospect to speak up with questions or comments throughout the presentation. Make this clear at the start, and keep an eye out for any hints through body language that suggests a question or observation is brewing.

A sales presentation that feels more like a dialogue will be far more effective and memorable. Here’s why:

️ People like to talk: When you give your prospects a chance to get their two cents in, you’ll make them happy – and will help them to remember the conversation more fondly.

✍️ You can learn along the way : If your prospect says something super interesting and relevant, you can use that information to tailor and refine your presentation on the fly (and maybe use it in your next pitch).

⚡ It helps keep their mind engaged: As mentioned, when people take turns speaking, their brains automatically reset – and that makes it easier to have longer conversations, instead of listening to one long monologue.

What’s more, interruptions also help relieve you of some of the pressure of talking non-stop. Win-win.

6) Be confident

If you typically hate delivering a sales pitch, then you might be rolling your eyes at this tip. We know it can be hard to just ‘become confident’ if that’s not how you really feel.

But there are things you can do that really will boost your confidence, helping you deliver a better presentation:

• Prepare : Get to know your slide deck back to front, memorizing all the numbers and stats you need to highlight.
• Practice your script : But also anticipate where questions or comments might come up.
• Listen to successful presentations: Make the most of your company’s recording software or find successful pitches on YouTube, and try to analyze what made these meetings, pitches, or persuasive presentations succeed.
• Make sure you’re super-familiar with your product: If you don’t fully understand your product, you’ll have a hard time getting someone else to. Practice presenting to a colleague to identify the holes in your own understanding as you speak.

How do you do a sales presentation?

Two good tips are to keep it short and tell a story.

What should a sales presentation include?

Include an introduction and presentation of the problem or pain point, before getting to the solution (hint hint, your product).

by Josh Rod

Senior Solution Marketing Manager, Similarweb

Josh has a strong background in marketing for Israeli SaaS companies and believes in using humor and wit in his strategies.

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Create customized sales presentations faster

Using a third-party designer to build your sales presentation takes extra time and money. You need an easy way to find content, get input, and create professional-looking presentations.

When you need to prepare a quick presentation, leverage existing content with Intelligent Search and Discovery. It searches all Microsoft 365 public documents and surfaces the most relevant content that you can then customize with your client’s information.

You can quickly identify your customers’ priorities by soliciting industry experts in a Yammer group. Post questions and content to get feedback from experts across your organization and create an external Yammer group to spark conversations with customers themselves.

Once you have content, easily create visually appealing sales presentations with PowerPoint. Use templates or themes to get a professional layout without using a design team. Add an image or chart, and PowerPoint Designer automatically suggests design options.

Engage customers to discover their interests.

Leverage existing content rather than starting from scratch.

Create professional, visually appealing presentations without a third-party designer.

Create professional slide layouts with PowerPoint Designer

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