What are the methods of selling presentation?

What makes a truly effective sales presentation? Is it flashy graphic designs, tons of charts, or 25 different slides?

Understanding what makes a great sales presentation is key to unlocking higher sales and building better relationships with your customers. To be effective, a killer sales presentation should accomplish four key goals:

1. Give prospects confidence in your brand.
2. Gain a better understanding of the needs and priorities of your prospects.
3. Convince prospects your company delivers real value.
4. Provide a clear direction for the next conversation.

How many of your recent sales presentations hit those goals? How many led to longer conversations? And (more importantly) how many of your sales presentations led to closed deals?

Anyone can give a sales presentation–but top sales professionals know how to turn sales presentations into closed deals. Here’s how they do it.

What is a Sales Presentation?

A sales presentation is a short pitch outlining your solution to potential clients or current customers. It often includes the use of a slide deck, social proof, and examples of results.

An effective sales presentation aims to move the sales process forward by outlining key product features, addressing core objectives, and showing potential customers why your solution is the best choice.  

According to Gartner, buyers spend just 5% of the sales process interacting with sales professionals. Which means your sales presentation doesn’t need to just be good enough–it needs to knock their socks off.

Most salespeople go into sales presentation 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

Ouch.

Want to avoid falling into the trap of giving generic, ineffective sales presentations? The following best practices will help you get better results.

Note: Every industry and business is different. Once you learn these sales presentation best practices, customize them to fit your industry and business.

What is The Difference Between a Sales Pitch and a Sales Presentation?

Some salespeople use “sales presentations” to describe any presentation given by any sales professional, but that’s not entirely accurate. So what do we mean when we talk about sales presentations? Are they the same as a sales pitch?

A sales presentation is an introduction to a product or service and is generally given somewhere in the middle of the sales process. It can still include a Powerpoint presentation, but may also include a short demonstration.

A sales pitch, on the other hand, is often (but not always) given closer to the end of the sales process. Sales reps use a pitch deck to hammer home key points relevant to the prospective buyer and–most importantly–ask for a close.

The main difference between a sales presentation and a sales pitch is asking for the sale. In most cases, a sales presentation is an introduction and seeks to move the sales process forward by either learning more about the prospect or finding decision-makers. A sales pitch explains the benefits of the solution and asks for the close.

Now that you understand the difference between a sales pitch and a presentation, let’s look at a few sales presentation examples to see what works–and what doesn’t.

4 Sales Presentation Examples to Inspire Your Deck

Let’s look at four sales presentation examples to see how brands big and small design and promote their offerings.

Leadonomics Uses Visuals to Keep the Audience Engaged

Leadonomics is a Pennsylvania-based marketing company helping clients develop customer pipelines and drive sales. The brand focuses on automation and analytics, so they used a clean, modern slide deck to show prospective customers what to expect.

You can view the full deck here or view the first two slides in the images below.

The deck is surprisingly simple. There is limited text (though further slides use a bit more copy and colored images), but it quickly explains what the company does.

Here are a few other reasons this deck stands out:  

• Bold text: Using clean, easy-to-read fonts and varying the font sizes highlights key points fast.
• Simple: Sales presentations don’t have to be cluttered and complicated! This deck is only a few slides long but covers a lot of information. Keeping the design simple makes it easier for prospects to understand (and remember!) key points.
• Clear CTA: The CTA of this deck (the presenter’s contact information) is easy to find. The audience knows exactly what to do next and who to contact.

Facebook for Business Includes Stats to Support Claims

Facebook’s main source of revenue is advertising–which means getting more businesses to use their advertising features is kind of a big deal. In fact, it's like the company's whole deal.

Take a look at the company’s sales presentation for their business offering:

Why is this an effective sales presentation example? A few things stand out:

• Tons of stats: You can’t just say things like “our clients see more revenue!” you need to back up any statement with cold, hard, facts.
• Hits main benefits: Breaks down main features of the platform and benefits for businesses.
• Eye-catching visuals: Text-laden presentations aren’t the most effective way to engage potential customers. Using visuals helps people remember content and keeps them interested in your presentation.

Reddit Advertising Sales Deck Stays True to Its Brand Identity

Reddit is not like other social media platforms. Rather than identifying people by name, users are anonymous. Instead of “friending” other users, users join subreddits about topics they’re interested in–making it easier for businesses to reach their target audience.

Take a look at their ad sales deck:

This might not seem like a “professional” sales presentation–there are memes and funny pictures–but that’s totally on-brand for the platform. Here are a few other points of interest:

• Funny = engaging: Reddit’s sales presentation is funny, image-laden, and doesn’t take itself too seriously–just like the brand.
• Heavy on social proof: The presentation includes detailed testimonials from brands that have successfully used the platform to drive millions of page views.
• Quick and to the point: They keep it short and to the point while covering important topics thoroughly. Remember, the goal is to provide enough info to keep the audience interested, not cover every possible detail.

Office 365 Sales Presentation Deck Keeps It Simple

How do giants like Microsoft convince businesses to switch to their software? Just like other sales teams: they use sales presentations. Here’s a short and sweet deck from the OGs of software:

Short and to the point: The length of your presentation will vary based on your industry, offering, and how long you have to give your presentation, but shorter ones tend to close more deals. This one keeps it really short at just 9 slides.

• Uses color for visual impact: Notice how the images and colors of the slides switch back and forth? This is more visually appealing than using the same color slides for each page. The red conclusion page, in particular, makes people sit up and take notice.
• Builds trust: This PowerPoint presentation spends most of its time focusing on benefits; however, the first few slides focus on building trust and explaining what the software does. This gives prospects confidence that they can help them solve their problems.

What Should a Sales Presentation Include?

All sales presentations have two core goals: introduce your offering and encourage the audience to take the next step in the sales process. How you get there, however, can vary by industry and customer.

For example, in B2B SaaS, the next goal might be a demo, while a manufacturing company of physical products might want prospects to schedule an in-person meeting. No matter what sales process steps you use, your sales presentation should include the following:

1. Introduce yourself: Provide your name and the company name, then a short version of your elevator pitch.
2. Present the pain point/problem: What struggle does your prospect have? How does that impact their business?
3. Share the solution: How does your solution fix their pain point? What are the key differentiators from your competition?
4. Back up your points with data: Include stats, metrics, and social proof to prove value.
5. Open the floor for questions: What else do they need to know to make a decision? Length may vary by industry or business size.
6. Drive home your main points: Reinforce your value proposition by repeating key takeaways in bullet points at/near the end of the presentation.
7. Call to action: What comes next? Explain the next steps, including contact information and a proposed timeline.

The best sales presentations serve as the foundation for the customer relationship–and can help you qualify prospects. Make sure you explain not just who you are but who you work with.

10 Killer Sales Presentation Strategies to Nail Your Next Meeting

A good sales presentation is priceless. It can build brand awareness, help fill your sales pipeline with qualified prospects, and increase your close rates and retention. Which means, getting your slide deck right is crucial to your success.

Here are ten strategies to create a great sales deck.

1. Set a Clear Agenda

Your sales presentation slide deck should guide the conversation and provide structure to your meeting. But the prospect doesn’t know how your presentation is structured.

Tell me if this conversation sounds 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 interruptions are common, and the popular response of “We’ll get to that” doesn’t usually go over well.

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

This might mean sharing an outline of the presentation topics, or it could mean sharing the whole sales presentation with your prospect.

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

2. Adapt Your Sales Script and Presentation to the Prospect

Nearly 77% of reps come into a meeting without a clear understanding of their prospect's issues or areas where they can help.

There are two easy ways to fix this problem:

First, do your homework. The more you know about your prospect’s business and current situation, the better. Also, try to understand their industry, read up on current news in the sector, and get a feel for their specific pain points.

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

3. Pick 3 Main Points to Highlight in Your Sales Presentation

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

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 points that you want to highlight.

This isn’t a number we just pulled from a hat. It’s actually based on an experiment done by Kurt A. Carlson and Suzanne B. Shu. Their study found when your audience knows you’re trying to persuade them, the best number of positive claims you can make is 3. After 4 claims, they start to become more skeptical of your claims.

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 3 main points that you want your prospect to remember.

Once again, base these on the real needs of the prospect for better results. Make sure your prospects really understand the points you’re making.

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…

Check out my video where I share more about captivating and directing your prospects' attention during a sales conversation.

4. Use Visuals to Show, Not Tell

A sales deck can have several purposes. 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 the deck, you don’t need as much text. Instead, focus on visuals that complement what you’re saying and use data visualizations to make data easier to understand.

Think of your slides as visual aids that give more meaning and context to your words. Charts, graphs, and other visuals can help you:

• Simplify complex processes
• Make it easier to see the impact of data
• Add credence to your words
• Keep your audience engaged
• Help your audience remember your main points (this one is backed by science)

In short, for an effective sales presentation, keep your script and your slides separate. Use words to add meaning to the visuals, and use visuals to maximize the power of your words.

Pro tip: Want to get started with a personalized template? Canva has some sales presentation templates to start you off. Or, download our selection of sales deck templates for different types of sales.

GET YOUR SALES DECK TEMPLATES →

5. Open With Your Biggest Selling Point Instead of Saving It For The End

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

But your prospect didn’t come to this meeting hoping to see the Philharmonic Orchestra play Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. So don’t play this like another day at the opera.

Instead, open with your big selling points. Share the most impressive stats or your killer social proof and get prospects excited about your offer.

Dazzle your prospects from the get-go, and you’ll have them hooked to the end.

6. Ask Open-Ended Questions

Questions are essential to understand your prospect’s needs and keep them engaged with your presentation.

Wait, if you’re giving a sales presentation, aren’t you the one who’s supposed to do the talking?

True. But, how do you know if your prospect is paying attention? How can you highlight the right moments in your presentation without knowing what interests them?

To engage prospects and draw their attention to key parts of 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?

You’ve probably asked a lot of similar questions during the qualifying stage. But by using these questions, you can help lead the conversation and keep your prospect engaged in what you’re telling them. And, you might just learn something you didn't know about their needs or wants.

7. Focus on Value NOT Price

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

If you give in to the pressure and start talking about your solution's price range, you're getting your audience to view your product as a commodity, not as a valuable solution to their problems.

Don't be afraid to push back when stakeholders push you for a number. If they're insistent, turn the question back around to them:

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

Add meaning to that value point by asking questions:

• How often do you face X problems?
• 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 over $X per year going down the drain until you solve this issue.”

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

By focusing on the real monetary value you provide, it positions your product as a premium solution, not a wholesale band-aid.

According to studies done by our friends at Gong, sellers who use social proof in their sales calls have a 22% lower close rate. 😱

Sounds counterintuitive, right?

We’ve been told for years that social proof is a powerful tool to help close more deals. But, that’s only if you use it correctly.

The wrong type of social proof can actually decrease your chances of closing.  

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

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

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 right for their small business.

Instead, when selling to SMBs, talk about your other SMB customers. Use examples of success stories from customers in the same field or industry. Or, find case studies that mirror their pain points.

With tribal social proof, you’ll gain the respect of prospects and show them you get them.

9. Use Storytelling to Show Prospects You Understand Them

Using a narrative in your presentation shows you’re empathetic to the problems your prospects face and 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 prospects shows them you get 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.

In any case, the use of stories instead of facts makes your presentation more memorable.

According to one study, people only retain about 5-10% of the information they hear as statistics. But they’ll remember 65-70% of the information they hear as stories.

Take advantage of that fact by turning your data into a narrative.

Pro tip: Want to see the rest of the sales presentation we teased above? Download Pitch: High-Performance Sales Deck Templates to see this and 5 more examples of top-tier sales decks.

10. KISS: Keep It Short

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, but you can re-engage your audience by introducing a change every 10 minutes.

Take this principle and apply it to your sales presentations: If you’re presenting longer than 10 minutes, the prospect’s interest will steadily decrease.

Our friends at Gong found there’s a sweet spot for winning sales presentations: 9.1 minutes.

Remember, a sales presentation is about connecting—not explaining the intricacies of your offering in excruciating detail. Instead, keep it short and sweet.

Ready To Deliver a Killer Sales Presentation?

An effective sales presentation is just the start of closing the deal. After you’ve set an agenda, adapted your script, used relevant social proof, and asked open-ended questions, you’ve got to keep the momentum going.

Hopefully, your closing CTA is compelling enough that the prospect reaches out on their own. If they don’t, however, make sure you follow up. A few days after the presentation, reach out and ask if they have additional questions or if they’d like more resources. It shows you’re engaged and might just be the kickstart the prospect needs to take the next step.

Want to make your follow-ups more effective? Use a sales-focused CRM like Close to store all your prospects' data in one place–and even automate those follow-ups.

Watch our demo or try Close free for 14 days.