sales presentation mean

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

Published: August 17, 2022

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

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

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

What is a sales deck?

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

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

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

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Sales Deck vs Pitch Deck

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

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

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

Sales Deck Examples

• UpstartWorks
• Attention Media
• Leadgeeks.io

1. Leadnomics Sales Deck by Katya Kovalenko

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

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

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

2. UpstartWorks Sales Deck by BrightCarbon

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

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

3. QS Sales Deck by BrightCarbon

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

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

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

4. Attention Media Sales Deck by Slides

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

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

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

5. Freshworks Sales Deck by BrightCarbon

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

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

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

6. Soraa Sales Deck by BrightCarbon

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

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

7. Planetly Sales Deck by OCHI Design

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

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

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

8. MEOM Sales Deck by Katya Kovalenko

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

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

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

9. Leadgeeks.io Sales Deck by Paweł Mikołajek

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

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

10. Accern Sales Deck by Katya Kovalenko

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

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

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

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

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Example Sales Presentation

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

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

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

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

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

2. Node Influencer App

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

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

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

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

4. Algoplanner

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

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

Sales Deck Presentation Tips

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

1. Lead with solutions.

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

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

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

2. Incorporate case studies.

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

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

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

3. Ask for feedback throughout.

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

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

4. Welcome interruptions.

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

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

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

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

5. Wrap it up quickly.

Your presentation should be ASAP: as short as possible.

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

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

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

Sales Deck Template

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

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

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How to find a sales deck template.

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

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

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

Get Inspired With These Sales Presentations

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

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

Don't forget to share this post!

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Sales presentation

Last updated: 11 November, 2023

What is a sales presentation?

What makes a good sales presentation, how to make a sales presentation, checkout our sales pipeline templates freebies.

Did you know people process visuals nearly 60,000 times faster than text? Our eyes are a predominant perceptual system for information coming from the outside world to the brain. Nearly 90% of the data we receive comes from observing, and images are stored in our memory for a very long time. 

It’s no coincidence that any advertisement, be it a video or a banner, includes both a verbal message and a visual aid. Marketers and sales reps exploit this quality of human memory to boost communication and close more deals. 

In particular — by creating effective sales presentations .

A sales presentation is a short presentation of your solution to prospects or existing customers that aims to persuade them to make a purchase.

The answer is simple. A winning sales presentation:

• Helps convince the client of the brilliance of your solution.
• Doesn’t simply describe a product or service but draws attention to the features that can solve the customer’s problems.
• Is not overloaded with facts and statistics.
• Doesn’t make your potential clients want to doze off (a boring sales presentation is a sales killer).
• Persuades the prospect that no one else on the market can satisfy their needs as well as your company can.

But what exactly should it include to get your prospects’ attention, establish good relationships with them, and accelerate the sales process?

We wish there were a recipe for a sales presentation, but there’s no one-size-fits-all recommendation about its ingredients: wording, style, format, or length. 

Still, there are some tips to help your presentation end in a sale: 

1. It’s all about the balanced layout

If you use PowerPoint or other presentation software, it’s better not to put multiple graphs, images, text, and statistics onto one slide. Your audience needs time to focus and concentrate. It hurts when you try processing the slide below, doesn’t it? 

Find the right balance between statistics and visual components. Charts, tables, and bulleted points are great, but if your presentation consists of grouped facts only, it won’t win the heart of your listener.

3 elements are just enough. If there’s more, break the slide into multiple slides instead!

Besides, as a speaker, make sure you don’t seem offhand or uninformed. Clients, especially in the B2B market , appreciate precision and professionalism. For them, the presentation packed with Google images just won’t do.

All the material presented should be of high quality and serve a point.

2. Make it short and sweet

Like any meeting, a sales presentation follows a clear agenda. Nothing will distract a client from the deal more than a prolonged conference that makes them want to escape the room. 

Here’s what works best for us: arranging 20 minutes for the speech plus 10-15 minutes for the Q&A section. This way, a sales presentation won’t take more than 30-35 minutes . It can be even shorter than that. After all, there’s a reason TED talks are 18-minute long.

If you think this time isn’t enough, schedule follow-ups, subsequent sales pitches , or agree to continue via email or phone. 

3. Work on the slide deck

Avoid adding meaningless slides; use an interactive presentation maker instead, to keep your audience engaged.

There are three conventional ones: a title, table of contents, and a “Thank you” slide. Apart from these, it’s up to you how many to include in the sales presentation. Typically, it takes from 1.5 to 3 per single key point. If we consider a 30-minute duration, that’ll sum up into 10-20 slides .

4. Start a sales presentation with a self-introduction and small talk

This is an act of courtesy to introduce oneself and briefly tell who you are. In particular, when you meet new people. Unfortunately, due to the stress, some speakers forget about it.

No less important is to catch the audience’s attention from the very beginning. A story from one’s life, a joke, a surprising fact — whichever magnet you choose, make sure it corresponds to the time and place. By the way, if you want to get inspired, check out these best TED talks ever .

5. End your speech by wrapping up and outlining further steps

Although a sales presentation may not result in a closed deal or a revenue boost (it can but on rare occasions), this is a business process. So, apart from having a good pastime with clients, a sales rep has to mildly yet distinctly drop a hint about how it’s better to proceed with the deal.

Define the purpose

Your speaking style will depend on what you’re trying to accomplish. Remember outstanding demonstrations of Apple’s new launches held by Steve Jobs? Each of these is an example of a winning sales presentation. 

The speaker aimed to persuade buyers that the product was so one of a kind, that it was a matter of life-and-death to purchase it. A speech was corresponding: the majority of time was devoted to demonstrating new UI / UX features, and less attention was paid to the technical side.

To succeed with the presentation, ask yourself what exactly you need to convey:

• Explain unique selling points
• Focus on money benefits
• Position your brand to competitors
• Create urgency around the deal, etc.

Adjust your sales presentation based on the audience

Does your audience consist of decision-makers , stakeholders, ordinary employees, or all three at once? What industry do your clients operate in? How old are these people? Is the audience multilingual? Any details are important because they will determine:

• The language and wording you choose
• Jokes you can or can’t tell
• Images you should and shouldn’t use, etc.

Consider means available

Your presentation may be doomed to fail if you don’t consider technical issues. Imagine, you expected to display a growth graph on the big white screen but were provided with a TV screen instead. Your audience won’t be able to see anything, and half of the speech will be lost.

Prepare key points & season them with data

It’s important to have a good understanding of what you are about to present. Let the numbers speak for themselves: prepare a few metrics or statistics and mention these during storytelling. However, don’t turn a presentation into a report — 2 or 3 graphs, tables, or diagrams will be more than enough.

If you plan to share the presentation among participants, you can include links to resources. This way, people interested in more details can retrieve the data.

Design the sales presentation structure

Use a “10-20-30” formula: 

• No more than 10 slides
• 20 minutes to speak
• No font smaller than 30 pt.

A good idea is to google some pre-designed sales presentation templates. This will save time on formatting plus give you useful ideas about the overall structure. Below are websites that might be helpful:

• Freecreatives

If you are in doubt, break your speech down into minute detail and align it with the sales presentation. Also, prepare cheat sheets — the latest price list, full specifications, etc. This way, you will be able to fend off any questions from the public.

Wrapping up

A good sales presentation fits the audience. Put yourself in the client’s shoes and wonder, what would YOU want to listen about? What facts might comfort you, and what questions might arise? With the customer in mind and with thorough preparation, your presentation will be a sure hit.

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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.

Close CRM does all this—and so much more. Watch our demo or try Close free for 14 days.

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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 an effective sales presentation strategy, 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, sales presentations require 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.

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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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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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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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14 Winning Sales Deck Examples (& How to Make One)

Written by: Christopher Jan Benitez

If you’re serious about generating leads and closing deals, you need a sales deck presentation that wins.

A sales deck is a powerful product presentation you show to potential clients to showcase products or services. It’s basically an elevator pitch in digital form.

Here’s the good news. Creating a custom sales deck isn’t as difficult as it sounds. There are plenty of examples to take inspiration from. And when you’re ready to design a sales deck for your business, use a Visme sales deck template to create one in minutes.

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

Table of Contents

What should a sales deck include, 14 best b2b sales deck examples.

• How to Build a Winning Sales Deck in 4 Steps

Sales Deck FAQs

Get more sales with an amazing sales deck.

• Sales decks are essential tools for sales teams to make sales and close deals regularly.
• To create a winning sales deck, follow the standard formula and add your brand’s unique visual messaging and guidelines.
• Get inspired by the best sales deck examples in the list below and learn how to apply Visme sales deck templates that achieve similar layouts and designs.
• Follow the steps to create your own sales deck with Visme in 4 steps.
• Supercharge your sales content by watching the replay of our webinar .

What is a Sales Deck?

A sales deck is a visual presentation used in sales pitches to guide potential customers through a company's story, product or service. It's like a roadmap to portray why a potential customer should choose your offering.

It lays out your value proposition, the problems you solve and how your solution is unique. It's a useful tool that helps you communicate effectively and persuasively, making it easier to close deals.

The best sales decks are the ones that combine the regular with the extraordinary. Follow a formula people expect and add your personal brand touch to make it special and different. Visme has everything you need to create branded sales decks that convert.

Here is a trusty outline to follow when building sales decks:

• Introduction to the product and the market.
• The problem or pain point the audience has.
• Showcase your product or service as the solution to the problem.
• Highlight the product or service features.
• Cost or investment.
• Closing and thanks.
• A dose of storytelling and emotional connection throughout the slides.

If you’re looking for how to create a pitch deck, read our guides about what a pitch deck is and the best pitch deck examples to inspire your own.

Do you want to start a presentation but don’t know where to begin? These B2B sales deck examples are a great reference point. See which of these sales pitch deck designs best resonates with you and your brand.

Did you know that Visme is a practical tool not just for product sales teams but also for marketing, content, and communication teams?

This is what Anne McCarthy, the Senior Director of Learning Experience at EmployBridge had to say about that; “My whole team has been using Visme for several years, but now seeing the kind of work we’re producing, our marketing team wanted to start using Visme.”

150birds’ sales deck is an example of a simple sales deck. Unless there’s a need to use more, most slide pages only use two colors, making it easier on the eyes. You’ll also notice the frequent appearance of birds which not only references the company name but also ties all pages together visually.

Why does this work?

A simple design coupled with a fun and colorful visual element like a mascot attracts the right type of attention.

Is there a Visme template similar to this?

The Cosmetics Company Investor sales deck also uses two tones for the most part. It should be able to accomplish the same effect. Visme lets you add animated characters in your presentations if you want to have a figure that serves the role of a mascot.

Brandon Global IT

When exploring effective sales pitch deck examples, Brandon Global IT's presentation stands out. It communicates so much with very little. The design is flawless, as the person behind the sales deck focused more on text than other design elements. If you’re selling a product or service that requires a lot of explanation, a clean look like the one featured here is the way to go.

This sales deck design takes a minimalist approach to present products and services that could appeal to a particular clientele.

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• Monitor clients' level of engagement to see what they are most interested in
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Visme has everything you need to increase the value of your presentation. This simple yet high-impact slide deck has a minimalist design. It embraces simplicity on every slide and prioritizes the essential components of your presentation.

CallTools proves that you don’t need graphic design experience to develop a sales deck. While this sales deck uses stock photos to represent the business, you can replace the images with photos of your employees and products so potential clients can connect with your business.

Aside from using stock photos, CallTools’ sales deck wins because it communicates its message to its audience in a clear and concise manner. The sales pitch deck focuses on the tool’s unique features to help set it apart from its competitors.

Visme’s Work+Biz Pitch Deck allows you to highlight your audience's problems and offer your services as solutions. It has placeholder slides where you can input your data and feature high-resolution stock photos from the platform’s extensive library to help make a stronger case for stakeholders.

High-quality visuals can significantly enhance your presentation's vividness and overall impact. Use Visme's AI image editing tools to unblur, upscale, touch up and edit images for your presentation. You can sharpen blurry images, enhance small pictures without quality loss, make minor adjustments and tailor images to fit your design.

Epic Media Group

Businesses rarely use a dark color scheme for their sales deck design, but that’s precisely what Epic Media Group did. Making black the dominant color in your design conveys seriousness, which is the tone that some businesses want to portray Also, using red to highlight certain words and phrases does well to bring the point home.

A darker color scheme is easy on the eyes, which works for some people. It also evokes a certain mood that can complement some products or services.

Patch uses green not only in its logo and design elements but also in the images across the sales pitch deck. The use of color makes sense in this context—green signifies the environment and your community, and Patch is about helping your brand reach out to more local customers.

Placing all the elements on top of a white background makes this sales deck appear clean and professional.

This sales deck is a winner because it explains why people should advertise themselves with Patch and how it does. The presentation also discusses what makes the platform different and arguably better than other similar sites.

Not only is the Interior Design presentation a beautiful template to work with, but it also uses green and other cool colors. It has a soothing effect that makes the sales deck easier to read.

Spectrum Magazine

A magazine like Spectrum knows how to use beautiful images to capture the attention of its readers. And it does a great job with its sales deck too. The sales deck’s layout feels professional right to the last page. Any potential advertiser would be happy to work with this team.

Spectrum Magazine is using one of its best assets — photos. If you have great photos to share, you can do a layout similar to what Spectrum has done.

The Lete Events Pitch Deck template has a similar layout style as the one in the example. It features a rich blend mix light and dark colors that help the audience grasp information quickly. It has stunning images, several stock photos, quality vector icons, and stylized content blocks. Users can easily customize this pitch deck as they can add data visualizations and other features.

SteadyBudget

The SteadyBudget sales deck is yet another example of how simplicity can effectively deliver a message. And because this particular sales deck makes excellent use of clean lines and background, every chart and graph that was added pops out of every slide.

If you’re looking to present a lot of visual aids in your sales deck, opting for a simpler sales deck design might be the safest choice.

The clean design and the use of colors in lines make this sales deck so easy to look at. This is ideal for sales decks full of complex figures like charts and graphs.

While it’s not exactly a presentation about PPC software, the ToughSEO pitch deck shares similarities with the above. It discusses how the platform can help your business increase its online visibility via SEO. The deck also shares the company's timeline history, its current analytics and metrics, and how it plans to use the funding it receives.

Another way to make visually pleasing sales decks is to play with the typography. That is what the designer did with this Airbnb sales deck. By using a few visual elements, the focus is placed mainly on the message.

This sales deck is also easier to digest because it only contains vital information.

Using different fonts is a great way for non-graphic designers to keep their sales decks visually interesting.

The Airsns pitch deck should help you win more stakeholders if you're developing an Airbnb alternative. It details the market to help validate your product idea before moving on to its features. Then it discusses your marketing strategy and lists your competitors and what makes your app different from them.

This sales deck for Snapchat—just like the company—appeals to a younger generation. The way the background colors change as you move through the slides is excellent for keeping readers alert. It helps that Snapchat’s branding uses just the right yellow hue to bring important slides to life.

The youthful appearance of this sales deck will win over potential advertisers for the brand. And it could also work for you if you share the same target market.

The IworkUwork sales deck template comes pretty close. It uses the same yellow accent color to brighten up each slide.

The Tealet sales deck design is one of the more complicated ones on this list. It uses custom graphics to drive home all the data the business needs to present.

If you have the budget to hire a designer or have some graphic design knowledge, you should aspire to create a sales deck just like this.

This sales deck has professionalism stamped all over it. From the images used down to how the copy is presented, it’s a cut above the rest.

The agriculture startup pitch deck delivers a unique product to the market that cuts out the middlemen and allows farmers to get higher profit margins. The presentation discusses how the app works, its business model, and its benefits. It also shares financial projections to instill greater stakeholders' confidence in the product.

Any changes made to the original slide will automatically reflect across all presentations where the slide was used.

Lunchbox showcases its services with a visually appealing sales deck, employing minimalist design and punchy colors to capture attention. The layout allows for easy readability while engaging graphics make complex information digestible. Simple graphics, alongside impactful stats, convey Lunchbox's value proposition and competitive positioning.

Lunchbox's sales deck stands out due to its minimalist design and vibrant colors. It utilizes engaging graphics and a clear layout to present complex information in an easily digestible manner and showcases the company's unique strengths effectively.

The e-commerce pitch deck template on Visme is indeed comparable to the Lunchbox example. It's a vibrant, visually appealing template with modern layouts to showcase unique selling propositions, customer acquisitions, revenue streams, and data analysis.

The template caters mainly to online store owners, strategists and digital marketers aiming to convert eCommerce data into visually striking presentations. It's undoubtedly a good template to start crafting a sales deck like Lunchbox's.

Vue Storefront

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The Vue Storefront sales deck boasts a design that's dynamic and intuitive. They use large, bold fonts for key messages and break down technical concepts with visual aids. The deck's compelling storytelling is backed by data and customer testimonials. Also, they used a green color scheme throughout the presentation to reflect their brand personality.

The deck's design establishes brand personality while simplifying complex tech concepts. Balancing engaging visuals and data-driven content offers a clear understanding of Vue's offerings and the complex problem they are solving with the front end.

The ClickChat pitch deck presentation template is quite similar to the Vue Storefront sales deck outline. This template features a striking green color scheme, attractive data visualizations, high-quality graphics and bold fonts.

It's an excellent option for creating a sales pitch deck that conveys key messages effectively, making it a great starting point for those looking to emulate the look and feel of the Vue Storefront presentation.

Do you need help in writing copy for your sales pitch deck presentation? Use Visme's AI writer tool for crafting compelling content for your presentations. It lets you generate text, create structured outlines and even edit and proofread your content.

The tool ensures your ideas are well-structured and language is error-free, making your presentation text engaging and polished.

Softr's sales deck showcases a clean, minimalist design emphasizing whitespace and a fresh aesthetic. The visually appealing presentation covers essential information using limited text, relying on iconography and subtle colors to guide the viewer effortlessly through their offering.

The minimalist approach reduces cognitive load, making it easier for viewers to focus on core ideas. The ample whitespace creates a pleasant, clutter-free experience, effectively capturing the audience's attention and making Softr's value proposition memorable.

Equipped with bright colors, catchy visuals and customizable charts and widgets, this template is an excellent match for those looking to create a sales deck similar to Softr's. The template allows you to convey complex ideas effectively while maintaining your branding.

Plum Fintech

Plum Fintech's sales deck features a striking blue and white color combination with diverse sans-serif typography usage. The layout is beautifully balanced, with well-curated graphics and a consistent design language that brings harmony and clarity to the overall presentation.

The uniform color scheme and variety in font styles enhance readability while creating an identity that's distinctive to Plum. The well-integrated visuals and typography inspire trust, facilitating a better understanding of Plum's financial solutions.

If you're looking to replicate the style of Plum Fintech's sales deck, the phonebook pitch deck presentation template may be a good fit. This Visme template offers a highly customizable base to create your own pitch deck. It helps present your business ideas in an appealing way to investors with its professional and stylish layout.

Additionally, read our article about the 13 powerful sales pitch presentation templates you can customize to create your own.

How to Create a Sales Deck in 4 Steps

As was said earlier, building a sales deck isn’t complicated at all, especially if you’re using a Visme template.

You can use Visme to create professional documents, including sales presentations.

So, where do you start with your presentation ?

Here’s how you do it.

Do Your Research

A good sales deck should contain product features, statistics, pricing, and other information to help your leads figure out how your product can make a difference in their lives.

Before picking a template, you’ll want to have a rough idea of what your outline should be. From here, you can use storytelling to flesh out your outline by identifying the problem and introducing the product as a solution.

Find a Template

Visme has a rich library of customizable templates for any type of presentation. And the best part is that you can preview each one to see which of them perfectly fits your needs.

Business Templates

Ecommerce Webinar Presentation

Buyer Presentation

PixelGo Marketing Plan Presentation

Technology Presentation

Communication Skills - Keynote Presentation

Company Ethics Presentation

Work+biz pitch deck - presentation.

Product Training Interactive Presentation

Create your template View more templates

It’s important to note that you’re never stuck with what the template gives you. If you need to add or remove slides from the deck, you can. The same goes for adding or removing elements on each page.

You are in complete creative control over all the details that appear on your sales deck.

For example, if you don’t want to use the background image, you can delete it and replace it with something better.

This process becomes easier if you’ve used Visme before because you can use saved elements in new presentations. For example, if you already have a title slide, you can add that slide to your sales deck.

Any changes made to the original slide will automatically reflect across all presentations where the slide was used. The same principle applies to the dynamic fields feature that helps to easily update information throughout your projects and slides.

Customize Your Sales Deck

Visme is a drag-and-drop style builder. That means anyone—even those that don’t have any graphic design experience—can pull off a sales deck that looks professional from beginning to end.

You can change images, shapes, and text with ease. And there are thousands of visual elements that you can make your presentation shine. To find design elements quickly, use the / shortcut feature . Simply click on / (forward slash) and input what you want into the pop up search bar or scroll to browse.

Changing numbers on charts and graphs is easy. Just select the data you want to update and select settings. From here, you’ll be able to select the value you want to update along with other cosmetic changes you’d like to make.

We’ve got other features worth mentioning. You can make short snippets of information with a call-to-action pop up when a user hovers over an element. Also, our tool lets you add links to other slides or external pages.

Another interesting feature is the live data integration which lets you connect charts on your slides to data from Google Sheets. That means if changes are made to the data from Google Sheets, the data in your sales deck is updated automatically.

Download or Share Your Sales Deck

Once you finish your sales deck, you can download your powerful business presentation and call it a day. However, you can share your sales deck with others in other ways.

You can send specific people private links to your Visme presentations . There is also an option to present your sales deck directly from Visme, which will preserve interactivity and animations if you add any.

Visme has an analytics feature that lets you measure the impact of your presentation. You can view how users are interacting with your presentation and figure out how to further engage them. You can view how users interact with your presentation and determine how to further engage them.

Another alternative for creating presentations is using Visme's AI presentation maker to create your presentation. All you have to do is explain the tool about what you want to create. Our smart Chatbot will ask you a few questions to tailor the presentation to your needs.

You can further edit your presentation design to include additional information, data visualization, images, etc.

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about sales deck presentations.

What Is a Sales Deck?

A sales deck is a presentation that helps business owners, sales agents, and marketers sell more products to potential customers. It highlights specific problems a lead could have and how the product can help them get rid of them.

What Is the Difference Between a Sales Deck and a Pitch Deck?

A sales deck is a type of presentation that is designed to convert leads into customers. This type of presentation primarily focuses on a specific product or service that a company offers.

A pitch deck is designed to sell a company to potential investors. Its content focuses more on the company’s vision, financials, and all products and services that the business offers.

What Should I Include in a Sales Deck?

A sales deck should identify the customer’s pain points, introduce the solution (your product), list product features, and get the customer to take action.

What Makes a Great Sales Deck?

First, you want a sales deck cover image that quickly grabs the reader's attention. Next, your sales deck should convey everything your leads need to know about your product, service or idea and nudge them to take action. You’ll also want to back up any claim with factual and accurate data and include a call to action.

Getting the most out of your startups requires you to secure funding from investors first. From here, you can successfully disrupt the market and create a profitable business selling a product or service.

To do that, you need a sales deck designed to close more deals and make more sales. The examples above should give you ideas on how to create your presentation.

If you don’t fancy yourself as a graphic designer, you can still create a stunning presentation with Visme. Use a Visme sales deck template to jumpstart the process.

Easily put together winning sales decks in Visme

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About the Author

Christopher Jan Benitez is a freelance writer who specializes in digital marketing. His work has been published on SEO and affiliate marketing-specific niches like Monitor Backlinks, Niche Pursuits, Nichehacks, Web Hosting Secret Revealed, and others.

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Mastering Sales Presentations: Definition, Tips & Examples

Craft a compelling sales presentation by defining the problem and solution.

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Did you know that 74% of sales meetings are not compelling enough to make a purchase? A well-crafted sales presentation can be the difference between closing a deal and losing a potential customer. In this comprehensive guide, we'll break down the key elements of a successful sales presentation and share tips for crafting a compelling pitch that resonates with your audience. Plus, discover how AI-powered tools like Bardeen can help you automate repetitive tasks and save time. Ready to take your sales game to the next level?

Elements of a Compelling Sales Presentation

A sales presentation that captures attention and drives results includes several key components:

1. Clearly Define the Problem and Solution

Begin by clearly articulating the customer's pain points and challenges. Paint a vivid picture of how your product or service uniquely solves those problems. Focus on the benefits and value you deliver rather than just listing features. For more tips, see best practices for sales demos .

2. Tell a Story

Weave a compelling narrative throughout your presentation. Share customer success stories and case studies that illustrate how you've helped similar companies overcome obstacles and achieve their goals. Stories make your message more memorable and relatable.

3. Include Social Proof

Highlight testimonials, logos of well-known customers, and impressive stats that demonstrate your credibility and effectiveness. Social proof builds trust and shows prospects that others have succeeded with your solution. Learn more about sales intelligence to enhance your presentations.

4. Use Visuals

Incorporate images, videos, infographics, and demos to break up text and keep your audience engaged. Visuals help explain complex ideas, make data easier to grasp, and leave a lasting impression. Aim for clean, professional slide designs.

5. Have a Strong Close

End with a powerful call-to-action that clearly defines next steps. Summarize key points, reiterate the value of your solution, and create a sense of urgency. Make it easy for prospects to take the desired action, whether scheduling a demo or signing a contract.

By focusing your presentation on the customer's needs, crafting a compelling story, providing proof, using engaging visuals, and ending with a strong CTA, you'll deliver a memorable sales presentation that converts prospects into customers.

Next, we'll explore tips for delivering your presentation with confidence and handling objections to close more deals.

Tips for Crafting a Compelling Sales Presentation

To deliver a sales presentation that captures attention, builds trust, and ultimately closes deals, tailor your message to the specific audience. Use storytelling to make your pitch engaging and memorable. Incorporate visuals to illustrate key points and maintain interest. And practice your delivery to project confidence and credibility.

1. Know Your Audience

Before creating your presentation, research the prospect's company, industry, and specific pain points. Customize your message and examples to their unique situation and needs. Showing you've done your homework builds trust and rapport.

For instance, if pitching to a startup, emphasize how your solution can help them scale quickly and cost-effectively. For an enterprise client, focus on security, integration, and ROI.

Human brains are wired for stories. Weave a compelling narrative throughout your presentation, starting with the problem or opportunity your prospect faces. Describe how your product is the ideal solution, using hero stories of similar customers you've helped succeed.

Build tension and suspense, then provide relief with your product as the resolution. Close with a happy customer and a clear call to action.

3. Show, Don't Just Tell

Slides dense with text make eyes glaze over. Use images, videos, charts, and infographics to visually communicate your message. Show your product in action to make it tangible. When possible, tell stories with pictures. Customer testimonial videos or photos lend social proof. Just aim to keep visuals clean and minimal to avoid overwhelming your audience.

4. Practice Makes Perfect

Never attempt to "wing" a sales presentation, no matter how well you know your product or audience. Rehearse your delivery multiple times, ideally in front of colleagues or a mirror.

Focus on speaking clearly, projecting confidence, and keeping a good pace. Know your content inside and out so you can ad lib while still hitting key points. Consider recording yourself to evaluate and improve your performance. For more tips, check out sales discovery question examples to refine your approach further.

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Crafting a compelling sales presentation boils down to understanding your customer, telling a resonant story, leveraging engaging visuals, and honing your delivery skills. With these elements, you'll be well on your way to closing more deals and crushing your quota. Coming up next - steer clear of the common mistakes that send sales presentations off the rails, so you can keep prospects engaged till the end.

Common Sales Presentation Mistakes to Sidestep

A strong sales presentation can make or break a deal. To avoid losing prospects, steer clear of these common pitfalls that send meetings off the rails. Talking for too long, failing to understand the audience's needs, relying on jargon, and not having a clear call-to-action can all derail your pitch.

1. Information Overload

Cramming too many details into a short window will make your prospect's eyes glaze over. Edit your presentation down to the most essential, relevant points.

Use clear, concise language and give the audience time to absorb your message. A "less is more" approach keeps them engaged without overwhelming them.

2. Not Doing Your Homework

Generic, one-size-fits-all presentations rarely resonate. Before the meeting, research the prospect's company, industry, and specific challenges they face. You can use tools to build a prospect list efficiently.

Tailor your examples and key points to their unique situation. Showing you understand their needs builds trust and rapport from the start.

3. Speaking in Tongues

Peppering your pitch with technical terms and acronyms will leave your audience saying "huh?" rather than "wow!" Explain concepts in plain language using terms they know.

Run your presentation by someone outside your industry. If jargon trips them up, rework it using clearer phrasing.

4. Forgetting the "So What?"

Features tell, but benefits sell. Don't just list specs - spell out how your offering improves the buyer's life and business. Recognizing buying signals can help tailor your message.

Tie each capability back to a specific problem you know they struggle with. Make it crystal clear why your solution is the perfect fit.

Steer your sales presentations clear of these common blunders - information overload, lack of customization, confusing jargon, and feature-heavy pitches. Keeping your message concise, tailored, and benefit-focused will boost your odds of closing the deal.

Stay tuned for examples of masterful sales presentations to inspire your own!

Sales Presentation Examples to Inspire Your Pitch

Looking at successful sales presentations can provide valuable insights and inspiration for crafting your own compelling pitch. From engaging storytelling to showcasing key benefits, these real-world examples demonstrate the elements that make a sales presentation truly stand out.

1. Xero's Engaging Customer Story

Xero, a cloud-based accounting software company, uses a captivating customer success story in their sales presentation. By highlighting how their product solved real challenges for a small business owner, they create an emotional connection and clearly demonstrate the value of their offering. This approach helps prospects envision how Xero could similarly benefit their own business.

2. Slack's Clear Problem-Solution Narrative

Slack, a team collaboration platform, structures their sales presentation around a clear problem-solution narrative. They begin by vividly describing the communication challenges faced by many teams, such as information silos and email overload. Then, they position Slack as the solution, showcasing key features that streamline communication and boost productivity. This storytelling approach effectively communicates Slack's value proposition.

3. Prezi's Visually Engaging Presentation

Prezi, a presentation software company, naturally leverages their own platform to create visually stunning sales presentations. By using dynamic animations, interactive elements, and a non-linear structure, they keep the audience engaged and attentive. Prezi's presentations serve as a powerful example of how unique visuals and an innovative format can make a lasting impression.

4. HubSpot's Educational Content

HubSpot, a leading inbound marketing and sales platform, incorporates educational content into their sales presentations. Rather than solely focusing on product features, they provide valuable insights and strategies that help prospects improve their marketing and sales efforts. By establishing themselves as knowledgeable experts, HubSpot builds trust and positions their offering as a comprehensive solution.

Studying successful sales presentation examples reveals proven techniques for capturing attention, demonstrating value, and inspiring action. By incorporating storytelling, clear messaging, engaging visuals, and educational content, you can elevate your own sales presentations and increase your chances of closing deals. For more insights, check out these sales prospecting tools to enhance your efforts.

Use Bardeen to automate your sales prospecting process. These sales prospecting automations can help gather leads and enrich data, saving time and efforts.

Whew, you've made it this far! Give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back for your dedication to mastering the art of the sales presentation. Stay tuned for the final insights that will cement your status as a sales presentation pro!

Conclusions

Understanding the fundamentals of a sales presentation is crucial for successfully pitching products or services to potential customers.

In this guide, you discovered:

• The definition, purpose, and key elements of a sales presentation
• Tips for crafting a compelling sales presentation that resonates with your audience
• Common mistakes to avoid when delivering a sales presentation
• Real-world examples of outstanding sales presentations to inspire your own

Don't let your sales opportunities slip away - master the art of the sales presentation or risk losing deals to more polished competitors! Learn more about cold outreach and how it can enhance your sales strategy.

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What Is a Sales Presentation? Definition, Tips, and Follow-Up Tasks

Sales presentations let you communicate with customers in a highly memorable and persuasive way. But exactly what is a sales presentation? 

A sales presentation involves more than just a simple pitch; it’s a more complex method of explaining your product or service to a customer and demonstrating its value. 

In this article, we will explain how presentations fit into the sales process, discuss ways to make them more effective, and cover crucial follow-up tasks.

Key Takeaways

• A sales presentation is a pitch or demonstration given by a salesperson to potential customers to persuade them to buy a product or service.
• Sales presentations demonstrate the value your product offers the customer through in-depth information, data, customer reviews, visual aids, videos, statistics, demonstrations, and more.
• Key sales presentation tips include researching customer needs, tailoring the presentation to each customer, and pitching a compelling story.
• After a presentation, you should thank the attendees, follow up with additional information that addresses any objections or questions, schedule a follow-up phone call or meeting, and keep in touch to help solidify the sale.

What Does a Sales Presentation Mean?

How do sales presentations fit into the sales process, sales presentations vs. sales pitch, start by researching, craft a strong introduction, tailor your presentation to the customer journey, highlight key points backed by data, bring your product or a visual aid, use a template, what to do immediately after a sales presentation.

A sales presentation is a pitch or demonstration given by a salesperson to potential customers in order to persuade them to buy a product or service. But a sales presentation is more than just a sales pitch. It takes your customer on an experience that aids them in understanding how you can meet their needs and requirements.

Presentations also offer the opportunity to explore and build customer relationships by providing tangible success stories or positive customer reviews that can help boost your credibility. However, presenting this information to customers effectively and captivatingly is crucial for your success.

Sales presentations are typically used when introducing products or services to prospective clients to facilitate better business deals. This could involve giving further background about your company’s offerings and showcasing awards your company’s work or product range has received. A well-crafted sales presentation will let your potential buyers know why they need what you’re offering.

Sales presentations are part of the larger sales process that typically happens toward the end of the sales cycle . The sales process begins with a sales rep researching a potential customer’s needs and preferences, preparing your product or service to meet their needs, and building a relationship with your customer over time.

In the early stages of the sales process, you might communicate with your customer over email or through website visits. Later on, you might have meetings or other more direct communications.

As you near the end of the sales cycle, the time for delivering a sales presentation approaches. This is when your customer has already established that you have something of value to offer, and they’re ready to learn more.

Your presentation should provide a detailed overview of how your products can meet their current needs while enabling them to easily view features and benefits in one place.

It’s common for people to think that a sales pitch and a sales presentation are the same thing. However, while they may seem similar, these two approaches have significant differences.

Sales pitches are often standardized, are not tailored to the unique needs of a specific customer, and don’t require any research into the customer’s pain points. For example, a sales pitch is usually characterized by one-way communication. During a sales pitch, you are focused solely on selling your product or service to the customer without any exploration of their needs or interests.

A sales presentation, on the other hand, encourages a more interactive dialogue with customers. It allows them to ask questions and provides more in-depth information about why your product would benefit them specifically. It’s not as much about “selling” as about introducing products based on customer insights to establish value in their eyes.

How to Create an Effective Sales Presentation

When creating an effective sales presentation, there are several factors to consider. A successful sales presentation should be tailored specifically for each customer and allow them to experience meaningful engagement with your product.

It should build on your customer’s needs and interests to showcase how you can meet them without focusing too much on selling points. Additionally, research plays a key role in any sales process, and having data about industry trends or statistics that support your claims can add credibility to your proposal. Here are some tips on the best way to develop a winning sales presentation.

Researching before you start is essential for a good sales presentation. While the information in your presentation will vary depending on the client and situation, it’s important to include enough data and industry stats relevant to the customer’s needs. This data should be targeted towards the specific aspects of your product that can address your customer’s problem areas.

Also, digging further into case studies or positive reviews from existing customers is great for transforming a one-off sale into an ongoing business relationship. You should back up everything you say with credible sources during your sales pitch for a greater impact on viewers’ buying decision process. Newspaper articles, past client testimonials, or information from trusted online sources can all be good places to find data that backs up the claims in your presentation.

Starting a sales presentation with an introduction and some small talk is important for building rapport and trust. This also allows you to warm up the room while giving your customers a chance to get comfortable with you as well. Ensure the conversation’s tone matches your presentation’s purpose, too. Keep it upbeat yet professional, and aim to get out of any awkward silences quickly.

Develop your sales presentation with the customer journey in mind. This means considering your customer’s objectives and using them as a guideline for crafting your story. By paying attention to what your target audience needs, you not only increase the potential of closing a deal but also make customers feel understood.

But don’t take too long to get into specific details about your product. Oftentimes, getting directly to the point of how your product can solve their problem is much more effective and persuasive than offering generic explanations about what you do.

Remember the Power of Storytelling

Storytelling can be incredibly effective when it comes to sales presentations. Focus on telling stories that convey how your company or products have successfully helped other customers meet their needs. This can help your customer understand why they need what you’re offering.

Talking about your product’s challenges and solutions in simple yet compelling language is also important. Remember that a sales presentation isn’t just reciting facts and data points — illustrate the solutions you offer in a memorable way.

Focus Your Presentation on the Customer’s Problem

When creating a sales presentation, keeping the customer’s problem in your mind is important. You should provide solutions that address their pain points and benefit their specific situation.

A good sales presentation will spotlight the features of your product that provide quick and simple problem-solving for the customer. By doing this, you can position your offering as something your customer needs rather than something that’s merely nice to have.

Ways to Improve Your Sales Presentations

Besides doing the required research beforehand, there are some sales presentation techniques you can use to ensure everything runs smoothly and effectively. Here are a few ideas.

As mentioned before, having data that backs up the key points you make in your presentation is critical. These points should include quick summaries or facts about product insights, as well as any relevant customer feedback to give viewers a clear idea of how your offering can meet their needs.

Having your product there for customers to see during your sales presentation can be very persuasive. If it’s too difficult or impossible to bring your product to the presentation, you should still bring visual aids.

For example, you can provide a link with interesting animations of your product’s features, display quotes from previous customers, showcase awards you’ve won, or show videos of your previous work and how it benefitted the customer.

Create a sales presentation template that can be used across different customer sessions to speed up the process. Start by making a sales presentation outline that applies to all customers, and then tailor it to each customer as needed.

Having a consistent format and look to all your presentations will save time and reduce the effort needed to develop new slides so you can focus on crafting content specifically for each customer. An effective template will also ensure brand consistency and professionalism linked with your company’s name.

Assess Your Body Language

When delivering a presentation, body language is just as important as words. Having good posture shows confidence in your presentation and can help keep your customers engaged. Avoid crossing your arms or moving around too much, as this can cause viewers to be distracted. It’s a good idea to record yourself practicing your presentation in advance to see how you appear to others.

Ask for Input

Feedback is essential for sharpening your skills as a presenter and gaining confidence in your sales presentations. Asking your customers or sales team members for feedback on your sales deck and presentation is a great way to get honest and productive input. They may suggest changes that could bring greater clarity to your presentation or help you develop a more effective sales deck in the future.

Highlight Value Before Going Into Pricing

A professional sales presentation should focus heavily on value. Highlight how customers stand to benefit from your product, as this is crucial for getting them to purchase with confidence. You will be much more successful if you demonstrate how valuable your product is before you tell the customer how much it will cost them. 

If you’re selling something expensive, packaging additional services or features in one bundle at no extra cost can be useful for reassuring your customer that the price is worth it. This could include offers such as introducing discounts for first-time buyers or offering free maintenance contracts over a set period.

Outline Next Steps

To give your customer a clear idea of where you want things to go, always remember to end your presentation with a quick overview. This can include summarizing your value proposition and the advantages that customers can gain from using your product. Clearly outline any details about follow-up steps to set client expectations up correctly.

Increase Audience Engagement

Tricks such as incorporating polls and games during your presentation can help people remember the key points you want to present. It’s another way for sales reps to make a memorable impression on viewers and engage them with your product even after the meeting has ended.

Also, remember that the most effective sales presentations use an impactful sales deck that allows you to paint a memorable story for the customer. Build opportunities for interaction into your presentation itself.

After a successful sales presentation, it is important for a salesperson to follow-up with their client. This follow-up should be swift and thorough to ensure that the customer remembers their experience and continues to do business with the salesperson. The follow-up can include sending an email or letter summarizing the conversation and outlining any next steps, such as setting up another meeting or contract signing. Be sure to address any specific questions or concerns the prospect expressed during the presentation as well.

Additionally, it is important for the salesperson to keep in touch with their customer after the initial sale. This can be done by sending periodic updates on new products or services, providing tips on how best to use purchased products, and offering other relevant insights that could help strengthen the customer relationship.

Finally, regular check-ins will help cement loyalty while helping to identify opportunities for future sales. When executed correctly, these follow-up tasks can contribute heavily to long-term success in sales.

Sales presentations are an important element of the sales journey and require thoughtful preparation. Now that we’ve answered the question of what is a sales presentation, you can use these tips to improve your interactions with customers. Through data-backed storytelling and consideration of the customer’s journey, you stand a great chance of successfully selling your product.

Always remember that these sales presentation techniques should help make the sale come alive for viewers so they can better envision value in what you have to offer. By following our sales presentation tips, you’ll be well on your way to delivering a successful sales presentation every time!

Jane Mitchell is a sales expert with over 17 years in the industry, extending her knowledge to diverse sectors and providing optimal business growth solutions. Her knack for crafting unique sales strategies is unmatched. Jane fuels her wanderlust by traveling the world, having reached the prestigious Million Miler status with Delta Airlines.

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Sales Presentation: Ideas, Examples and Templates to Present Like a Pro

Typically, a sales presentation is understood as a simple pitch, a demo, or a list of facts and figures. A good sales presentation is one that incorporates all of these elements while also being more than the sum of its parts.

A sales presentation is that sensitive, impactful activity that, if it is done at the right time in your sales process , it will get your sales prospect ’s attention, make them eager about your product or services, and make their buying decision in favor of you.

As a sales professional, you will find yourself presenting live in countless scenarios ranging from introducing your product or services at a trade show to upselling your product or services to a client visiting your store. This article is for all you sales professionals out there. The topics it will cover are:

What is a Sales Presentation?

Sales presentation techniques, storytelling and sales presentation, what should you bring to your sales presentation, tips for nailing your sales presentation, sales presentation examples, sales presentation template to present like a pro, how can deskera help your business with sales, key takeaways.

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An effective sales presentation is one that 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 your prospects to your differentiators rather than leading with them.

A sales presentation is not always the same thing as a sales pitch. This is because while a sales pitch is what your team of sales professionals does all day long on a one-to-one basis on the phone or in person, a sales presentation, in contrast, is a more complicated sales pitch where your sales team is trying to close a more lucrative deal through meetings and demos.

Preparing your sales presentation hence requires an investment of time and effort and needs to be well planned in order to convert your leads into customers, increase sales and therefore increase revenue . Considering the responsibilities, hopes, and pressure that a sales presentation carries, even a salesperson who is great at cold calling and sales pitches can become a victim of workplace stress .

A sales presentation is an art as well as a science. It is an art because it requires you to handle each situation and client creatively- adapting to the environment and molding it so that you can achieve your goals. It is also a science because it does come with some techniques and strategies, which, when incorporated, is sure to bring you higher success rates. The various sales presentation techniques that you can use are:

• Send the Presentation Desk to Your Buyer Before Your Call

The benefit of this would be that if your prospect finds the deck compelling, then they would want to get into all the nitty-gritty details about it even after knowing its main content. This will help you in showing them how the solution you are offering is the best for their problem, the extra benefits that they will be able to get from it, and solve any queries that they might have. This will save everyone’s time, and your customer would move down the sales pipeline faster.

However, if your buyer has not gone through the deck before your call, they will just ask you to start from the beginning. Furthermore, sending the presentation deck to your buyer will show them how valued they are by your business and hence increase customer retention and customer satisfaction.

• Invoking Self-Discovery

The best way to ensure sales and, therefore, gross profits is by making your buyers realize what the problem is and what the solution for the same can be. The solution is where your products or services will come in. The best way to do so is by telling a story to your buyer in which they are the main character. The storytelling will serve all the above-mentioned purposes and also give you a buyer who has a strong sense of customer loyalty that will only get stronger when you are able to ensure their “ voice of the customer .”

• Do Not Skip to Point B. Talk About Point A.

Here, point A is the problem, whereas point B is the solution. When you directly skip to the positive outcomes of a solution, you lose out on the benefits that you would have derived by talking about point A. This is because point A is the problem that your buyer will constantly face unless they bring some change to it.

By talking about their problems repeatedly, you would be using the key sales psychology of how consumers are more likely to prefer loss aversion activities than benefiting activities. Combined with loss aversion tendency would be the sense of urgency that would further secure their purchase with you. Only after they are with you on the urgency stage, talk about the positive outcomes from the solution you are offering. Only now would your solution be truly appreciated hence bringing you your positive cash flow .

• Do Not Lead with Differentiators, Lead to Them

The key to having your buyers appreciate your differentiators-i.e. the unique features of your products or services, is by leading them to it, rather than starting your sales presentation with them. In order to do so, you will have to start by explaining to your buyers the problem that they are facing, the opportunity that they have missed, and then surrounding it with a sense of urgency.

Only when your buyer is clear along these lines should you introduce them to your differentiators. This way, your differentiator will land exactly where it is supposed to, hence taking you one step closer to completing your sales cycle successfully.

• Reveal the Outcome First

Presentations have a tendency to follow logical sequencing. While this makes sense in the academic setting, in the world of sales and customers, where your customers would definitely be busy, you will lose them midway through your sales presentation.

Therefore, start your sales presentation with the final outcome that you are expecting or predicting. The conversation will grow naturally from there. Another sales presentation tactic underlying this is that the best product demos start with the topics that your buyer has highlighted on the discovery call .

Not only should your product demo mirror all the topics highlighted by your buyer, but it should also follow the same prioritized sequence as they want. This is called solution mapping- which will up your sales presentation game by a lot.

• Having a Conversational Presentation

One of the best ways to have increasing sales and therefore increased net sales is by making sure that your sales presentation is an engaging two-way conversation between two people. A two-way dialogue will make the sales pitch more natural, with equal listening happening on both sides- yours and the buyer’s. This real and connected conversation involves the right questions with the right answers, followed by a higher probability of sales taking place.

• Following the 9-Minute Rule

To close your deals , you should follow the 9-minute rule for your sales presentation. This rule tells of how the human brain stops registering information properly from the 9th minute, hence making it important to change the channels in your buyer’s brain by either changing who is talking in the presentation, or in the video, or in the demo. This will reset the time back to zero, giving you more time to carry forward the next part of your presentation.

• Using Relevant Social Proof

When talking with your potential clients, you should know the correct timing for giving social proof. Too soon, and you will lose your client. Additionally, you should also know which social proof would be relevant to give.

For example, if your example involves big brands like Google, it will leave your potential clients impressed but also make them feel that your product or services are not the right fit for them. To prevent this, your social proof should be from the buyer’s tribe. A buyer’s tribe is one with which they share pain points, challenges, and needs.

Even if you tell a different tribe’s story, the pain point should match with your prospect. By sharing these stories, you are making your prospects imagine themselves in the customer’s story and see a solution or a benefit for themselves.

One of the other ways you can give social proof is through social selling on your social media- helping to build a bridge between your company and its leads. After efficient lead management , these would become potential clients who need a sales presentation.

• Use Customer Stories, Not ROI Calculators

As a customer, one processes information in 2 ways- logically and emotionally. If, while doing your sales presentation, you introduce ROI , then you are awakening the logical, analytical brain of your customer. This will make them more likely to argue with your assumptions.

However, if you resort to telling a story in which the customers are able to imagine themselves (hence leading to self-discovery) and have a before and after scenario for the product or service used to make them realize the value offered by your product or service, then this emotional connection is more likely to get them to make a buying decision in your favor.

• Talking About Price After Establishing Value

It is crucial that as a salesperson, you know when to talk about pricing in your sales presentation. When setting the agenda for the call with your prospect, make sure you tell them when to expect a discussion on pricing. This discussion should be scheduled by you after you have shown them the value of your product or services, as only then would they agree to the pricing offered by you without you losing a deal. Also, by doing so, you would be better able to handle sales objections.

Using Your Competitor’s Strength in Your Favor

One of the most common sales presentation tactics involves using your competitor’s weakness and showing your product or service’s strength in exchange. This, however, leaves you vulnerable to attack and debate. The other smarter sales presentation technique involves learning and using your competitor’s strength to prove why their product or service is a poor fit for you.

For instance, when in 1985 the marketing of Burger King and McDonald's was head to head, Burger King used McDonald’s marketing attribution and strength- being a kids friendly place as its weakness by saying, at Burger King, it is the place for adults and real burgers, not just fun food. Burger King’s choice of brand awareness and brand positioning statement made it a winner in this marketing competition.

Talk About Your Competitors Early On

While doing your sales presentation, it is important that you talk about your competitors from the beginning rather than ignoring them completely, only to bring them up later in the conversation. This way, you would be able to influence your prospect’s opinions before they get solidified. Once they are influenced in your favor, they are more likely to stay the same, giving you higher net profits .

As humans, we have a deep relationship with stories. They move us, teach us, and in the context of sales, they persuade us. This is why storytelling is the secret to a successful sales presentation. If you want to win your customers, start with a story that is relevant to them and their problems, especially of an existing customer who faced the same problem as them.

Such a story would lead to your prospects remembering the key points from your sales presentation as well as about your product or services. Thus, this section of the article will help you in building your sales presentation around a story that will grab your prospect’s attention and encourage them to invest in the solution you are offering.

Start With a Problem and a Deadline

Instead of talking directly about the solution you are offering to your prospects, you should start by talking about the problem and the challenges your solution was designed to solve. Your sales presentation should revolve around the value you are offering to your prospect.

When using storytelling, your product or service can become the hero, whereas their pain point can become the villain. It should focus on the change (something that improves their business or life) rather than on the pain point. Additionally, create a sense of urgency around the story- such that if they do not take action now, they will miss an opportunity. Also, involve the consequences in the story that would arise if the prospect does not change.

Talking About the Solution

Once you have highlighted the problem or the challenges, it is time to talk about the product or services that you are offering. These should not be talked about in terms of their features, but rather in terms of how life would become easier and better for your prospect by using your product or service. It should also highlight how they would be able to reduce their account payable and increase their account receivables .

Only after that, start talking about your product or services features and benefits along these lines:

• Positioning your features against the old way of doing things
• Presenting those features as the superpowers that will solve your prospect’s problems and challenges
• Comparing those features with those of the competitor’s

And using a combination of some or all of the above sales presentation techniques.

A sales presentation is perceived to be a daunting task, and the only way to deal with such a task is by being prepared and organized. This is why this section of the article would be discussing all the necessities that you should bring to your sales presentation. They are:

PowerPoint Presentation

Sales presentation tends to include a sales deck to help deliver facts, figures, and statistics that will back your sales presentation and convince your prospects to accept the solution you are offering. To present your sales deck, you can use presentation software like Microsoft PowerPoint presentation or google slides or Canva presentation, or any digital slides that you feel are a good match to your product or service. Some of the key elements of such a presentation should be:

• A great cover image or opening slide that grabs your audience’s attention.
• Data and key points are represented through charts, graphs, quotes. These can even include metrics like ACV and ARR or other such relevant KPIs .
• Testimonials and case studies from other customers. This shows the proactive customer service you offer, the voice of customers that you secure, how you consider the customer feedback , and how reliable your products, services, and business is.
• Personalize your presentation for each meeting- based on prospect’s brand color or with data specific to their market and industry or with an earlier exchange
• Last slide- which should have a call to action- directs your prospects on what they need to do now.

One of the main things you need to take care of here is not to overwhelm your slides with texts- they should rather have quick skimmable text, with supporting visuals as visuals register more in the human brain. This will also prevent information overload for your prospect.

The Product

The best way to sell a product is by your potential customers seeing them live in action. Product demonstrations hence have always been a vital part of every sales plan- wherever applicable. However, not every product would be perfectly portable. To give a demo for such products would become trickier. Here are some tips you can follow:

• In the case of a physical product, think of the perfect environment for the product’s demo that would show it at its best and do it.
• In the case of a digital product, have technology in hand to show what your product can do. For example, if it is a mobile app- make your prospects download and try it; if it is a website, show it through a projector.
• Lastly, in case your product is not portable- either because it is location-specific or because it is too big to carry around, you will have to use video for your product demo in the sales presentation.‌‌

Based on the nature of your solution and how you are doing your sales presentation, you might have to give handouts to your audience. Your handout can have a QR code from which to download the app or contact information, or sales literature. Your handouts should be simple and to the point and should be given at the end of the presentation so that while you are presenting, they are listening to you and not going through the information you gave them on the handouts.‌‌ You can use QR Code generators to create QR Codes that are dynamic and trackable.

If you are doing a sales presentation, it is quite likely that you are going as a team with two or more sales representatives. Some of the tips you can all follow for the preparation for your sales presentation are:

• Practice- To get the timing right, especially if your presentation has a lot of moving parts.
• Make sure everything is working- so as to avoid going to the meeting with a faulty presentation or a broken sample
• Decide everyone’s roles- so as to avoid on-the-spot confusion and chaos.‌‌

Some of the tips that you should incorporate during your sales presentation to nail it are:‌‌

Confident Body Language

Sales presentations often happen in person, which is why strong, relaxed, and confident body language is essential to make it seem like you know that you are going to close this deal. How you feel about your presentation is how your prospect is going to feel. Some of the things to take care of here are-

• Making and maintaining eye contact as this shows people how invested you are in what you are doing.
• Stand up straight with your shoulders pulled back. This will also have the added benefit of making you feel better than when your shoulders are hunched.
• Keep your chin up, looking straight and making eye contact rather than looking at the floor or randomly around the room.
• Have a good, firm handshake that will result in a good first impression.‌‌

Engaging Your Audience

Sales presentations are more likely to last for long, however the same is not true about your audience’s attention span. To keep them engaged throughout the duration of your sales presentation, you should consider the following:

• The two most important parts of any presentation are the beginning and the end, and hence this is where you should use your strongest material.
• Start your presentation with a brief introduction about yourself and then lead it with either a compelling story as discussed above or with a compelling demo.
• Your product features can make up the middle of your presentation as your prospects might have already researched them, and this part is less likely to be remembered well.
• Finish strong by mentioning how your product solved a problem.

Throughout your sales presentation, you can use humor if it comes naturally to you, matches your brand voice and your buyer personas . Humor will become a good way to connect with your prospects, make everyone relaxed in the room and make the presentation memorable. Lastly, because you are doing a sales presentation and not a sales pitch, it also gives you an opportunity to show off your product and make it memorable.‌‌

Like we discussed above, the sales presentation is an art and a science, and there are some companies who have done exceedingly well in their sales presentations. We will be talking about some of them in this section of the article.‌‌

The highlight of leadnomics’s sales presentation is that they were able to showcase their brand identity during it. To do so, their internet marketing agency hired a designer to create a sales deck that reflects leadnomic’s brand positioning statement through its sleek, techie designs. This meant that while the prospects got to learn about leadnomics and what it has to offer, they also came to know what it stands for as a brand. Such a sales presentation is sure to bring about positive brand awareness.

The Original Comfy

This product was made and pitched by Brian and Michael Speciale on Shark Tank in 2017. They did not have any numbers or inventory, just a big fleecy blanket/hoodie and a video of it being worn everywhere- from a beach to a couch. Their presentation got them an offer of $50,000 for 30% from Barbara Corcoran. When asked about it, she said they had a good product and utmost confidence in it. This highlights how important confidence is while doing your sales presentation.

Single Music

Single Music used icons and visuals throughout its sales deck to communicate its message. Additionally, the information that it added was worth the length of the sales deck that they had gone with- i.e., 28 slides. Through its sales deck, it showed how it allows the artists to monetize their Spotify account, showcased its diverse artist roster, its milestones, and even its key features.‌‌

In a sales deck that Richter made around 2019, it started with an introduction of the problem, followed by a value proposition and then by the solution. They provided an overview of what they have provided to their customers, who their clients are, and what results has their customer base seen. This particular sales deck hence covers all that a sales presentation should cover. Another of its highlights was also how it organized its graphics and logos in an organized and uncluttered manner.

After all that we discussed, it is time to nail your sales presentation with this guide- containing the slides you need to make and tips on how to make them. Click here to get your sales presentation guide and template to present like a pro.‌‌

Deskera is that cloud software that is equipped with meeting all your business needs. When it comes to sales, it is Deskera CRM and Deskera CRM+ that you want to rely upon especially. Deskera CRM helps in importing and managing all your contacts from one place, letting you integrate your emails with its dashboard. You can even automate email marketing, get reminders for sending invoices and set up your schedule.‌‌

Through its dashboard, it will also help you track your deals, monitor sales , and even different KPIs like marketing KPIs . One of the added benefits of Deskera CRM is that it has made the digitization of customer service easier. Additionally, because you can plan your entire team’s work on this software, it increases efficiency and helps in managing workplace stress.‌‌

When it comes to Deskera CRM+, it helps in lead management by allowing to build funnels to convert visitors to leads to paying customers. To do so, you can either select any of the high conversion funnel templates or create from scratch.

Funnels should be created for every marketing campaign like social media marketing , landing pages , performance marketing , and content marketing to test their effectiveness. The funnel dashboard will also help you in measuring the performance KPIs.‌‌

Additionally, you would also be able to automate daily tasks like drip email campaigns, where you would also be able to choose from email marketing templates, choose a target segment, and then track their performance across it.

Through Deskera CRM+, you would be able to segment your leads such that later they get personalized campaigns based on their segment. Such a personalized approach would also help in increasing customer retention, encourage returning customers , and even increase customer loyalty.‌‌

So, with deals being closed faster and more efficiently, your financial statement ’s health will improve as well- hence bringing forward a bright future for your business.‌‌

While it is safer to keep your sales presentation simple and predictable by keeping it about a sales deck and a speech, such a sales presentation would not be a showstopper.

For your sales presentation to make its impact and result in favorable buying decisions- your sales presentation needs to be unique and unforgettable. To ensure this,

• Have a confident body language
• Engage your audience

Use varied combinations of sales presentation techniques based on what suits your audience and business the best. The techniques you can choose from are:

• Using Your Competitor’s Strength in Your Favour
• Talk About Your Competitors Early On‌‌

When using these techniques, always remember to engage in storytelling. As humans, we have a deeper connection to and understanding of stories. When carried out nicely, this will keep your prospects engaged and make them do business with you. Also, make a point of taking questions and follow-ups after your sales presentation.‌‌

What helps in this entire process are the insights as provided by the Deskera CRM and Deskera CRM+ dashboard that helps you understand your prospects better.

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Sales presentation definition

• Written by: Joby Blume
• Categories: Sales presentations , Sales messaging
• Comments: 3

A presentation is a talk in which a ‘product, idea, or piece of work is shown and explained to the audience’ (Oxford English Dictionary), often including a ‘verbal report presented with illustrative material such as slides, graphs, etc.’ (Collins Dictionary). So, how can we define the related term ‘sales presentation’?

There are a few popular definitions (in virtue of where they are) out there that I think we can quickly reject. Wikipedia (and so Google) defines a sales presentation as:

A line of talk that attempts to persuade someone or something, with a planned sales presentation strategy of a product or service designed to initiate and close a sale of the product or service.

I’m fairly sure the first rule of definitions is that they can’t be tautologies (circular), so the use of ‘sales presentation’ in the definition is a problem. Does a sales presentation need to be planned? Maybe not. Does it need to be designed to ‘initiate and close a sale’ – maybe not – it could sit in the middle of a sales process, and be designed simply to advance the sale to the next stage. Would a telephone call count? By this definition, it might.

The Business Dictionary gives its definition of sales presentation as:

Formal and pre-arranged meeting, usually at a customer’s place (or at a neutral premises, such as a hotel) where a salesperson or a sales team presents detailed information (often including live demonstration) about a product or product-line.

I think there’s plenty to dislike here. ‘Formal and pre-arranged’ – maybe, but not necessarily. Location is probably irrelevant for the definition – a sales presentation could happen anywhere. Even ‘about a product or product-line’ unnecessarily excludes presentations about services or service-lines.

The best definition of sales presentation I could find online was from the Cambridge Dictionary :

A talk giving information about a product or service that you are trying to sell, intended to persuade people to buy it.

There is one small issue with this definition – but I think it’s closer to the mark. As per the Collins dictionary above, a presentation contains illustrative material – otherwise it’s just a speech or a talk or simply a conversation. As a minor point, it could be that the phrase ‘giving information’ is superfluous – the definition works just as well without it.

I think the narrow focus in the Cambridge Dictionary definition on a commercial transaction – ‘trying to sell’ … ‘persuade people to buy it’ – is probably correct. Many presentations attempt to persuade people about ideas, or how to vote, or religion. These presentations are similar to sales presentations, but my sense is that they aren’t sales presentations. A TED Talk may well want to persuade the audience to change the world, change themselves – but I don’t think that makes it a sales presentation in the way that people typically understand the term, because we aren’t selling in the commercial sense.

It’s worth noting that the Cambridge Dictionary definition doesn’t specify that the people you are persuading to buy your product or service are actually those you are presenting to. This is important because often sales presentations are mediated through the press – consider gadget launches for the most obvious example. I think these launches are a type of sales presentation, although the people being persuaded to buy aren’t in the audience, but at home.

Trying to refine our definition becomes more difficult when we consider investor presentations. Are we selling something? Yes – a stake in a company or other investment vehicle. Do we typically consider an investor presentation to be a sales presentation? Your sense may be different, but I think not. It’s something else – because we aren’t selling a product or service, but an investment opportunity.

So, based on all of the above, I think our sales presentation definition should be as follows:

A talk promoting to an audience a product or service that you are trying to sell, including illustrative material such as slides, graphs, etc.

I originally had the phrase ‘intended to persuade people to buy the product or service’ in the middle of the definition, but removed it because it was superfluous, as ‘promoting’ and ‘trying to sell’ already said the same thing. What do you think?

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9 sales pitch lessons from exhibitions and tradeshows

We exhibited at a large trade exhibition a couple of weeks ago, and I went along to see what other vendors are up to. A lot of exhibitions are a desolate wasteland for exhibitors with nothing but tumbleweed and other vendors to stop the boredom. This show was actually pretty busy though, and by walking around l think I managed to notice things companies were doing (right and wrong). Some of these observations are surprisingly apt for sales presentations too...

Hi, Very interesting Post. We are a translation company and we are eager to find anything new. Thank you.

Good meaning of sales presentation I want more definitions

Sales presentations are a structured communication tool used to influence a purchase decision. They contain two main components: a spoken narrative, given by the presenter or presentation team, and the supporting visuals.

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Sales Presentation - Meaning, Importance & Steps

What is sales presentation.

Sales presentation is the concerned talk which attempts to persuade a stakeholder or a customer to initiate and close a sale of the service or product through a showcase of capabilities, features, price etc. Sales presentation is usually designed to be either an introduction of a service or product to some particular audience who generally knows nothing about it, or a descriptive expansion of a service or product which that particular audience has expressed interest in it, already.

Advance planning can make all the difference for a sales presentation. The sales presentation should be in line with the needs of the clients and for that, it is very important to know who the audience is before making the sales presentation.

Importance of Sales Presentation

Sales presentations are mostly the first step in the selling process or the sales cycle, hence become extremely important. A successful sales presentation is followed by a proposal, quote or an order stage which leads to revenue and profit for a business.

Not all sales presentations are meant to make an immediate sale. The objective might be to create interest in the involved parties. Establishing the overall message that one wants the presentation to get across is very crucial. The structure and time consumed for presentation is also very important.

It is always advisable to make the sales presentation flexible in case a particular point doesn’t work out or one runs out of time. The sales presentations are meant to be interactive and not one way delivery. For people with lower attention span, it is important for the sales presentation to be effective to grab and retain their interest. For that, the sales presentation need to be catchy in the beginning only.

• Sales Quota
• Sales Management
• Sales Potential
• Sales Orientation
• Sales Control

10 Steps to make a good Sales Presentation

1. Keep the sales presentation to the point.

2. Start well with the agenda

3. Good Sales Presentation clearly defines the problem statement or the customer's ask

4. Give the solution and recommendations after defining the problem statement

5. A well made sales presentation is not open ended but talks about the plan with timelines and value

6. Provide key contacts for future

7. Make sure that business, technology and management teams in your target audience understand the offering

8. Provide past references and similar work which was done in form of case studies

9. Showcase your capabilities in the sales presentation

10. Make sure you have understood the storyline well and practice well before the presentation

Hence, this concludes the definition of Sales Presentation along with its overview.

This article has been researched & authored by the Business Concepts Team which comprises of MBA students, management professionals, and industry experts. It has been reviewed & published by the MBA Skool Team . The content on MBA Skool has been created for educational & academic purpose only.

Browse the definition and meaning of more similar terms. The Management Dictionary covers over 1800 business concepts from 5 categories.

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What is a Presentation? Definition and examples

A presentation involves talking in front of a group of people to explain an idea, system, process, recent performance, forecast, or other topic. The person who does the explaining is the presenter and may use visual aids to help convey his or her message more effectively.

Moscow State Technical University has the following definition of the term:

“A presentation is a formal talk to one or more persons that “presents” ideas or information in a clear, structured way. All presentations have a common objective: they are given in order to inform, train, persuade or sell”

An event with prizes or awards

The term may also refer to an event in which qualifications, prizes, or awards are formally given to people who have achieved or won them. Somebody in an office might say, for example: “Harold is retiring next week. There will be a small presentation tomorrow.”

This means that Harold’s colleagues and bosses will be there to celebrate his retirement, thank him for his good work, and possibly give him a goodbye present. Typically, in this kind of event, there are drinks and food.

Presentation of a product

In the retail business , the term refers to how a product is presented to customers, consumers, and prospects. A prospect is somebody who might well turn into a paying customer.

For example, in supermarkets, donuts and croissants are typically presented in attractive boxes to make them more desirable and enticing. Marketing and merchandising professionals often say : “When selling something, presentation is everything.”

If you are selling your home, you need to make it as attractive as possible for possible buyers. Perhaps you will paint the walls, get a gardener, and maybe redecorate the hall. A good presentation can help speed up the sale.

This article focuses on the meaning of the term when it refers to presenting information to an audience.

An effective presentation

To be effective, presenters must make the best use of their relationship with their audience. It is crucial to know the audience members well, including their needs, if you want to capture their interest and develop their understanding and cooperation.

The University of Leicester says the following about effective presenters:

“An effective presentation makes the best use of the relationship between the presenter and the audience . It takes full consideration of the audience’s needs in order to capture their interest, develop their understanding, inspire their confidence and achieve the presenter’s objectives.”

Here are some suggestions that will help you deliver effective presentations:

If you are passionate about your topic, your audience will notice and are much more likely to feel a connection with you.

The world’s best presenters all say that it is crucial to connect with members of the audience. The best way to do this is with passion.

What are their needs?

People have come to watch and listen to you to satisfy their needs, rather than to find out how much you know. Before you even start preparing your presentation, you must find out what their needs are.

SKILLSYOUNEED says the following regarding what you know and your audience’s needs :

“As you prepare the presentation, you always need to bear in mind what the audience needs and wants to know, not what you can tell them.”

Preparation

The best presenters in the world make sure they have prepared thoroughly for each event. Just like a good play requires rehearsals, so does presenting information or ideas to a group of people.

If you can, practice on somebody or a small group of people. Perhaps the only volunteers you can find are members of your household. That’s fine; practice on them and ask for feedback.

If you talk too fast or keep scratching your head, you will probably not be aware, but other people will. It is best to find that out beforehand.

There are literally dozens of other components of a good presentation, such as:

• Having a strong opening.
• Editing your script ruthlessly.
• Using visual aids appropriately.
• Being yourself.
• Creating a structure that is easy to follow.
• Making eye contact.
• Distributing your eye contact equally.
• Keeping it simple.
• Projecting your voice effectively.
• Body language.
• Breathing properly.

Above all, make sure you enjoy it. If you don’t, your audience will soon realize, which is the kiss of death as far as presentations are concerned.

If you are ambitious regarding your career, eventually you will have to present to audiences. C-level executives, for example, have to do it all the time . A C-level executive is a top corporate officer in a business, such as a CEO, CIO, CFO, i.e., an executive whose job title begins with the letter ‘C’.

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20 Free PowerPoint and Google Slides Templates for Data Presentations

Presenting the results of your data analysis need not be a hair pulling experience. These 20 free PowerPoint and Google Slides templates for data presentations will help you cut down your preparation time significantly. You’ll be able to focus on what matters most – ensuring the integrity of your data and its analysis. We’ll take care of the design end for you!

That said, I’ve divided this article into 2 sections. In the first part, I’ll share the PowerPoint templates. And in the second part, the Google Slides templates. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, yes, you can use a PowerPoint template in Google Slides and vice versa .

PowerPoint Templates For Your Data Presentations

• Playful Venn Diagram PowerPoint Template

Venn diagrams are great when it comes to showing the similarities and differences between 2 or more data sets. Just by looking at the diagram, your audience can tell if there’s anything common between data sets A and B. Or if there’s a relationship between data sets B and C.

Likewise, if you want to emphasize the differences between data sets, Venn diagrams are great for that purpose, too. Now, for this template pack, you’ve got 10 slides to choose from. You don’t need to use all of them for your presentation, simply pick one or two that does the job for you.

• Graph, Diagram & Data Sheet PowerPoint Template

There’s a reason why graphs and diagrams are so important in presentations. It’s because they make complex data look so much more understandable. Can you imagine copy and pasting all 1,000 rows of data on your slides? And then expecting your audience to understand what all those numbers mean?

Some geeks in your audience may love the challenge, but for the most part, normal people are going to hate your presentation. Fortunately, this 6-slide template pack will help simplify your job. And make it so much easier for your audience to understand the results of your data analysis!

• Cockpit Chart Presentation Template

If you’re giving a high-level presentation to decision-makers who need hard data and proper analysis, then this free template pack may be what you’re looking for. Each of the 9 slides included in this pack all include a number of charts and diagrams.

By default, text has been kept to a minimum, so there’s nothing to read off the slides. You can verbally explain what the graphs and diagrams mean. And perhaps, if the situation calls for it, you can share your recommended or suggested course of action for your stakeholders and decision-makers.

• Generic Data Driven PowerPoint Template

The best templates for data presentations will make your data come to life. This is where this 6-slide template pack comes in. It’s not only designed to make your data more understandable. But the good thing is, you can use this template for many different kinds of presentations. Whether you’re doing a presentation for a job interview, or a sales presentation, or even an academic one, this template can do the job.

If you want to make the slides look even more unique, you can quickly replace the background photo of the laptop. Then try using something that is more relevant to the type of presentation you’re doing. Slides include a pie chart slide, line chart with comments slide (this is the one in the screenshot above), and an overall statistics slide.

• Matrix Chart PowerPoint Template

The matrix chart looks simple enough. You’ve got rows and columns, pretty much like any regular table. But it’s more than just a table. A matrix chart allows you to compare and analyze different sets of data. You can use it to prove certain data sets are related. Plus, you can even show the strength of that relationship.

This template pack comes in 10 slides. In addition to the basic matrix slide shown above, this pack also include slides like the probability and impact matrix chart slide as well as the table-like matrix chart slide.

• Stair Diagram PowerPoint Template

Just like its namesake, stair diagrams are great for showing a series of steps or progression. You can use good, old-fashioned bullet points, but it’s not going to be much fun. You’ve got 10 different stair diagrams to choose from in this template; the screenshot above shows a steps stair diagram .

Now, most of the diagrams we’ve designed have room for 4 or 5 steps. So, if you need more you can always add an extra step on the same slide. Or you can copy and paste to a new slide and just update the numbers.

Stair diagrams are pretty versatile. You can use them to present how certain processes work, describe a project workflow for maximum productivity, or use it to showcase certain structures in the company.

• Tables PowerPoint Template

Tables have been around for a long time. And it doesn’t look like it’s going to go out of ‘fashion’ soon. Quite the opposite, in fact. As you may have noticed, many of the charts and diagrams included in various templates in this article are based off of tables.

That said, this template pack is also quite unique as well. In addition to the normal-looking table slide shown above, our designers have also made it a point to come up with innovative ways to display tables for your presentations.

For instance, sample slides include a subscription slide, table with symbols slide, and a matrix organization structure table slide. Check out this template right away and see which table slides will look best for your presentation!

• Flow Chart PowerPoint Template

Flowcharts are extremely useful for documenting certain company procedures. You can even use it to present the hierarchy in the company, and who’s responsible for certain tasks. Instead of verbally discussing processes, why not try using a flowchart? You don’t need to design one from scratch either. You can just download this template pack and customize it according to your needs.

The good news is you have 10 different flowchart slides to choose from. Now, if you need to change the shapes to indicate certain steps and decisions, you can quickly do so in PowerPoint.

• Financial Pie Graphs PowerPoint Templates

Whether you’re presenting in front of the higher-ups in your company or potential investors for your startup, these financial pie charts will help you get your point across. With a few clicks you can customize these pie charts and make it your own.

Your audience can quickly analyze the charts and see which departments or products are profitable. In addition to the percentages shown on the slide, you can also add a short description about your financial metrics.

This template pack has 3 slides included. These are ring pie chart slide, financial pie charts for comparison slide (shown above), and the doughnut pie chart slide.

• Research & Development Data Templates

Any startup worth their salt will have a research and development process or team in place. These things are no joke – product development can take years and cost millions of dollars! External funding is often needed to sustain the R&D process.

This is where this template pack comes in. When you present to potential investors, you want to make it as succinct as possible. So, get directly to the point and show them the slides in this template pack.

Now, design is just a small part of the overall presentation. It’s your passion in the product and your ability to persuade potential investors that will ultimately lead you to success!

• Sales Report Presentation Template

Our list of templates for data presentations won’t be complete without a sales report template. As you can see, this template is great for in-house sales reports. This pack includes a vertical bar chart slide, marketing funnel slide (pictured), and a sales associate slide.

The vertical bar chart slide is great for keeping track of your team’s sales or cash flow. The marketing funnel slide, on the other hand, can help educate the team on how a marketing funnel works and which stages they should focus on.

Lastly, the sales associate slide can be used to introduce the most successful person in the team. This will definitely help boost his or her self-esteem and encourage others to do better next time!

• Data Driven Financial Templates

This 11-slide template pack is chock-full of charts and diagrams. The slides have been designed this way because it’s targeted for high-stakes financial presentations. For presentations that talk about money, you need to support your statements with cold, hard facts. And you need to do that in a professional manner.

This template will not let you down. From the design to the types of graphs we’ve included in the slides, this will suffice for most financial presentations. So, what are you waiting for? Check out the template pack right away!

• Block Chain Data PowerPoint Template

Cryptocurrency and blockchain are all the rage nowadays. A lot of people became millionaires – literally – overnight, but many more gambled and lost their entire life savings!

Blockchain technology is practically still in infancy. Sharing what you know about it isn’t exactly a walk in the park either. To help your audience understand the complexities of blockchain technology, use this template pack. It’s got all the slides you need to inform and educate your audience about the wonderful world of blockchain technology.

Google Slides Templates For Your Data Presentations

• Google Slides Life-cycle Diagram Template

A product’s life cycle is predictable. It starts with the introduction to the market, to product growth and maturity, and eventually, its decline. And it’s important to identify these stages because each has a direct influence on the company’s marketing activities and pricing.

This template pack will not only help you identify the stages. It will also help you assure your stakeholders and potential investors that you’ve done your research. And you’ll do whatever it takes to ensure the product’s success and, of course, profitability.

• Google Slides Playful Pie Chart Template

Unlike the other pie charts I’ve featured in this article, this one is going to be easy to use. First of all, there’s no need to download the template to your computer. All you have to do is just register an account on our Template Hub, and then create a copy of the template in Google Slides. As you can imagine, editing it is going to be a breeze as well. You’ve got 10 pie chart slides to choose from. Pick the ones that will help you get your message across, edit, and present (or publish)!

• Google Slides Dashboard Template

As you can see in the screenshot above, a dashboard slide will basically tell your audience everything they need to know in just a single slide. You can stretch the content out, and use one slide for each chart. But it’s not going to be dashboard style anymore if you do this.

Dashboard template slides are great for elevator pitches. Your prospects most likely don’t have a lot of free time. And you certainly don’t want to waste their time as doing so will leave a bad taste in their mouth. A dashboard-style presentation, however, will pique their curiosity and improve the likelihood that they’ll agree to a second meeting with you!

• Google Slides Waterfall Diagram Template

Waterfall charts are great for financial presentations. You can easily show which elements or categories gained or lost over a certain period of time. It can even be used to demonstrate changes in cash flow or your company’s performance in the stock market. This template pack has a total of 10 slides. This includes the waterfall performance comparison slide (pictured), waterfall flowchart diagram, and the project timeline slide.

• Google Slides Playful Data Driven Template

You may be thinking that templates for data presentations should be serious-looking. Well, that may be the norm, but it doesn’t mean your audience won’t appreciate a change of scenery!

This 10-slide playful-looking template packs a lot of punch. You can use this for a wide variety of presentations as it includes a lot of different charts and graphs you can use to share the results of your data analysis. There’s a bar graph, radar chart, waterfall statistics chart, a treemap, and more! Login to your Template Hub account to use this free Google Slides template!

• Google Slides Circle Diagram Template

The circle diagram template pack features 10 different kinds of circle charts. From pie charts, timelines, and cyclical processes to Venn diagrams, this versatile template can be used in all types of presentations. The color theme used is playful, and at the same time, professional, so you can be sure it will appeal to a wide audience. Some of the slides include a circle tracker diagram, project management chart, and a life cycle slide.

• Google Slides Creative Data Driven Financial Chart Template

Number crunchers will love the clean design on this 9-slide template pack. Getting your audience to understand your financial presentation is going to be a breeze using this template. There’s plenty of white space, and the graphics themselves are easy on the eyes. It’s your job as presenter, however, to explain what all these charts mean. So, once you’ve replaced the placeholder content with your own, you better start practicing your presentation speech!

What are your favorites templates so far?

I hope these 20 free PowerPoint and Google Slides template for data presentations have helped you out. Presentation design is important, but it pales in comparison to the message you want to share with your audience. As visual aids, we’ve designed these templates to be attractive while still maintaining a professional and trustworthy design. So, go ahead and download your favorite templates for your next data presentation!

You might also find this interesting:   Google Slides Review: Is It Better Than PowerPoint?

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MoSCoW Prioritization

What is moscow prioritization.

MoSCoW prioritization, also known as the MoSCoW method or MoSCoW analysis, is a popular prioritization technique for managing requirements. 

  The acronym MoSCoW represents four categories of initiatives: must-have, should-have, could-have, and won’t-have, or will not have right now. Some companies also use the “W” in MoSCoW to mean “wish.”

What is the History of the MoSCoW Method?

Software development expert Dai Clegg created the MoSCoW method while working at Oracle. He designed the framework to help his team prioritize tasks during development work on product releases.

You can find a detailed account of using MoSCoW prioritization in the Dynamic System Development Method (DSDM) handbook . But because MoSCoW can prioritize tasks within any time-boxed project, teams have adapted the method for a broad range of uses.

How Does MoSCoW Prioritization Work?

Before running a MoSCoW analysis, a few things need to happen. First, key stakeholders and the product team need to get aligned on objectives and prioritization factors. Then, all participants must agree on which initiatives to prioritize.

At this point, your team should also discuss how they will settle any disagreements in prioritization. If you can establish how to resolve disputes before they come up, you can help prevent those disagreements from holding up progress.

Finally, you’ll also want to reach a consensus on what percentage of resources you’d like to allocate to each category.

With the groundwork complete, you may begin determining which category is most appropriate for each initiative. But, first, let’s further break down each category in the MoSCoW method.

Start prioritizing your roadmap

Moscow prioritization categories.

1. Must-have initiatives

As the name suggests, this category consists of initiatives that are “musts” for your team. They represent non-negotiable needs for the project, product, or release in question. For example, if you’re releasing a healthcare application, a must-have initiative may be security functionalities that help maintain compliance.

The “must-have” category requires the team to complete a mandatory task. If you’re unsure about whether something belongs in this category, ask yourself the following.

If the product won’t work without an initiative, or the release becomes useless without it, the initiative is most likely a “must-have.”

2. Should-have initiatives

Should-have initiatives are just a step below must-haves. They are essential to the product, project, or release, but they are not vital. If left out, the product or project still functions. However, the initiatives may add significant value.

“Should-have” initiatives are different from “must-have” initiatives in that they can get scheduled for a future release without impacting the current one. For example, performance improvements, minor bug fixes, or new functionality may be “should-have” initiatives. Without them, the product still works.

3. Could-have initiatives

Another way of describing “could-have” initiatives is nice-to-haves. “Could-have” initiatives are not necessary to the core function of the product. However, compared with “should-have” initiatives, they have a much smaller impact on the outcome if left out.

So, initiatives placed in the “could-have” category are often the first to be deprioritized if a project in the “should-have” or “must-have” category ends up larger than expected.

4. Will not have (this time)

One benefit of the MoSCoW method is that it places several initiatives in the “will-not-have” category. The category can manage expectations about what the team will not include in a specific release (or another timeframe you’re prioritizing).

Placing initiatives in the “will-not-have” category is one way to help prevent scope creep . If initiatives are in this category, the team knows they are not a priority for this specific time frame. 

Some initiatives in the “will-not-have” group will be prioritized in the future, while others are not likely to happen. Some teams decide to differentiate between those by creating a subcategory within this group.

How Can Development Teams Use MoSCoW?

  Although Dai Clegg developed the approach to help prioritize tasks around his team’s limited time, the MoSCoW method also works when a development team faces limitations other than time. For example: 

Prioritize based on budgetary constraints.

What if a development team’s limiting factor is not a deadline but a tight budget imposed by the company? Working with the product managers, the team can use MoSCoW first to decide on the initiatives that represent must-haves and the should-haves. Then, using the development department’s budget as the guide, the team can figure out which items they can complete. 

Prioritize based on the team’s skillsets.

A cross-functional product team might also find itself constrained by the experience and expertise of its developers. If the product roadmap calls for functionality the team does not have the skills to build, this limiting factor will play into scoring those items in their MoSCoW analysis.

Prioritize based on competing needs at the company.

Cross-functional teams can also find themselves constrained by other company priorities. The team wants to make progress on a new product release, but the executive staff has created tight deadlines for further releases in the same timeframe. In this case, the team can use MoSCoW to determine which aspects of their desired release represent must-haves and temporarily backlog everything else.

What Are the Drawbacks of MoSCoW Prioritization?

  Although many product and development teams have prioritized MoSCoW, the approach has potential pitfalls. Here are a few examples.

1. An inconsistent scoring process can lead to tasks placed in the wrong categories.

  One common criticism against MoSCoW is that it does not include an objective methodology for ranking initiatives against each other. Your team will need to bring this methodology to your analysis. The MoSCoW approach works only to ensure that your team applies a consistent scoring system for all initiatives.

Pro tip: One proven method is weighted scoring, where your team measures each initiative on your backlog against a standard set of cost and benefit criteria. You can use the weighted scoring approach in ProductPlan’s roadmap app .

2. Not including all relevant stakeholders can lead to items placed in the wrong categories.

To know which of your team’s initiatives represent must-haves for your product and which are merely should-haves, you will need as much context as possible.

For example, you might need someone from your sales team to let you know how important (or unimportant) prospective buyers view a proposed new feature.

One pitfall of the MoSCoW method is that you could make poor decisions about where to slot each initiative unless your team receives input from all relevant stakeholders. 

3. Team bias for (or against) initiatives can undermine MoSCoW’s effectiveness.

Because MoSCoW does not include an objective scoring method, your team members can fall victim to their own opinions about certain initiatives. 

One risk of using MoSCoW prioritization is that a team can mistakenly think MoSCoW itself represents an objective way of measuring the items on their list. They discuss an initiative, agree that it is a “should have,” and move on to the next.

But your team will also need an objective and consistent framework for ranking all initiatives. That is the only way to minimize your team’s biases in favor of items or against them.

When Do You Use the MoSCoW Method for Prioritization?

MoSCoW prioritization is effective for teams that want to include representatives from the whole organization in their process. You can capture a broader perspective by involving participants from various functional departments.

Another reason you may want to use MoSCoW prioritization is it allows your team to determine how much effort goes into each category. Therefore, you can ensure you’re delivering a good variety of initiatives in each release.

What Are Best Practices for Using MoSCoW Prioritization?

If you’re considering giving MoSCoW prioritization a try, here are a few steps to keep in mind. Incorporating these into your process will help your team gain more value from the MoSCoW method.

1. Choose an objective ranking or scoring system.

Remember, MoSCoW helps your team group items into the appropriate buckets—from must-have items down to your longer-term wish list. But MoSCoW itself doesn’t help you determine which item belongs in which category.

You will need a separate ranking methodology. You can choose from many, such as:

• Weighted scoring
• Value vs. complexity
• Buy-a-feature
• Opportunity scoring

For help finding the best scoring methodology for your team, check out ProductPlan’s article: 7 strategies to choose the best features for your product .

2. Seek input from all key stakeholders.

To make sure you’re placing each initiative into the right bucket—must-have, should-have, could-have, or won’t-have—your team needs context. 

At the beginning of your MoSCoW method, your team should consider which stakeholders can provide valuable context and insights. Sales? Customer success? The executive staff? Product managers in another area of your business? Include them in your initiative scoring process if you think they can help you see opportunities or threats your team might miss. 

3. Share your MoSCoW process across your organization.

MoSCoW gives your team a tangible way to show your organization prioritizing initiatives for your products or projects. 

The method can help you build company-wide consensus for your work, or at least help you show stakeholders why you made the decisions you did.

Communicating your team’s prioritization strategy also helps you set expectations across the business. When they see your methodology for choosing one initiative over another, stakeholders in other departments will understand that your team has thought through and weighed all decisions you’ve made. 

If any stakeholders have an issue with one of your decisions, they will understand that they can’t simply complain—they’ll need to present you with evidence to alter your course of action.  

Related Terms

2×2 prioritization matrix / Eisenhower matrix / DACI decision-making framework / ICE scoring model / RICE scoring model

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Analysis: Russian Oil Is Still Paying for Putin’s War

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Russian Oil Is Still Paying for Putin’s War

After initial success, western energy sanctions are stalling out., russia’s war in ukraine.

Understanding the conflict two years on.

More on this topic

Almost two and half years into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Moscow’s war machine still runs on energy revenues—despite unprecedented Western sanctions that took a bite out of, but hardly battered, the Kremlin’s cash cow.

Russian exports of oil, natural gas, and coal continue apace with their biggest markets in Asia, especially China and India. Even Europe, which has largely sworn off Russian gas since the invasion, is stealthily buying a lot more of the stuff off tankers to meet its own energy needs, indirectly helping finance the invader that it spends so much time, energy, and money trying to combat. 

Russian energy export revenues before the war were about 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) a day, and the whole gamut of sanctions had brought that down to about 660 million euros ($720 million) by this June—but those levels have stayed remarkably steady for the past 18 months. Russia recorded a rare current accounts surplus just last month, a sign of that export health. The sanctions battle, like the war itself, seems to have stalemated.

“The glass is neither half full, nor half empty. The sanctions are working, but not as well as we expected,” said Petras Katinas, an energy analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).

Some aspects of Russia’s energy exports have fallen off a cliff, such as its exports of natural gas via pipelines, which have all but disappeared from the lucrative European market. But the country’s exports of oil and refined oil products, which make up the biggest chunk of its sales, have stayed essentially the same after an initial hit in the first months after the introduction of Western sanctions, and state earnings even crept a little higher thanks to a rise in global oil prices.

The main Western effort to curb Russian energy earnings was a balancing act meant to keep the global market supplied while limiting the Kremlin’s take by capping Russian oil sales at $60 a barrel. Some countries wanted an even lower price cap of about $30 a barrel to really cut Moscow’s earnings, but that idea—as demonstrated when Ukraine floated it again this spring—was politically and diplomatically a lot tougher. 

Still, the original price cap worked great at first, until Russia—with a little help from its friends in OPEC—goosed the global price of oil higher, which dragged the price of discounted Russian oil above the cap as well. That’s pretty much where it has been for the past year.

More importantly, Russia has found a reliable way to sidestep that formal limit on its crude oil exports by using a fleet of so-called shadow tankers that don’t have to follow Western restrictions on insurance, safety, and the like. About 4 out of every 5 barrels of seaborne crude that Russia sells are now carried on shadow tankers, Katinas said, meaning that they are entirely outside the reach of Western measures. (Those shadow tankers aren’t beyond the reach of the Iran-backed Houthi insurgents in Yemen , though: One got blown up trying to take Russian oil to China this week.)

“The strategy was good, but the tactics were poor—there was little enforcement,” Katinas said.

The United States cracked down on part of that trade a couple of times— late last year on shadow tankers and earlier this year on Russian state-owned vessels— by sanctioning individual tankers; CREA estimates that tougher enforcement probably cost Russia about 5 percent   of its oil export revenues since October 2023. But there is still a long way to go to ensure thorough enforcement of the existing limits on Russian oil trade: Full enforcement would have kept almost 20 billion euros ($21.8 billion) out of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s coffers, CREA estimates. 

The Biden administration has toyed with additional efforts to tighten the screws on the shadow fleet, but it worries that stricter measures might send oil (and gasoline) prices higher just in time for a pivotal U.S. presidential election in November.

But there is a way to get there without causing much pain, if any, for global energy consumers, argue global economy experts Robin Brooks and Ben Harris of the Brookings Institution. There remain some 100-odd unsanctioned ships in the Sovcomflot state-owned fleet that are doing heavy lifting for Russian oil exports. Targeted sanctions on just 15 of the busiest of those tankers would cut into a good-sized chunk of Russia’s oil export earnings with little market impact. “With such a process in place, we anticipate little to no impact on global oil prices but suspect the action will meaningfully lower Russia’s revenue from the oil trade,” they wrote.

But it’s not just oil. Russian natural gas exports are not dead yet , either, despite lots of pain for state-owned energy company Gazprom and plenty of crowing in Europe about largely weaning itself off of what used to be its biggest energy supplier. Some European countries, including Hungary , Austria , and Slovakia , are still heavily reliant on the remnants of Russian gas that arrive via Ukraine or Turkey, for reasons that range from the geographic to the political. 

What’s amazing about the sharp decline in exports of Russian natural gas to what was formerly the nation’s biggest market is that Russian natural gas is not sanctioned in Europe at all, yet it has suffered the most of all of Moscow’s energy streams.

“Gas is not sanctioned; it was the stupidity of Putin” that drove the Europeans off of it, Katinas said.

But this year, Russian gas is sneaking back into Europe in liquefied form, supercooled and shipped on tankers rather than compressed and routed through pipelines. European Union imports of Russian liquefied natural gas, or LNG, are up 24 percent over past year, especially to big Western European countries such as France, Spain, and Belgium; the bloc buys half of all Russian LNG exports. 

There are plenty of reasons why—Spain’s main suppliers in North Africa have their own geopolitical squabbles that have disrupted exports , long-term contracts with Russia essentially lock in some European buyers for years, and Russian gas is nearby and fairly cheap compared to alternatives—but the biggest reason is simply concern over the security of supplies.

“There was lots of talk even last year about banning LNG imports, but then what prevailed were the fears about the implications for the security of supply,” said Anne-Sophie Corbeau, a gas expert at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. The trickle of Russian gas that still comes in through Ukraine will end later this year; Turkey, despite offers to do more, can hardly export significantly more gas to southern Europe since it isn’t a gas producer itself. And Europeans remember the shock and pain of the war’s first winter, when energy prices skyrocketed due to the upheavals in the gas market.

Last month, the European Union finally took its first step to deal with Russian LNG—not by banning the import of the fuel, but by making sure that European ports would not be waystations for Russian exports to Asia. That measure won’t even start until early next year. And there certainly won’t be any further EU efforts to target Russian gas this year, with Hungary at the helm of the rotating presidency of the EU council.

“We are not actually banning imports, but preventing other countries from getting Russian LNG,” Corbeau said. “It makes life more difficult for Russia’s Asia exports, but does nothing to keep LNG out of Europe.”

The good news, such as it is, is that LNG isn’t quite the cash cow for the Russian government that other energy sources are. Oil is sold in huge volumes and is taxed; pipeline gas, too, helps prop up the federal budget. But LNG has all sorts of tax breaks that mean much less of that Western money goes straight to the Ukrainian battlefront. In terms of how to target Russian energy earnings, Corbeau said, “first oil, then piped gas, then finally LNG.”

The bad news is that despite years of unprecedented sanctions on one of the world’s biggest energy providers, Russia’s cash machine is still working enough to continue underwriting the war. The relatively limited success in the battle against the country’s energy sector is mirrored by similar failings in cracking down on Russian trade in all sorts of other things, from Western machinery routed through Central Asia to the high-tech Chinese-made components needed for the war. 

“We are not doing enough. We need to strengthen sanctions—we need to start enforcing sanctions, and start punishing companies that are violating them,” said Katinas. “There are just too many loopholes.”

Keith Johnson is a reporter at  Foreign Policy  covering geoeconomics and energy. Twitter:  @KFJ_FP

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Russia's weakened energy trade and lost access to the dollar will spark a severe recession within a year, a top economist says

• Russia's economy risks a deep recession within the next year, according to a UC Berkeley economist.
• The nation is seeing its energy revenues wane while losing access to the US dollar.
• That could hit Russia's finances and further isolate Moscow from the global economy.

Vladimir Putin's claims that Russia's economy is doing just fine may soon be hard to back up.

According to UC Berkeley economist Yuriy Gorodnichenko, the nation's economy is in deep trouble and is set to enter a damaging recession within a year.

That's mainly because Russia is losing two things its economy desperately needs, he told Business Insider — a robust energy trade and a steady flow of US dollars.

Moscow's economy is extremely dependent on petrodollars, or dollars obtained through the oil and gas trade, Gorodnichenko said. Yet, with Russia's energy flows upended by sanctions, it's unclear if sales to friendly nations will be enough to prop up the Kremlin's hefty war budget — or if Russia will have enough access to dollars to readily import all the goods and resources its economy needs to function, he said.

That could put Russia's economy on the fast track to a recession in the next 12 months, Gorodnichenko predicted.

"If they have to finance the war and they don't have this resource, it's not clear where they will raise this money," he added. "I predict they're going to face a very serious recession."

Withering energy empire

The energy trade is Russia's biggest money maker. However — thanks, in part, to Western sanctions — Moscow's oil and gas business has suffered over the last year, with sales plunging 24% to a three-year-low in 2023.

That decline is a big financial problem for the Kremlin. Its war against Ukraine is growing more costly, with the government signing a record military budget for 2024. The nation is set to rack up a deficit of 1.59 trillion rubles, or around $18 billion this year, according to the current exchange rate.

"You do a back-of-the-envelope calculation, and you very quickly realize that if Russia doesn't have petrodollars, they're going to face a very difficult problem," Gorodnichenko said.

Declining oil sales mean Russia is losing access to the US dollar, as crude transactions are primarily conducted with the greenback.

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A smaller pool of dollars to transact with could isolate Russia further from the global economy, given the US currency is the backbone of global trade. The dollar accounted for one side in 88% of all foreign transactions in April 2022, far more than any other currency, according to the latest data from the Bank for International Settlements.

Putin has played up Russia's independence from the US and its currency, moving to de-dollarize trade and create alternative payment systems with its allies. But those actions are only pushing the nation closer to economic hardship, Gorodnichenko said, especially considering the fact that Russia still imports "just about everything," from cars to food to furniture and other consumer goods.

A historical view of Russia's finances also shows that GDP is highly correlated to how many petrodollars the economy has access to, Gorodnichenko said. Russia fell into a recession during the global financial crisis and later in 2014, when oil prices plunged and lowered the amount of dollars it was able to bring in.

Gorodnichenko also noted that when the Soviet Union lost access to petrodollars, its economy collapsed within five years. He suggested that Russia's economic decline could occur even quicker, given that the Soviet Union was far more self-sufficient resource-wise than Russia is today.

"If they don't have petrodollars to pay for all the consumer investment goods, they're going to face some difficult problems," Gorodnichkeno said. "Maybe you can get [resources] from China or somebody like that here and there, but globally, it can't really borrow. And so when you have an adverse shock … the effect is going to be amplified."

Economists have been warning about the risk of economic calamity for Russia since 2022, when its invasion of Ukraine prompted a barrage of sanctions that upended trade and finance.

Russia's economy is becoming increasingly fragile the longer the war drags on, experts have said. Even Putin , who has pushed the narrative of Russia's resilient economy, has admitted to key weaknesses in the nation's finances, with the country reeling from sky-high inflation , elevated borrowing costs , and soaring wages .

Watch: Invading Ukraine is making Russia rich

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