Selling isn’t easy. While irresistible charm and eloquent rhetoric can get you a long way, most of the time they need a helping hand, a friend if you will, and that friend comes in the form of sales decks. A tool used by every sales team to get that investor on their side or to convince the customer to try the product out. If you want to learn more about what’s a sales deck, what are the foundations of a good sales deck and how to create an engaging one, you’ve definitely come to the right place. As always, get that beloved beverage of choice, and let us press ahead.
What is a sales pitch deck?
A sales pitch deck also referred to as a sales deck is a presentation in slide format (Slides, Powerpoint, Keynote) that is used to summarize a company’s mission, vision, values, product/service, and team, and portray them in an attractive way so that potential investors or other businesses might be more interested to get involved. In other words, it’s a powerful sales tool every business should take advantage of.
“The goal of a sales deck is to “visually and textually present your sales narrative to your ideal customer in a way that convinces them to buy your solution.” – Peter Kazanjy
By combining visuals and strong messaging, the main point of a sales deck is to urge its audience to take action. The most desired outcomes are investing in the company or buying a product or a service from that company.
Elements of a good sales pitch deck.
Again we’ll start with the usual disclaimer that every business is different and every sales deck should be structured and designed according to the organization’s goals and needs, therefore there isn’t a unique formula to creating a sales deck that will guarantee 100% success when pitched. But there are some ground “rules” that you can follow to give your sales deck a strong foundation. Some elements or checkpoints you might want to include in yours or take into account are:
- Start with a hearty introduction – a single slide consisting of “Hello we are… and we do…” often does the trick. The key point is to not overdo it by talking about your company for half of the whole presentation.
- Point out the customer’s pain – by doing this you put the focus on them and not on yourself, which is also an important part when pitching. Just remember to do it in a non-threatening or derogatory way – be empathetic.
- Elevator pitch – talk about your product/service and how it will improve the quality of life of your customer/prospect in under 60 seconds. Be eloquent and concise and try to avoid going on tangents.
- State your expertise – share why you are the right company to alleviate the customers’ pain in slide #2. Just don’t make it sound like you are bragging about it.
- Provide proof – add some testimonials. A list of clients that you’re working with, short case studies, articles, etc. Basically, you can include everything that will solidify your position and will act as a foundation to build trust.
- CTA – no matter how well the story is told until this point, without a proper ending it will just fall flat. Compel your audience to take the action that you desire.
How to create an engaging sales pitch deck?
We’ve all heard that storytelling sells best. A powerful story that is told well can easily prove a certain point or urge to take a specific action. An engaging sales deck should be constructed and pitched as a story. The simple 3-act rule can also apply when creating a sales deck. There should be a Beginning (Introduction), there should be a Middle (Elevator Pitch/Offer), and an End (CTA). Everything in-between should support the main message and should drive the story further in a streamlined way without overcomplicating it.
Before sharing a few bullet points about creating a sales deck, we want to underline probably the best thing you can do, when creating yours. The key is to think like a buyer, and not like a seller. You know your product and its features best and it’s natural for you to want to share every detail about it. But perhaps the person you are pitching to doesn’t really want to hear all that. By putting yourself in the buyer’s shoes, you increase your chances to drive the right message. When a person senses that you took the time to think about their pain points, they listen—and they buy.
As promised here are the bullet points we mentioned earlier:
- Customize and personalize your sales deck to meet different client demands
- Use branded visuals and avoid using too much text
- Adjust the sales deck for online or live, in-person presentations
- Build your storyline throughout the presentation to hold interest
- Don’t make it longer than it needs to be
Sales Pitch Deck Examples
In order to clear any confusion, we’ll share a few good examples of sales decks that we think combine everything we said so far.
Reddit’s sales deck is a gem. The custom memes and images that will probably make you laugh also illustrate that the platform can be a solid contender alongside other advertising giants.
Splunk’s sales presentation on the other hand offers a more in-depth approach by clearly explaining the advantages of the product and offering a step-by-step walkthrough of how it performs.
Last but not least we decided to include Snapchat’s 2015 sales deck which starts with a knockout punch right at the get-go. This strategy doesn’t waste time and space with fluffy intros and instead doubles down on a strong statement: “Snapchat is the best way to reach 13-34-year-olds”. After reading that you either are all ears or you continue with more important tasks.
Final thoughts
When properly created and catered to the right audience sales decks bring enormous firepower to your sales arsenal. They are a powerful tool that helps sales teams close deals. But in the end, it’s just a tool and can’t win battles by itself. Sales teams and company leaders must speak a common language when it comes to sharing the business’s narrative.
Remember that a sales deck is, in a way, a representation of your company’s values. Make sure to design it in a way, which will truly make your business shine and hopefully will catch the eye of future investors, partners, or customers.
