An effective sales presentation gets results. Simple as.
But, putting together a sales presentation deck that actually gets results is no easy feat (otherwise everyone would have one, right?). It takes thorough planning, research and, ideally, some expert design knowledge too.
It also helps to get the insight from someone who knows sales presentations like the back of their hand.
With over 20 years’ experience writing, building and giving presentations, Future Present CEO Lyndon Nicholson is sharing his top tips for how to make an epic sales presentation deck.
Here Lyndon shares his advice on achieving presentation success every time.
1) Get your story straight
“One of the most important pieces of advice I can give to anyone preparing a sales presentation is to ensure you get your story straight before you start building your PowerPoint.
Get your ideas and message down on paper to make sure you actually know what you’re going to be talking about in the pitch right from the start.”
When you’re making a brand-new sales presentation, or any type of business pitch, it might seem obvious to open up PowerPoint and just get going.
But, it’s important to know which key points you want to get across in your presentation beforehand. This way, you can ensure you build the deck around your message, not the other way round.
2) Start with empathy
“To make a sales presentation that converts, you need to demonstrate that you understand your audience, their industry and, most importantly, their pain points.”
Skip a lengthy introduction to yourself or your company and, instead, immediately recognise your potential client’s situation and challenges. Acknowledge that they need solutions – you can tell your story later. This will help you to demonstrate your empathy, develop credibility and trust, and build that all-important rapport with your prospect.
Lyndon compares this type of situation to a first date.
“If you spend the whole time talking about yourself on a first date, you won’t get a second one!”
The same goes for sales presentations. If you spend too much time talking about you and your company, you’re unlikely to be able to take the conversation further.
“Talk about them, not you,” Lyndon emphasises.
3) Talk to their pain points
“Once you’ve addressed your prospect’s pain points, discuss your product and relate it to what they need. Make sure the conversation is all about their needs.”
You should tailor your entire sales pitch to the person you’re talking to. You’ve already demonstrated that you understand their challenges, now it’s time to present your credible and valuable solutions.
“Position yourself as an expert in solving these problems,” Lyndon says.
4) Make it conversational
“Present in a way that allows your prospect to respond to and engage with your presentation,” says Lyndon.
“A sales presentation should never be just one person talking about how great their product is. It should be a conversation that engages the audience, answers any questions they have, and allows them to influence the direction of the presentation.”
A great tip to help you do this is having a flexible, menu-driven presentation deck. This will allow you to jump from one section of the deck to another with ease. It’s a fantastic way to accommodate this type of conversational sales presentation.
Thanks to PowerPoint’s innovative Zoom feature, you can tailor your pitch to your prospect and ensure you cover all the areas they are interested in, even if you’re tight on time.
A non-linear, interactive sales deck revolutionises sales presentations.
5) Prove Your Value
“Don’t just let your prospect take your word for it. Provide them with examples of how your product has helped solve other clients’ problems. This is where case studies and testimonials work really well.”
In today’s technology–driven age, would you buy an expensive product online without reading any reviews? Probably not. So, don’t expect your prospects to lap up your amazing sales presentation content and buy your product without hearing evidence.
Always ensure that somewhere within your sales presentation deck you have some form of evidence that your product works well for others. Written or video testimonials, reviews and case studies are the perfect way to demonstrate this.
6) Close with ‘Why us?’
“Finally, when you’re wrapping up your presentation, refresh your potential new client’s memory on the reasons why you are right for them.”
The question ‘Why us?’ should run through the entirety of your sales presentation. Why should your prospect change from their current solution? Or why should they embrace your product, rather than your competitors’?
This ‘Why us?’ question should be the focus of your final slides. Ensure your prospect walks away with a clear understanding of exactly how much you can help them. And that it has a strong call to action.
Make a sales presentation that converts
In short, an effective sales presentation is one that provides your potential client with valuable solutions to their problems. It acknowledges and addresses their individual situation, offering a new and better way of solving the challenges they face.
Get help from the experts to create an effective sales presentation deck that gets results. Get in touch with us today.
