Last Updated on May 4, 2023
An experienced sales representative knows that delivering the benefits of their products or services to prospects properly is an important skill to have. Even if you’re eloquent, there are more critical factors than explaining with words. About 65% of the entire population absorbs messages better through visuals, like videos and images. One way to add visual content to your sales presentation is through a sales deck. (1)
If done well, a sales deck will supplement the messages you’re trying to convey, catch the attention of your audience, and, most importantly, bring structure and consistency to your pitch. With that said, here are four tips when creating a winning sales deck that converts prospects into buying customers:
1. Use sales presentation tools
Even before the technological advancements available nowadays, sales representatives back in the days already used tools, like diagrams and images, to enhance their message. Since visual aids are essential, it’s crucial to use tools to further improve your visual designs, like PowerPoint or templates, allowing you to create the best sales deck ever.
For example, Microsoft PowerPoint has the versatility to create simple or complex decks. On the other hand, there are already plenty of sales deck templates available on the net, assuring you can find the best designs that suit your message and intended audience.
Some sales experts recommend sending prospects a shorter pitch deck before you start your presentation. A pitch deck will serve as a summary of your entire presentation, and it’s often the first way to communicate with your audience. Your prospects will now have a general idea of what the presentation is all about, piquing their interest.
2. Conduct customer research
If you know who you’re selling to, you’ll have a higher chance of converting them since you can tailor your pitch to their liking. So after knowing the right tools and software to use, it’s vital to conduct customer research before creating a sales pitch.
When researching, ask these questions:
- Who are your customers?
- Which team in your company will act as the main point of contact?
- What kind of business do your prospects run?
- What are your customers’ main concerns/challenges?
- Which of your competitors are your prospects considering?
To know the answers to these questions, you can run an interview to prospects by sending a survey to all your business contacts. You can then tailor your sales deck to the answers provided by your prospects.
3. Practice a consultative selling approach
A consultative approach essentially shifts the focus away from your product or services and focuses on the customer’s main points, allowing your sales team or company to be customer-centric. Here’s how you or your sales team can apply this approach:
- Show that you understand them: When presenting, show that you know their industry, concerns, business, and pain points consistently.
- Add value: By adding value, you earn your client’s trust, as you’re showing the idea that your business is offering a solution and not just pushing products or services. Doing the latter can be annoying for prospects.
- Actively listen: Since you know their concerns, try to paraphrase them in your sales deck. Doing so will show you’re listening to them and are interested in solving their problems.
- Ground your sales pitch around the prospect: Always center your sales pitch to prospects and how your products can help them, including your message and sales deck. Remember, customers are more likely to follow through if they know the benefits rather than your products’ or services’ features. (2)
By practicing a consultative approach, regardless of what your company is offering, like the latest home automation tools or retail services, you can rest assured that you’ll put more emphasis on the customer. Thinking about the customer is an important attitude to have when giving a sales pitch.
4. Less is more
The essence of a sales deck is to make listeners feel easy and worthwhile, not overcome them with pressure and complex data. Confusing prospects with graphs, images, statistics, etc., will only scare them away. Always keep your sales deck simple, clean, and straight to the point.
To achieve this, try refraining from adding unnecessary slides. This means that each of your slides should have a specific point. To make sure you’re not overdoing it, try to practice in front of your friends or team and ask about things they don’t understand or what they find too confusing.
Closing thoughts
It’s important to remember that once you’ve already created a sales deck that converts, always be open to changes. Each product or service will demand its own combination of slides. Also, what might work for one salesperson might not work for you, so exert the effort to customize your sales pitch to your liking and your prospects. More importantly, don’t be tied to one deck but make regular updates based on internal changes or recent customer feedback. With a sales template at your disposal, you can easily change or create a sales deck to suit any audience.
References
1. “Classification of Visual and Non-visual Learners Using Electroencephalographic Alpha and Gamma Activities”, Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6513874/
2. “10 Tips for Creating a Winning Sales Pitch (Data + Formulas)”, Source: https://www.yesware.com/blog/sales-pitch/