How To Create Winning Sales Decks (+4 Sales Deck Examples)

How To Create A Winning Sales Deck

Today’s sales processes mix traditional and modern strategies into perfectly timed sales cadences. Created to engage and encourage prospects to pass through the sales pipeline. However, salespeople often forget another effective tool for nurturing prospects, answering objections and demonstrating key benefits – sales decks. Reportedly, consumers are up to 85% more likely to buy a product or service after watching a video. That’s why, in this post, we’ll explain the difference between sales decks and pitch decks and how to get started crafting one! 


What is a Sales Deck?

A sales deck is a slide format presentation (PowerPoint, Keynotes, Slides) that is used as a supplementary resource during sales pitches. Sales decks illustrate how a solution helps your prospects, making them more likely to buy from you.

They achieve this by presenting a sales “narrative” founded on prospects’ main pain points, challenges and desires in a compelling visual and textual manner. As a result, the sales pitch should offer an overview of the offering, a value proposition and testimonials or success stories from previous clients.

Simply put, sales decks should give prospects the “bigger picture.” Or the solution to their needs in a concise and visually engaging manner.

Also read:

What’s the difference between a Pitch Deck and a Sales Deck?

sales deck is a pitch that focuses on persuading a prospect to purchase a solution by presenting the benefits, features and value proposition. In comparison, a sales pitch deck is a presentation created for investors who want to learn more about your company regarding vision, mission, audience products, and financials. As a result, a sales pitch deck is more like a concise and easily digestible version of your business plan. 

When can you use sales decks?

Sales decks are versatile and can be used to amplify your main message throughout various stages of the sales pipeline. That way, you give context to the value of your product. The best instances where sales decks are best applied include:

  • Prospecting/Lead Generation: Sales decks at the early stages help spark curiosity amongst leads, whether in-person, virtually, or online. For example, you could post a 5-slide presentation on social media addressing a particular pain point to create awareness of your solution.
  • Discovery/Qualification: Assess the prospect’s needs and use sales decks to help you guide the conversation by adding more value to your statements.
  • Sales Meetings/Presentations: In this stage of the pipeline, sales decks help present benefits and advantages alongside the features that will be most helpful to the prospect – helping bring the sale to a close.
  • Upselling to current customers: When checking in with loyal customers, share sales decks to reaffirm your value proposition and the benefits while pitching them a new product or service.
  • Internal Sales Enablement: Keep all departments aligned with the same sales messaging by sharing sales deck presentations around your solutions’ key benefits and features.

What should a sales deck include?

Whatever your industry, customer and selling situation is, there are five core elements every sales deck requires to be successful in its mission of persuading prospects. The five elements must be presented in sequential order as follows: 

1. Cover Slide

The cover slide is the first slide in the deck and is usually how you introduce your brand. As a result, it’s the first slide prospects see. Therefore, should be completely obvious how your company is relevant to the prospect’s needs and industry. It should also be where you place your logo, company name and provocative title with a compelling visual.

2. Elevator Pitch

An elevator pitch is a compact type of sales presentation where a salesperson explains the nature, the benefits and the solution their business offers in under 60 seconds or less – hence the name. An elevator sales pitch is a versatile tool for many sales activities – not just sales decks. It can be adapted for a one-minute mini-speech ideal for networking opportunities, a script to follow on prospecting calls, or even just a classic presentation for key decision-makers. Discover how to craft an effective elevator pitch below: 

How to craft an effective elevator pitch infographic

3. Narrative Structure

Studies show that people are more receptive to stories than almost any other type of communication. Our brains are designed not only to crave stories but to remember them and pass on meaningful ones to others. That’s why incorporating storytelling into your sales deck is so crucial. Every sales deck should follow a narrative that’s easy to understand and has a beginning, middle, and satisfying ending. There are two types of story structures you’ll usually find in sales decks. The problem and solution narrative structure and the industry change and opportunity structure. Let’s discover both in-depth below:

Problem & Solution Sales Deck Structure

A great story always starts with a likeable protagonist facing an obstacle. The hero can overcome the challenge through sheer determination and a little help from the product or service you are selling. This type of sales deck narrative structure begins by addressing your prospect’s most significant pain points. Something that deeply resonates with them. Then, it highlights the effects these pain points cause by framing the consequences of not taking action to solve them (usually with a data-driven argument.) Finally, it emphasizes how the prospect’s life will look once they invest in a solution rather than describing the product or service’s features.

Industry Change & Opportunity Sales Deck Structure

This sales deck narrative structure introduces a shift or change in a specific industry and the opportunities to capitalize upon it. It then explains how a product or service will be one of the “winners” in the aftermath of the change. Ultimately, those who sell something complex like B2B technology often find this narrative structure most helpful. It allows them to use current events to illustrate the benefits your prospects can expect to receive.

4. Proof the solution works

It’s time to prove to prospective customers that the solution works and delivers the benefits you promise. To include proof within your sales deck, you can keep it to one single, dedicated slide or weave it through your presentation. The type of proof device you include depends entirely on your industry, product, and audience. Yet, ultimately, prospects are more likely to agree to the deal if they’ve seen other people benefit from your solution – mainly if you use a proof device that addresses their current pain point. Types of proof devices you could use to achieve this include:

  • Testimonials
  • List of clients
  • Photos of the successful implementation of your product
  • Case studies
  • Articles in trade magazines
  • Consumer reports
10 Different Types Of Proof Devices Infographics

5. Call-to-Action

A call-to-action (CTA) is a command that tells prospects the action you want them to take; examples include “buy now”, “contact us”, or “sign up.”

A fantastic story may be entertaining, but it won’t increase your bottom line if the prospect doesn’t know what they should do next. You must always compel prospects to take action – whether that’s to buy now, take the following steps internally, or even start a free trial –prospects need to be told what to do next.

The best way to achieve this and your required result is to always create the takeaway message before writing the story. Most salespeople find it much easier to build a story around a meaningful message rather than attempting to fit a meaningful message into a strong story.

How to create a winning sales deck

A winning sales deck will help you persuade prospects that your solution is the best option, growing your business and revenue. However, how can you make sure you create sales decks that effortlessly hold people’s attention while convincing them to purchase? While it seems impossible, we’ve mastered a process that works – discover it below.

Identify common pain points (Customer Research)

The first stage of preparing for a sales presentation is to research your prospect thoroughly; skipping this preparation will likely result in the rejection of your ideas. That’s why all salespeople need to be keen researchers of their ideal customers, gathering answers and insights about elements of prospect’s challenges with typical solution selling questions such as:

  • What are their most pressing needs?
  • What are their most significant challenges?
  • What are their aspirations?
  • What’s stopping them from currently reaching these goals?
  • What do their customers and stakeholders need and want?
  • How could your solution help to negate these issues they’re experiencing?
  • How will your solution position your prospect with a market advantage?
  • How can you accurately communicate the benefits without solely discussing the solution to influence prospects to take action? 
4 types of customer pain points

Build a narrative

Next, is the narrative going to interest your potential customer? Successful storytelling in sales depends on crafting a good tale. But is your story good enough to do that? Imagine meeting a stranger on the train who tells you the story you just created. Would it interest you, or would you start looking for a different seat? 

Simple language expressed in an engaging narrative is the best approach, but never get too caught up in your storytelling and forget your purpose is to make a sale. 

You can easily do this by creating a hero with a name, a personality, and a practical problem to overcome. However, it would be best to take great care when deciding how to reflect your intended message. Ensure your storytelling speaks directly to your customers by including the same hopes, ambitions, fears, regrets, and disappointments they possess.

Need help crafting your message? Our unique workshop, Storytelling In Sales, equips you with the knowledge and application skills to plan highly engaging and relevant business pitches. Get immediate access and learn how to execute results-oriented pitches demonstrating your problem-solving ability and track record.

Highlight 3 benefits

Give your prospective customers a compelling reason that resonates with them so much so that they part with their hard-earned cash. Remember, customers buy for value, not specifications or technical jargon.

Share Proof

The great thing about social proof is that it’s your actual customers telling the story of how your solution solved their problems. Prospects are more likely to agree to the deal if they see others benefit from your solution. To achieve this, ensure you have plenty of social proof available from the get-go when meeting with your prospect. That way, when asking for the sale, your prospects will already feel good about your offering.

Use simple diagrams

Simple diagrams pack a powerful punch. When creating your sales deck, incorporating straightforward visual aids can significantly boost understanding and retention of your key points. Opt for clean, uncluttered designs that quickly convey complex information or processes.

These visuals anchor your verbal explanations, helping your audience grasp and remember crucial concepts. Effective diagrams might include flow charts, timelines, or comparison tables highlighting your product’s benefits.

Remember to use consistent colors and fonts that align with your brand. Thoughtfully integrating simple diagrams makes your presentation more engaging and memorable, increasing the likelihood of a successful sale.

Make it visually compelling

Visual appeal captivates your audience. When designing your sales deck, create a visually compelling presentation that grabs and holds attention. Use high-quality images, infographics, and charts to break up text and illustrate key points.

Choose a cohesive color scheme that aligns with your brand and ensures readability. Incorporate plenty of white space to prevent overwhelming your audience with information.

Use consistent fonts and sizes to maintain a professional look throughout the deck. Remember to balance text and visuals, aiming for a clean, uncluttered layout. A visually striking sales deck keeps your audience engaged and helps them retain the information you’re presenting, increasing the likelihood of a successful pitch.

4 reputable sales deck examples

Not sure what the final sales deck should look like? Take inspiration from some of the world’s most reputable business sales decks below:

1. Uber for Business Sales Deck

https://www.slideshare.net/faberNovel/uber-the-transportation-virus

In this compelling sales deck, international taxi-hailing service Uber has crafted a relatable but remarkable concept that is intriguing and connects to what’s happening worldwide regarding the pandemic. Most of the slides are centralized on only one image. In more complex slides, information is limited to groups of three, helping to compartmentalize detailed content and encouraging the audience to follow the message. It illustrates Uber’s growth model, the digital revolution, and the system that solves the taxi industry’s current problems.

2. Office365 Sales Deck

https://www.slideshare.net/ThomasPerdana/office-365-sales-presentation-53530627

Microsoft’s vivid and colorful sales deck focuses on exciting graphics and pictograms that accurately display their message, highlighting Office 365’s features.

3. SalesForce Sales Deck Example: Simplify the Complex

https://www.slideshare.net/suyatitechnologies/salesforce-who-and-why

If you are unaware, Salesforce is the company behind the world’s number one CRM solution – Sales Cloud. Salesforce’s cloud-based applications have transformed the way businesses communicate with customers. Salesforce’s sales deck is simple, easy to understand, and visually appealing, making it easy to focus on the individual product lines and customer success stories.

4. LinkedIn Sales Deck Example

https://www.slideshare.net/LinkedIn-SMB/5-things-you-should-be-doing-on-linkedin

Compared to its professional social network website, LinkedIn’s sales deck is as professional as ever. The sales deck is longer than many but is full of valuable information, visuals, and graphs that help to captivate audiences from beginning to end.

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