If you’re in sales, then you know that a sales deck is key to success. But what is a sales deck exactly and how can you use it to boost your business?

I remember when I was first starting in sales, my boss sat me down and told me that if I wanted to be successful, I needed to create a strong sales deck. At the time, I had no idea what is a sales deck.

Thankfully, my boss took the time to explain it to me and now I’m going to share with you everything that I learned so that you can create a killer sales deck of your own!

 What is a Sales Deck?

A sales deck is a presentation that salespeople use to visually explain the benefits of a product or service to potential customers. A sales deck typically includes slides with statistics, product features, customer testimonials, and company information.

The goal of a sales deck is to supplement a pitch and demo to persuade the audience to buy the product or service being sold.

If you want to make a sale, you need a great sales deck. The “demo only” method doesn’t cut it.

With an average of 6.8 people being involved in each business sale, you’ll need a sales pitch if you want to get the message from the salesperson you met with to the person who actually signs the check.

If you only depend on your single salesperson to relay your message, you’re turning your sales process into a game of Russian roulette.

A sales deck is also referred to as a sales pitch deck because the sales presentation forms part of your verbal pitch to your target audience. By having a slide deck to accompany your verbal pitch, you can more effectively sell your product or service.

Sales representatives typically deliver presentations by accompanying each slide with verbal commentary. The combination of visual and verbal elements creates a complete sales presentation.

These types of presentations can be given to various audiences, such as consumers, business partners, or investors.

Invite your team members to collaborate on your sales and marketing decks. With a business subscription, you can all work on the same document at the same time.

What Should You Include in a Sales Deck?

A sales deck should outline who you are and the problem you are solving. It should explain the “before” and “after” states, and explain how your solution solves that problem.

The pitch needs to demonstrate how you will transport your prospect from where they are to where they want to be.

Sales Deck – How It Works

Sales decks can be used as a guide and visual supplement for your live sales presentation. You can also use them to send leads information about your product or service so they can learn more on their own time.

A sales deck is a visual aid that sales reps use to present to potential customers. These presentations are most commonly done in person, but they can also be sent as PDFs or shared online.

Sending a sales deck to a prospect is a common practice. This is especially helpful for more complex deals that involve several stakeholders.

Sales decks can be used in several different situations throughout the sales process. For example, you might send a sales deck to new leads who want to learn more about your solution or use it as a visual supplement during a sales presentation. You could also use it to maintain or upsell a current customer.

Tailor your sales decks to specific situations. A more knowledgeable buyer will require less information, while a less informed one will need more.

As a rule of thumb, it’s best to personalize your sales deck to each prospect’s unique needs as they move further along in the sales process. This way, you can ensure that each lead is getting the most relevant and targeted information possible.

Regardless of your situation, a quality sales pitch should include a cover page, as well as pages for your problem, your solutions, and the benefits of your offering. Additionally, include testimonials from your current or previous clients, as well as a CTA that tells them what to do.

When creating your own sales deck, it is important to follow a few key steps to ensure that all of the necessary information is included. By doing so, you can create a more effective sales deck that will help you close more deals.

You can also start by using a template for your call script. Or, take a look at some example scripts for some inspiration.

Sales decks are designed to help potential customers understand how your product or service can solve a specific problem. By outlining the buyer’s pain points and goals, you can demonstrate how your offering can provide value and help them reach their objectives.

A visual aid, such as a SlideShare, can complement a sales pitch and help drive the point home.

How to Create a Sales Deck

Regardless of the field, a sales presentation should address one question: Why is this solution superior to all others?

By creating a sales deck, you can define your services and show why they are the best solution to the client’s problem. The presentation serves as support material when you’re pitching a product or idea.

It’s basically a slideshow that highlights key details about your business or products.

Whether it’s for a potential investor, a potential customer, or a partner, a pitch presentation is a great way to show your business’ unique selling points, and that your company is well-prepared, capable, and understands the client’s needs.

Here’s how to create a killer sales presentation that’ll help you close the deal.

Choose a Presentation Platform

Many companies create presentations using platforms like Google Slides, Microsoft PowerPoint, Canva, and SlideShare. The choice depends on the needs of your company.

While these platforms do offer some collaborative features, these advanced features are usually only available with a subscription.

Choose a Narrative Structure

A pitch deck will have one of two narratives: problem-solution structure or opportunity structure.

The first type is best for companies experiencing a specific issue, while the second type is best suited for those in a rapidly changing industry or companies with complicated products.

Customer Research

Figure out what customers need by researching them, then show them how your product or service can meet those needs by creating a presentation.

To create a successful pitch deck, you’ll need to understand your target market, the competition, and where there are opportunities to succeed. By understanding these key components, you can craft a pitch that resonates with your audience and sets you apart from the competition.

Write Your Narrative

Your pitch deck should be clear, concise, and to the point. You don’t want to overload it with text or information, as this can distract from your presentation.

Instead, keep slides simple and make sure each one has a distinct purpose. This will help engage your audience and ensure that your message comes across loud and clear.

Your pitch deck should include attractive visuals that appeal to your audience, as well as customer testimonials and statistics.

Make sure your sales presentation is mobile-friendly. According to Story Doc, 32% of pitch decks are viewed on mobile, rather than desktop. This way, you can ensure that your audience will be able to view your presentation no matter where they are.

After the meeting, give your client a more detailed version of your pitch that goes into more detail on the points you covered.

The best way to create a sales pitch deck that will resonate with your audience is to get feedback from customers. This will give you an insight into their thoughts and what they are looking for, which you can then use to tailor your presentation.

By including this valuable information, you can be sure that your sales pitch will hit the mark.

Beta Test Your Work

The best way to find out what your customers think of your pitch deck is to beta-test it with them. This will give you valuable feedback that you can use to improve your deck.

If you want to know what your customers are thinking, the best way to get that information is by asking them directly. This gives you valuable insights that you can use to improve your sales pitch deck.

Asking for feedback shows that you care about your customers and their opinions, and it can help build trust between you and them.

Anticipate Questions

When you’re putting together a sales deck, it’s important to think about the questions that your audience might have. By addressing these questions upfront, you can show that you’re prepared and that you know what you’re talking about. This will instill confidence in your audience and make them more likely to do business with you.

Customize Your Pitch

Show your value to potential clients by customizing each sales pitch to their unique business needs.

No business is the same, so why should their pitch deck be? If a sales presentation is generic and doesn’t give the buyer any information of value, they may become disinterested.

By customizing each pitch deck to a prospective client’s unique needs, you’re not only showing that you value their business, but that you’re also invested in helping them succeed.

Review Your Pitch and Add Testimonials

Make sure the client knows the benefits of choosing you, and what will happen if they choose someone else.

Recap your sales pitch and your value prop in your slide presentation. Prove to your prospects that your business is the solution to their problem and back it up with some client testimonials.

End With a Call to Action

A call to action is an instruction to the audience that tells them what they should do next. The instruction is presented at the end of the pitch.

How to Use a Sales Deck (And Why You May Not Want To)

There’s a fine line when it comes to using (and not using) a sales pitch. Although the term “sale” is in the name of the presentation, you don’t want to “sell” in your presentation.

Your sales deck should be used as a tool to showcase the benefits of your product or service, and why your customer should consider it. If presented correctly, your sales deck can sell itself, without you having to put any extra effort in.

Using a sales pitch too soon in the buying process can bore or overwhelm potential customers.

Because they don’t yet have enough information about you to care and understand what you’re telling them.

Don’t use it too soon, or it may appear that you’re only interested in their money and not in solving their problems.

In the world of presentations, another mistake is to talk too much about yourself and not about your customer’s goals. It has also been said, that people purchase the benefits, not the features of a product.

If your sales deck focuses too much on features instead of benefits, the company may not see how it can help them specifically and lose interest.

When you’re creating a sales deck, it’s important to focus on what value you can offer the company, rather than facts and figures about yourself. This will help the company see how you can benefit them, and make them more likely to want to work with you.

Here’s how to use a sales pitch to your advantage.

Figure out who your ideal customer is, what their needs are, and how you can help solve their problems. Then, use that information to craft a sales presentation that speaks directly to them.

Help them see that you understand their specific situation by talking about their pain points, or needs that require a resolution.

Then, and only then, move into why your product, or service, is the best option as the solution for their problem. This can be helped by sharing your personal stories or success stories of companies you’ve worked with in the past.

The case study serves as a story, and stories are more memorable than statistics. However, statistics and facts can also be used to back up your business.

Failing to close a sales pitch by informing your prospect of the next step could spell disaster.

Conclusion

What is a sales deck? A sales deck is a critical tool for any salesperson. It allows you to present your products or services in a way that is both professional and engaging, while also providing potential customers with the information they need to make a decision. If you’re not using a sales deck, then you’re missing out on a powerful tool that can help boost your business. So what are you waiting for? Get started today!