Harish K Saini
February 19, 2021
Why You Need to Create
PowerPoint Sales Pitch Deck for B2B Sales Pitch (Even If You Think You Don't)
Do I need a sales pitch deck at all? I think this is the right question to ask, and let me give you a few popular answers. For most people, there is no need to have a sales presentation. Why? There are several reasons, and if you are a naysayer, then find your reason below:
- My product or service is very simple and doesn’t need any explanation.
- Why did I hire a salesperson if I need to invest in a sales PPT?
- My customer prefers verbal discussion, or they don’t have time, or they don’t value presentations.
- My product is sold online.
- My product is sold automatically.
- I sell with my brand and not a sales deck.
- I have a company profile which talks about my product too.
You can add more reasons to this list, and it will still not change the fact that no matter how simple the product you have, how brilliant a salesman you have, or how little time your customers have to go through those sales slides, I can still tell you that not having invested in a sales deck is a big mistake.
Let me share with you why I say so.
The Power of a Consistent Narrative
You see, when you are in the market to sell any solution, you need a narrative. A consistent narrative which has a solid persuasion technique within the presentation ( Look for Golden Frame Presentation here for more details on this)
Instead of saying anything in support of the product or company, having a plan as to how to persuade your client is always a good strategy. Consider you are selling to customer and you tell them a few benefits and a few outcomes, but either the customer did not give you more time or you decided to quit in between because you saw the client was taking less interest.
Either way, the product or service is not fully explained, which is like not giving a full opportunity to your product. Now, if you are thinking, “What’s my point here?” It is the sales deck.
When you start a discussion with your client by saying that you want to present the solution, then ‘you and your client first have to agree’ on the time devoted to learning about the product. Now, these might be 5 slides or 15 slides, but a ritual will go on for a set number of slides and not necessarily be cut short by either party, and your product or service will have a reasonable amount of time spent on it before the customer decides.
Therefore there are a few risk when you don’t have a “Narrative” or “Sales Deck”
- Inconsistent messaging across markets
- Varying value propositions presented to different customers
- Potential misalignment with company positioning
- Risk of over-promising or under-selling features
Level Up Your Sales Team with a Standardized Pitch
The second part is that not every salesperson is as good as your star performer or you yourself. What if even your average sales guy gets more or less the same success as your star sales guy? This is possible by controlling your product narrative through a set of slides. Now, even a newbie salesperson can give more or less the same presentation as your star performer would do. You can be at least sure that your product was presented well. There may be a few errors in ‘objection handling’ by a new salesman, but your product got good attention from customers.
That is why sales deck actually
- Ensures complete product coverage
- Sets clear expectations for meeting duration
- Provides natural conversation flow
- Creates opportunities for meaningful engagement
- Allows for predictable timing and pacing
Standardization: Keeping Your Messaging on Point
A few years ago, we got a client who wanted to have a sales deck designed from the company side as most of his sales team had built their own presentations, adding (or leaving) points as per their interest, which causing confusion in the market. He wanted to resolve this by providing a sales deck from the company side to all his sales team. This is called standardization. If you don’t want to see your product in various lights/understandings and people start building their own notion, and you will lose the real product, its features, besides your sales team will promise 10 different things to 10 different customers, and as a company, it becomes a mess to handle queries around the product which should not exist in the first place.
Not only sales deck help in selling but B2B Sales PPT also addresses
- Different feature emphasis across regions
- Inconsistent pricing discussions
- Varied customer expectations
- Support team confusion when handling queries
Sales Decks in the Age of AI: Adapting to the Modern Landscape
In the age of AI, you still find Sales PPT presentations relevant. You can find a presentation from almost all AI companies themselves. Adaptation: Modern Sales Decks aren’t just PowerPoint presentations. They can be:
- Interactive digital experiences
- Mobile-friendly reference tools
- Leave-behind materials for stakeholder sharing
- Virtual presentation aids
Reap the Rewards: The ROI of a Sales Deck Investment
The ROI of a Business to Business Sales Deck: Investment in a professional Sales Deck pays off consistently. Companies all over world have ‘best design sales deck’ to provide it to their team. That is why whenever we suggest customers in B2B space, build a digital asset, a sales deck is one of the most sought-after suggestions for a one-time investment and long-term (regular) return. A well-designed sales deck will:
- Shorten sales cycles
- Increase close rates
- Improve customer understanding
- Reduce training costs
- Ensure consistent brand messaging
While objections to creating a Sales Deck are common in B2B market, the benefits far outweigh the initial investment. A well-crafted Sales Deck isn’t just a presentation tool – it’s a
- strategic asset that standardizes your sales process
- professionalizes your approach, and
- ultimately drives better results across your entire sales organization.
Don't Confuse Your Company Profile with a Sales Deck
Another common mistake that I have seen is people misusing the company profile as a sales deck. If you ever go through the structure of PPT slides, you would come to know that the design of a company profile has a different intent and structure than the design of a sales deck. Your company profile cannot work as your sales deck; that’s the only rule. You cannot use a shield in place of a sword or vice versa. Companies invest a lot in designing a company profile or company presentation, and those people understand this is not a tool to sell products. A salesman is not selling the company but a product/service offered by the company.
When You Might Not Need a Sales Deck
There are some cases where you don’t need a Sales Deck
- You are the only one selling in your company and don’t need standardization.
- You have a well-written brochure that you use in selling and marketing.
- Your product/service doesn’t require persuasion; it’s a very common product without any extraordinary features.
- When you have a decent presentation designed in-house, and you believe it is leaving a good impression design-wise and content-wise.
Take Action: Invest in Your Sales Deck & in Your Success
For the rest, getting your sales presentation is a must-have tool.
Next Steps: If you haven’t invested in a Sales Deck yet, consider:
- Auditing your current sales presentation materials – Click here to initiate the process
- Gathering input from your top performers
- Documenting your most successful sales narratives
- Working with professionals to create a standardized deck
Remember: A Sales Deck isn't just about slides
It’s about creating a consistent, professional, and effective sales narrative that works across your entire organization.
FAQs
A B2B sales pitch deck is a presentation that helps you showcase your product or service to potential clients.
It's a visual tool that guides your audience through your company's offerings, highlighting key features,
benefits, and value propositions. A well-crafted sales deck can be instrumental in capturing attention,
building credibility, and ultimately closing deals.
A sales deck helps you control the narrative and deliver a consistent message to your prospects.
It ensures that everyone on your sales team presents the same information, avoiding inconsistencies and confusion.
A sales deck also helps you set clear expectations for the meeting, allowing for a more focused and productive discussion.
A B2B sales pitch deck should include:
- A strong opening that grabs attention and introduces your company.
- A clear problem statement that resonates with your audience's pain points.
- A compelling solution that showcases how your product or service addresses those problems.
- Proof points, such as case studies and testimonials, to build credibility.
- A clear call to action that encourages the next steps.
To make your sales deck more engaging, consider:
- Using visuals, such as images, charts, and graphs, to illustrate your points.
- Telling a story that connects with your audience on an emotional level.
- Incorporating interactive elements, such as polls or quizzes, to keep your audience involved.
- Keeping it concise and to the point, avoiding overwhelming your audience with too much information.
Ideally, your sales deck should be no more than 10-12 slides. You want to keep it concise and focused on the most important information.
Remember that your sales deck is a visual aid, not a script. You should be able to deliver your pitch effectively without relying solely on the slides.
No, your company profile should not be used as a sales deck. A company profile provides an overview of your company, its history, and its mission.
A sales deck, on the other hand, is specifically designed to sell a product or service. The two have different purposes and structures.
Some common mistakes to avoid include:
- Overloading slides with too much text.
- Using jargon or technical terms that your audience might not understand.
- Not tailoring your presentation to your specific audience.
- Reading directly from the slides instead of engaging with your audience.
- Not having a clear call to action.
If you need help designing a professional sales deck, then click here & discuss in detail about your upcoming sales presentation.
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