memorized sales presentation method

• Home →
• Blog →
• Salesperson →

How to Create Your Ultimate Sales Presentation (with examples)

The Presentation is Step 4 of your Ultimate 10-Step Sales Presentation.

So, you are a dedicated sales professional who has been following my Ultimate 10-Step Sales Presentation formula! Thus far, you have completed your sales prospecting, so you know the customer is a qualified prospect. You have also spent time developing a strategic presentation plan. Plus, you have even planned your all-important approach to begin your presentation.

Now. At last. It is time to plan a killer presentation; a presentation sure to bring success and well-deserved hearty congratulations from coworkers and bosses!

So, no more delays, let’s get started!

In this article on creating your ultimate sales presentation, we will cover:

• Types of Common Selling Situations

4 Sales Presentation Methods

Basics of a group presentation, win-win negotiating, which presentation method is best, types of selling situations.

When I first started as a sales representative, I only had to master one selling situation. It was me selling to a single buyer. However, as I gained sales experience, I found that I had to present in a variety of selling situations.

As a professional salesperson, you need to be aware of the types of selling situations that you might encounter over the course of your career. Here are five of the most common selling situations.

• Salesperson to the buyer. A single salesperson presenting to a single buyer. This is how most of us start in our selling careers.
• Salesperson to the buyer group. A single salesperson presenting to a buying group or committee. You may present to a buying group when the information is technically complex or when the dollar value of the product is above a single buyer’s authorized level.
• Sales team to the buyer group. A selling team presents to a buying group or committee. The selling team and buying committee is often made up of people from different departments with different skillsets. For example, I led selling teams comprising myself as a sales manager, along with people from sales, finance, product supply, operations, and logistics. We presented to customer buying teams comprising people with the same areas of expertise.
• Consultant selling. A lead salesperson assembles company personnel to deal with specific opportunities or solve specific problems for a customer. For example, when I was a sales manager for Procter& Gamble’s Foodservice division, I was frequently called on to work with customers as a consultant to solve a specific problem. “Why don’t our pie crusts bake evenly?” “Why are the scallops cooked at lunch lighter than the scallops cooked for dinner?” I brought in teams of experts to work specifically on these problems.
• Seminar selling. Seminar selling is often educational in nature. In the “old days,” seminar selling was often held in a hotel meeting room. For example, attorneys put on an educational seminar about wills and trusts. When they were done with the seminar, they sold their services. These days a lot of seminar selling is done via “webinars.” A salesperson presents educational material via a live stream over the internet, and when they are done, they sell their services.

Now that we have a handle on the most common selling situations, we must determine which sales presentation methods we will use for our presentation.

Your sales presentation is a combination of persuasive verbal and visual communications of your business proposition that will solve a customer’s problem. Although to deliver a compelling presentation, you also need to match the presentation method to the specific buying situation.

There are four basic presentation methods most salespeople need to master. They are the

• persuasive selling,
• needs-satisfaction, and
• problem-solution method.

The primary difference between the methods is the percentage of time the salesperson is speaking. In the memorized and persuasive selling methods, the salesperson dominates the conversation. In the needs-satisfaction and problem-solution methods, both the salesperson and buyer share in the conversation.

You can think of these methods as being on a continuum from highly structured to completely customized.

The memorized sales presentation method is the most highly structured method. The salesperson does 80-90% of the talking. The buyer’s participation is generally limited to responding to questions posed by the salesperson.

The memorized presentation is a “canned” presentation; delivering the same basic presentation to every prospective buyer. The salesperson discusses the same features and benefits hoping they will stimulate the buyer’s interest.

The most common use of memorized presentations today is door-to-door and telephone sales.

The memorized presentation method has several advantages.

• It increases the confidence of inexperienced salespeople.
• It ensures that a salesperson or entire salesforce delivers the same features and benefits to prospective buyers.
• It is most efficient when selling time is short.

Drawbacks of the memorized presentation include:

• It is impersonal.
• It may present features and benefits that mean nothing to the buyer.
• It has limited participation with the buyer and, therefore, may be perceived as a high-pressure sales presentation.
• It is not effective for complicated selling situations or technical products.

Persuasive Selling

The persuasive selling presentation method is a powerful tool for both new and experienced salespeople. It is less structured than the memorized presentation. The salesperson typically controls the approach and beginning of the presentation but then engages the buyer more and more as the presentation continues.

The persuasive selling method has several advantages.

• It provides an opportunity for more buyer/seller interaction.
• It provides a logical framework and flow of information.
• It allows the salesperson to handle anticipated questions and objections.

The primary drawback of the persuasive selling model is that the structure is less flexible than the need-satisfaction or problem solution methods. Its more formal structure makes it less suitable for complex selling situations.

With the persuasive selling method, the presentation follows a formula or outline. A typical outline for a persuasive selling presentation includes five steps.

Summarize the Situation

State your idea, explain how it works.

• Reinforce the Key Benefits

Suggest an Easy Next Step

Summarize the situation that leads to the purpose of your presentation.

For example , “Last time we met, you mentioned needing to increase sales by 5%. Is that still the case?”

State your idea regarding a solution in clear, simple terms.

For example , “My idea is for you to feature Product X in your advertising and support the feature with a display.”

Share the details of your proposal. Include information about the product, pricing, timing, and etc., so the buyer understands how your proposal will solve his/her problem.

For example , “We know features and displays on Product X increase sales volume by 5x. I suggest you feature Product Super Duper Extra Large Size in your feature on (date). I will come in the week before the ad and build a display for you.”

Reinforce Key Benefits

Reinforce the key benefits by restating why your proposal solves the buyer’s problem. Focus on the key benefit(s) that are most important to the buyer.

For example , “As I said, a feature and display of Product Super Duper usually has a significant impact on sales. I estimate your sales will increase to (estimate) during the week of the feature and display.

Close the sale by suggesting the next steps, which are needed so you can successfully follow through in your proposal.

For example , “If you submit Product Super Duper for a feature on (date), I will order X number of cases of Super Duper to arrive the week before the feature. Then, on the day before the ad breaks, I will come in and build a display for you.”

Need-Satisfaction

The need-satisfaction presentation method is the most difficult to master. The entire presentation is often a back and forth conversation between buyer and seller. For this reason, the salesperson needs to be able to adapt their style and the information they convey to the seller throughout the presentation.

The need-satisfaction method has several advantages.

• It is highly flexible and customizable.
• It is particularly well-suited for the sale of complex, highly technical products.
• It is most effective at uncovering and prioritizing buyer needs.

The primary drawback of the needs-satisfaction method is the open-ended conversational nature of the presentation process. This makes it a difficult method for less experienced salespeople to master.

As the name suggests, the salesperson begins by discussing the buyer’s needs, then clarifies and summarizes the buyer’s greatest need, and finally, demonstrates how their product will meet the buyer’s needs.

Need Development

The presentation begins with the salesperson, asking a probing question to begin the process of ascertaining buyer needs. The salesperson asks a series of these probing questions to understand as much as possible about all the buyer’s specific needs and problems.

It is not uncommon for half or even more of the presentation time to be spent in the need development phase.

For example , a probing question for a computer salesperson is, “What tasks do your employees use your computers for? Or, “What software do the people in your company use the most?”

Need Awareness

Once the salesperson understands the buyer’s needs and problems, it is time to narrow down the needs/problem to the most important one to solve. The salesperson should then restate the need/problem and confirm with the buyer.

For example , “From what you’ve told me, the biggest problem your accounting staff has is they need to be able to see what people in other departments are spending. They use the Super Deluxe Accounting software package, but they are not on the same network, so they cannot see what various departments are spending. Is that correct?”

Need Fulfillment

The need fulfillment stage is the final phase of the needs-satisfaction presentation method. In this stage, the salesperson demonstrates how their product will meet the buyer’s needs or solve their problem.

For example , “I can certainly understand the importance of having your accounting staff computers networked with common software so they can see what each department is spending. My company makes an internet hub specifically designed to link seamlessly all the computers in the accounting department. It is fast, reliable, and is expandable so it can grow as your company grows. I suggest our training team come in and train your accounting department the week before the technical crew installs the new system Is next week good for the training or would the following week be better?”

I’ve used the needs-satisfaction method numerous times throughout my career.

Often, with complicated situations, I’ve had to spend an entire appointment on just needs development and needs awareness phases. When this happens, I will take the time between appointments to think through all the buyer’s needs/problems and select the best features, advantages, and benefits. Then in my next meeting with the buyer, I will use the persuasive selling method to present my solution because I already know the problem I need to solve for the buyer!

Problem-Solution

The problem-solution presentation method is a completely flexible, customized presentation that requires full engagement between buyer and seller. It is like the need satisfaction method because it is designed to uncover specific buyer needs or problems and then provide the appropriate solution. The primary difference is the problem-solution method is designed to handle a situation where the buyer may not even understand the problem or know how to solve it.

The problem-solution presentation method has several advantages.

• It is highly flexible and completely customizable.
• It is best suited for highly complex technical situations.
• It provides an in-depth analysis of specific needs or problems.

The problem-solution presentation method also has several disadvantages.

• Its complexity makes it difficult for inexperienced salespeople to manage the entire process.
• It is time-intensive, often taking several appointments involving multiple disciplines, over a period of weeks or even months.

Multiple Steps are Needed

The problem-solution presentation method consists of multiple steps. Here are eight steps I follow using the problem-solution presentation method.

• Agreement between buyer and seller to complete the analysis.
• Assemble the seller team and identify the customer’s mirror team.
• Agree on a timeline and the scope of the analysis.
• Conduct the actual analysis.
• Form conclusions and recommended courses of action based on the analysis.
• Develop the sale presentation based on the analysis, conclusions, and recommended course of action.
• The sales team delivers the sales presentation to the customer mirror team.
• Implement the agreed-upon actions.

I can’t give you a verbatim example of a problem-solution presentation, or this article would likely run several hundred more pages than you would want to read! However, I can give you an example of a situation where I used the problem-solution method.

I was in a role where I led teams of salespeople, finance, and product supply experts to analyze entire departments of a grocery store. The goal was to maximize department profits by optimizing the product assortment and layout of the department.

The analysis required the retailer to provide months’ worth of detailed financial and volume information for every product carried in the department. We combined their information with complicated psychographic information to determine the mix of products that would maximize profits and customer satisfaction. Then, with the optimized assortment, we designed shelf layouts that incorporated each product in its most logical and efficient location.

Once the analysis, conclusions, and recommendations were developed, we assembled all the information in presentation notebooks. With all the data these presentations typically ran over 100-pages!

Finally, when everything was printed, our selling team comprising of salespeople, finance, and product supply folks, presented to the customer’s mirror team. Often these presentations ran over two hours.

Once all the agreements were made, we established implementation teams responsible for making the changes in every store.

All-in-all it was not uncommon for this process to take 2-3 months for every retailer we worked with. However, we only committed to this kind of work when there was a significant long-term upside for our company! Given all the time, energy, and expertise to do the analysis and make the presentation.

Both the need-satisfaction and problem-solution presentation methods may involve presenting to a group of people. So next, let’s look at some of the nuances of presenting to groups.

There are two types of group presentations I participated in or delivered over the years. One type is what I call the one-to-many, where I present to a customer’s group. The other type and the one I liked the most is the many-to-many, where a group from the seller company presents to a group from the buyer company.

Delivering successful group presentations is complicated because many people are involved, you cover a lot of material, and the material itself is usually complicated.

I can’t possibly cover everything about running a successful group meeting in this article. Nonetheless, there are a few basics you must understand to conduct successful group presentations.

Get plenty of space

These group presentations are often conducted in a large meeting or board room. There’s nothing worse than stuffing 15 people into a room that holds ten.

Arrange for more time than you think you’ll need

If you need 90 minutes, ask for two-hours. No executive will complain if you finish 30 minutes early, but you stand the risk of losing people if you go over your allotted time.

The more people, the more structured the presentation method. Controlling the attention of any large group requires a presentation that is highly structured and organized.

Start with introductions

Chances are individuals who know each other, but not everyone else in the room, so start with simple introductions of name and role.

Publish an agenda

Let the people know what will be covered and in what order. This is also a perfect time to let people know what to expect for the rest of the meeting.

Have a designated question and answer time

Open questions and answers throughout a presentation with large groups are too distracting. If there are major sections to your presentation you can have a question and answer session for each section. Otherwise, you may elect to have one question and answer section at the end of the presentation.

Assign a timekeeper

For very complicated, long presentations, have someone on your team serve as a timekeeper to help keep you on track and from going over your time limit.

Appoint a designated note-taker on your team

The note taker needs to capture key comments, questions, and agreements for reference later.

Get engagement and agreement as you go

I know I said not to have open questions and answers throughout the presentation, but that doesn’t mean you make the presentation like a robot from the front of the room. If you see head nods, ask if they agree. If you see someone with a concerned or quizzical look on their face, ask if they have a question. If the issue is simple, handle it. Otherwise, say you’ll answer their question in just a moment (or in the Q&A at the end).

Focus on benefits

Talk about and reinforce the key benefits of your solution throughout your presentation. If there is a product supply person in the room, mention the benefits that accrue to that department. If there is a finance person talk to them about financial benefits. And so on! Make sure every person in the room hears the benefit of the proposal as it pertains to them!

Summarize the benefits

Just as you’re getting ready to close, summarize, or restate the key benefits you mentioned throughout your presentation. Again, make sure everyone hears the benefit that your solution brings to them in their work!

These tips are just the basics of running a successful group presentation. I can’t guarantee your success by following them, but I can just about guarantee failure if you ignore any of them!

As you approach the close, you will almost certainly have points the buyer wants to question or negotiate. So next, let’s talk a little bit about how to set yourself and your team up for successful negotiations.

I knew a few salespeople over the years who had a “take it or leave” attitude. They had one proposal, and one way of doing business and they were prepared to walk away from business if the buyer didn’t meet all their demands.

On the other hand, I also ran across a few customers who had a “take it or leave it” attitude. They made whatever demands they felt they could get away with pressuring suppliers to meet their demands. They figured if one supplier didn’t meet their demands the next supplier probably would.

I didn’t like working with either sellers or buyers who took that hardline approach.

In my opinion, a relational salesperson should be prepared to negotiate whether you are talking to a single buyer or a buying group. Over the years, I found the trick is to plan your points of negotiation ahead of time. By planning ahead of time you’ll know where you can compromise and where you cannot.

For example , you should know:

• What extra services can you provide that competitors do not?
• Is your price firm, or is there some flexibility?
• Are there payment terms or a payment plan?
• Can you provide any free services (like training) or equipment upgrades?
• Can you offer flexible delivery dates?

At Procter & Gamble (and most other large companies), our prices and terms were fixed, so I had to create negotiating flexibility in other ways. I could easily offer different shipping dates, different quantities and product assortment, and in some cases, product training.

The point is that I was clear about the things I could not negotiate. Likewise, I clarified that I was happy to negotiate where I had flexibility.

So far, we have covered the five most common selling situations and the four presentation methods. Now, it is time to determine which presentation method is best for you and your situation.

Your selling objective is the starting point in deciding which presentation method to use. If you are making a sales presentation, you will take a different approach than if your objective is to gather the information you can use later to develop a sales presentation.

Generally speaking, if you are making a sales presentation, the memorized or persuasive selling method is best. However, if you need to understand buyer priorities or uncover buyer needs or problems then the needs-satisfaction or problem-solution methods are best.

Yet, there is no single best method. When selecting your presentation method you must consider

• the experience of the salesperson,
• your objective,
• the nature of the product,
• the information about the buyer’s need or problem,
• and a host of other variables.

We’re Not Done with our Sales Presentation!

Although we’ve made a lot of progress, we’re still not ready to see the buyer yet!

Sure, we’ve done our prospecting, some approach planning, and we’ve decided on a presentation method. However, we still need to create that all-important presentation! In the next article, we’ll take a hard look at the important elements we must include in our presentation.

The Ultimate 10-Step Sales Presentation Series

Step4: The Presentation is the fifth in a series of articles, which have been created to teach you how to craft and deliver the Ultimate Sales Presentation in 10-Steps.

If you missed a prior article in this series or you want to review one again, you’ll find them here:

Kick-Off: The Ultimate 10-Step Sales Presentation

Step 1: Customer Prospecting

Step 2: Pre-Approach Planning

Step 3: The Approach

Step 4: The Presentation – Part 1 (you’re here)

Steps 5-10: Coming soon. A new article releases every two weeks.

If you want to make sure you don’t miss one of these articles, you can sign up to receive the series here .

Join the Conversation

As always, questions and comments are welcome. What questions do you have about the Approach step of the Ultimate 10-Step Presentation model?

I’d love your help. This blog is read primarily because of people like you who share it with friends. Would you be kind enough to share it by pressing the share button?

Category: Salespeople

Related Posts

Your Complete Guide to Customer Retention: Service and Follow-Up (with Examples)

Your Complete Guide to Closing the Sale (with Examples)

Your Complete Guide to Flushing Out Buyer Objections

How to Leverage the Trial Close in Your Ultimate Sales Presentation

Session expired

Please log in again. The login page will open in a new tab. After logging in you can close it and return to this page.

Perfecting Your Pitch: Navigating Types of Sales Presentations

Imagine walking into a room filled with potential customers, armed with nothing but your product and a memorized pitch. How do you engage your audience, stand out from the competition, and close the deal? It all starts with understanding the types of sales presentations and using the right one to your advantage.

Sales is often compared to an art form, and like any artist, a good salesperson needs an array of tools in their repertoire. One of the most critical tools is the sales presentation, the bridge that connects your product to the customer. But did you know there are several types of sales presentations, each with their unique strengths and ideal scenarios? Let’s take a deep dive into these presentation styles and explore how they can bring you closer to your next successful sale.

The Essential Trio: Types of Sales Presentations

Sales presentations typically fall into three primary categories: the standard memorized presentation, the formulated sales presentation, and the need-satisfaction presentation. Each has its unique characteristics, making them suitable for different sales scenarios.

1. The Scripted Path: Standard Memorized Presentation

Standard Memorized Presentations, often dubbed as ‘canned presentations,’ bank on the precision of a meticulously prepared script. By covering every nook and cranny of a product or service, they ensure not a single crucial detail slips through the cracks. They allow the salesperson to deliver a well-rehearsed, seamless presentation, leaving no room for potential inaccuracies or misinterpretations.

Pros of a Standard Memorized Presentation

A major advantage of Standard Memorized Presentations is the uniformity they bring. They ensure that every salesperson delivers a consistent message, thereby maintaining the integrity of the product or service description. This type of presentation is extremely detail-oriented, reducing the risk of accidentally overlooking critical points about the product or service.

Cons of a Standard Memorized Presentation

However, Standard Memorized Presentations also have their drawbacks. Given their scripted nature, they may come off as robotic or impersonal, lacking the genuine warmth that can be critical in establishing rapport with the customer. Furthermore, their rigid format offers little flexibility, limiting the salesperson’s ability to react spontaneously to unexpected situations or queries from the customer.

2. The Flexible Approach: Formulated Sales Presentation

A Formulated Sales Presentation is akin to a guided improv performance. While it rests on a structured outline, it offers room for salespeople to tweak and adjust their presentation in real time based on the customer’s reactions. This flexibility means the sales presentation is not set in stone but evolves to cater to the client’s preferences and queries.

Pros of a Formulated Sales Presentation

The Formulated Sales Presentation’s standout feature is the balance it strikes between rigidity and flexibility. While it ensures the salesperson stays on track, it allows them to tailor the pitch to resonate with the specific needs, interests, and pain points of the customer. This approach fosters personalized selling, making the customer feel valued and understood.

Cons of a Formulated Sales Presentation

However, this improvisational aspect can also be a double-edged sword. It requires the salesperson to think on their feet and adapt quickly to changing situations. This can lead to potential inconsistencies if not carefully managed, which may confuse the customer or dilute the primary selling points of the product or service.

3. The Customer-Centric Style: Need-Satisfaction Presentation

The Need-Satisfaction Presentation pivots toward a customer-centric approach. In this style of presentation, the salesperson concentrates on understanding and satisfying the customer’s specific needs. The emphasis here is on creating a dialogue rather than delivering a monologue, inviting the customer into an interactive exchange that revolves around their unique requirements.

Pros of a Need-Satisfaction Presentation

The Need-Satisfaction Presentation stands out for its highly personalized nature. The salesperson focuses on meeting the customer’s unique needs, making the customer feel heard and understood. This interaction fosters a sense of connection, enhancing engagement and satisfaction. By encouraging two-way communication, this approach not only uncovers the customer’s needs but also builds a rapport, vital for long-term customer relationships.

Cons of a Need-Satisfaction Presentation

Despite its benefits, the Need-Satisfaction Presentation does present some challenges. It requires exceptional listening and empathy skills from the salesperson to truly understand the customer’s needs. Moreover, its highly interactive and tailored nature makes it potentially more time-consuming than traditional, streamlined sales presentations. For sales teams dealing with high volumes of customers, this could prove a logistical challenge.

Choosing the Right Presentation: When and How?

The success of a sales presentation largely depends on choosing the appropriate style based on your customer’s needs and your selling environment.

When to Use a Standard Memorized Presentation?

Standard memorized presentations are particularly effective when uniformity and precision are paramount. They are excellent for scenarios such as trade shows or product launches, where consistency is key, or when the product has complex technical details that need accurate communication.

When to Use a Formulated Sales Presentation?

Formulated sales presentations thrive in situations where products or services are customizable. This type of presentation gives experienced salespeople the flexibility to adjust their pitch according to the customer’s responses and preferences, creating a personalized selling experience.

When to Use a Need-Satisfaction Presentation?

Need-satisfaction presentations are the perfect choice when a customer has unique or specific needs. This style of presentation is particularly successful in B2B sales or when selling high-value products or services, as it can be customized to address the unique requirements of the customer.

Amplifying Your Sales Presentation Skills

Mastering the types of sales presentations is crucial, but the delivery of your presentation plays a significant role in its success. From body language and tone of voice to visuals and design elements, every aspect can influence the effectiveness of your presentation. This is where Fully Decked Up, India’s leading presentation design agency, can step in and help you take your sales presentations to the next level.

Fully Decked Up: Upping Your Presentation Game

Fully Decked Up is not just another presentation design agency. It specializes in creating engaging, professional, and highly effective presentation designs. Here’s what sets us apart:

Expertise: Our team of seasoned designers and presentation experts completely understand the art of effective selling through compelling visuals.

Custom Designs: Every presentation is unique, and Fully Decked Up understands this. We customize every design to suit your presentation style, your product or service, and your target audience.

Wide Range of Services: From infographics to slide designs and everything in between, Fully Decked Up has you covered.

Boost Your Sales with the Right Presentation Style

Understanding the different types of sales presentations is just the beginning. To truly excel in sales, you need to master the art of delivering each type effectively. This means choosing the right presentation style for the right situation, understanding your audience, and leveraging powerful visuals to convey your message effectively.

But why stop there? Boost your sales presentations with Fully Decked Up. With their custom designs and wide range of services , they can help you make a lasting impression and close more deals.

Ready to amplify your sales presentation skills? Contact Fully Decked Up today, and discover how their services can transform your sales presentations into compelling selling tools.

We use essential cookies to make Venngage work. By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.

Manage Cookies

Cookies and similar technologies collect certain information about how you’re using our website. Some of them are essential, and without them you wouldn’t be able to use Venngage. But others are optional, and you get to choose whether we use them or not.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are always on, as they’re essential for making Venngage work, and making it safe. Without these cookies, services you’ve asked for can’t be provided.

Show cookie providers

• Google Login

Functionality Cookies

These cookies help us provide enhanced functionality and personalisation, and remember your settings. They may be set by us or by third party providers.

Performance Cookies

These cookies help us analyze how many people are using Venngage, where they come from and how they're using it. If you opt out of these cookies, we can’t get feedback to make Venngage better for you and all our users.

• Google Analytics

Targeting Cookies

These cookies are set by our advertising partners to track your activity and show you relevant Venngage ads on other sites as you browse the internet.

• Google Tag Manager
• Infographics
• Daily Infographics
• Popular Templates
• Accessibility
• Graphic Design
• Graphs and Charts
• Data Visualization
• Human Resources
• Beginner Guides

Blog Marketing 15 Sales Presentation Examples to Drive Sales

15 Sales Presentation Examples to Drive Sales

Written by: Danesh Ramuthi Oct 31, 2023

A sales presentation is not merely a brief introduction to a product or service. It’s a meticulously constructed sales pitch tailored to showcase the unique features and key elements of what’s being offered and to resonate deeply with the prospective customers. 

But what stands out in the best sales presentation is their ability to weave an engaging story, integrating customer testimonials, success stories and sales performances to maintain the audience’s attention span and to persuade them to take action. 

The right tools, like those provided by Venngage presentation Maker and its sales presentation templates , can greatly aid in this endeavor. The aim is to have a presentation memorable enough that it lingers in the minds of potential clients long after the pitch. 

Its ultimate aim is not just to inform but to persuasively secure the audience’s commitment.

Click to jump ahead:

6 Sales presentation examples

What to include and how to create a sales presentation, sales presentation vs pitch deck.

• Final thoughts

A sales presentation can be the differentiating factor that turns a potential client into a loyal customer. The manner in which a brand or individual presents their value proposition, product, or service can significantly impact the buying decisions of their audience.

Hence, drawing inspiration from various sales presentation examples can be an instrumental step in crafting the perfect pitch.

Let’s explore a few examples of sales presentations that cater to different needs and can be highly effective when used in the right context.

Clean sales presentation examples

The concept of a “clean” sales presentation reflects more than just its visual aesthetic; it captures an ethos of straightforward, concise and effective communication. A clean presentation offers a professional and efficient way to present your sales pitch, making it especially favorable for brands or individuals looking to be perceived as trustworthy and reliable.

Every slide in such a presentation is meticulously designed to be aesthetically pleasing, balancing visuals and text in a manner that complements rather than competes.

Its visual appeal is undeniably a draw, but the real power of a clean sales presentation lies in its ability to be engaging enough to hold your audience’s attention. By minimizing distractions, the message you’re trying to convey becomes the focal point. This ensures that your audience remains engaged, absorbing the key points without being overwhelmed.

A clean design also lends itself well to integrating various elements such as graphs, charts and images, ensuring they’re presented in a clear and cohesive manner. In a business environment where attention spans are continually challenged, a clean presentation stands as an oasis of clarity, ensuring that your audience walks away with a clear understanding of what you offer and why it matters to them.

Minimalist sales presentation examples

Minimalism, as a design and communication philosophy, revolves around the principle of ‘less is more’. It’s a bold statement in restraint and purpose. In the context of sales presentations, a minimalist approach can be incredibly powerful.

It ensures that your content, stripped of any unnecessary embellishments, remains at the forefront. The primary objective is to let the core message shine, ensuring that every slide, every graphic and every word serves a precise purpose.

This design aesthetic brings with it a sense of sophistication and crispness that can be a potent tool in capturing your audience’s attention. There’s an inherent elegance in simplicity which can elevate your presentation, making it memorable.

But beyond just the visual appeal, the minimalist design is strategic. With fewer elements on a slide, the audience can focus more intently on the message, leading to better retention and engagement. It’s a brilliant way to ensure that your message doesn’t just reach your audience, but truly resonates with them.

Every slide is crafted to ensure that the audience’s focus never wavers from the central narrative, making it an excellent choice for brands or individuals seeking to create a profound impact with their pitches.

Simple sales presentation examples

A simple sales presentation provides a clear and unobstructed pathway to your main message, ensuring that the audience’s focus remains undivided. Perfect for highlighting key information, it ensures that your products or services are front and center, unobscured by excessive design elements or verbose content.

But the beauty of a simple design is in its flexibility. With platforms like Venngage , you have the freedom to customize it according to your brand voice and identity. Whether it’s adjusting text sizes, incorporating vibrant colors or selecting standout photos or icons from expansive free stock libraries, the power to enhance and personalize your presentation lies at your fingertips.

Creating your ideal design becomes a seamless process, ensuring that while the presentation remains simple, it is every bit as effective and captivating.

Professional sales presentation example

A professional sales presentation is meticulously crafted, reflecting the brand’s guidelines, voice and core values. It goes beyond just key features or product benefits; it encapsulates the brand’s ethos, presenting a cohesive narrative that resonates deeply with its target audience.

For sales professionals, it’s more than just a slide deck; it’s an embodiment of the brand’s identity, from the great cover image to the clear call to action at its conclusion.

These presentations are tailored to address potential pain points, include sales performances, and present solutions in a compelling and engaging story format. 

Integrating elements like customer success stories and key insights, ensuring that the presentation is not just good, but memorable.

Sales performance sales presentation example

A company’s sales performance presentation is vital to evaluate, refine and boost their sales process. It’s more than just numbers on a slide deck; it’s a comprehensive look into the effectiveness of sales campaigns, strategies and the sales team as a whole.

This type of sales presentation provides key insights into what’s working, what isn’t and where there’s potential for growth.

It’s an invaluable tool for sales professionals, often serving as a roadmap guiding future sales pitches and marketing campaigns.

An effective sales performance presentation might begin with a compelling cover slide, reflecting the brand’s identity, followed by a brief introduction to set the context. From there, it delves into specifics: from the sales metrics, customer feedback and more.

Ultimately, this presentation is a call to action for the sales team, ensuring they are equipped with the best tools, strategies and knowledge to convert prospective customers into paying ones, driving more deals and growing the business.

Testimonial-based sales presentation examples

Leveraging the voices of satisfied customers, a testimonial-based sales presentation seamlessly blends social proof with the brand’s value proposition. It’s a testament to the real-world impact of a product or service, often making it one of the most effective sales presentation examples. 

By centering on customer testimonials, it taps into the compelling stories of those who have experienced firsthand the benefits of what’s being offered.

As the presentation unfolds, the audience is introduced to various customer’s stories, each underscoring the product’s unique features or addressing potential pain points.

These success stories serve dual purposes: they not only captivate the audience’s attention but also preemptively handle sales objections by showcasing how other customers overcame similar challenges.

Sales professionals can further augment the presentation with key insights derived from these testimonials, tailoring their sales pitch to resonate deeply with their potential clients.

Creating a good sales presentation is like putting together a puzzle. Each piece needs to fit just right for the whole picture to make sense. 

So, what are these pieces and how do you put them together? 

Here, I’ll break down the must-have parts of a sales presentation and give you simple steps to build one. 

What to include in a sales presentation?

With so much information to convey and a limited time to engage your audience in your sales presentation, where do you start?

Here, we’re going to explore the essential components of a successful sales presentation, ensuring you craft a compelling narrative that resonates with your prospects.

• A captivating opening slide: First impressions matter. Start with a great cover image or slide that grabs your audience’s attention instantly. Your opening should set the tone, making prospects curious about what’s to come.
• Data-driven slides: Incorporate key points using charts, graphs, infographics and quotes. Instead of flooding your slides with redundant information, use them as a tool to visually represent data. Metrics from your sales dashboard or third-party sources can be particularly illuminating.
• Social proof through testimonials: Weave in testimonials and case studies from satisfied customers. These success stories, especially from those in the same industry as your prospects, act as powerful endorsements, bolstering the credibility of your claims.
• Competitive context: Being proactive is the hallmark of savvy sales professionals. Address how your product or service fares against competitors, presenting a comparative analysis. 
• Customized content: While using a foundational slide deck can be helpful, personalizing your presentation for each meeting can make all the difference. Whether it’s integrating the prospect’s brand colors, industry-specific data or referencing a past interaction, tailored content makes your audience feel acknowledged.
• Clear path to the future: End by offering a glimpse into the next steps. This can include a direct call to action or an overview of the onboarding process. Highlight the unique value your company brings post-sale, such as exceptional training or standout customer support.
• Keep it simple: Remember, simplicity is key. Avoid overcrowding your slides with excessive text. Visual data should take center stage, aiding in comprehension and retention. 

Related: 120+ Presentation Ideas, Topics & Example

How to create a sales presentation? 

Crafting a good sales presentation is an art that blends structure, content and design. 

A successful sales presentation not only tells but also sells, capturing the audience’s attention while conveying the main message effectively. 

Here’s a step-by-step guide to ensure that your sales deck becomes a winning sales presentation.

1. Find out your ideal audience

The first step to any effective sales pitch is understanding your audience. Are you presenting to prospective customers, potential clients or an internet marketing agency? Recognize their pain points, buying process and interests to craft a message that resonates. This understanding ensures that your presentation is memorable and speaks directly to their unique needs.

2. Pick a platform to Use

Depending on your target audience and the complexity of your sales literature, you might opt for Venngage presentation maker, PowerPoint templates, Google Slides or any tools that you are comfortable with. Choose a tool that complements your brand identity and aids in keeping your audience’s attention span engaged.

3. Write the ‘About Us’ section

Here’s where you build trust. Give a brief introduction about your organization, its values and achievements. Highlight key elements that set you apart, be it a compelling story of your brand’s inception, a lucrative deal you managed to seal, or an instance where an internet marketing agency hired you for their needs.

4. Present facts and data

Dive deep into sales performance metrics, client satisfaction scores and feedback. Use charts, graphs and infographics to visually represent these facts. Testimonials and customer success stories provide that added layer of social proof. By showcasing concrete examples, like a customer’s story or feedback, you give your audience solid reasons to trust your product or service.

5. Finish with a memorable conclusion & CTA

Now that you’ve laid out all the information, conclude with a bang. Reiterate the value proposition and key insights you want your audience to remember. Perhaps share a compelling marketing campaign or a unique feature of your offering.

End with a clear call to action, directing your prospects on what to do next, whether it’s downloading further assistance material, getting in touch for more deals or moving further down the sales funnel .

Related: 8 Types of Presentations You Should Know [+Examples & Tips]

Sales presentation and the pitch deck may seem similar at first glance but their goals, focuses, and best-use scenarios differ considerably. Here’s a succinct breakdown of the two:

Sales Presentation:

• What is it? An in-depth dialogue designed to persuade potential clients to make a purchase.
• Focuses on: Brand identity, social proof, detailed product features, addressing customer pain points, and guiding to the buying process.
• Best for: Detailed interactions, longer meetings and thorough discussions with potential customers.
• Example: A sales rep detailing a marketing campaign to a potential client.

Pitch Deck:

• What is it? Pitch deck is a presentation to help potential investors learn more about your business. The main goal isn’t to secure funding but to pique interest for a follow-up meeting.
• Focuses on: Brand voice, key features, growth potential and an intriguing idea that captures the investor’s interest.
• Best for: Initial investor meetings, quick pitches, showcasing company potential.
• Example: A startup introducing its unique value proposition and growth trajectory to prospective investors.

Shared traits: Both aim to create interest and engagement with the audience. The primary difference lies in the intent and the audience: one is for selling a product/service and the other is for igniting investor interest.

Related: How to Create an Effective Pitch Deck Design [+Examples]

Final thoughts 

Sales presentations are the heart and soul of many businesses. They are the bridge between a potential customer’s needs and the solution your product or service offers. The examples provided—from clean, minimalist to professional styles—offer a spectrum of how you can approach your next sales presentation.

Remember, it’s not just about the aesthetics or the data; it’s about the narrative, the story you tell, and the connection you establish. And while sales presentations and pitch decks have their distinct purposes, the objective remains consistent: to engage, persuade and drive action.

If you’re gearing up for your next sales presentation, don’t start from scratch. Utilize Venngage presentation Maker and explore our comprehensive collection of sales presentation templates .

Discover popular designs

Infographic maker

Brochure maker

White paper online

Newsletter creator

Flyer maker

Timeline maker

Letterhead maker

Mind map maker

Ebook maker

11 Essential Sales Presentation Tips To Close The Deal Faster

The truth is, to sell a large quantity of  any  product, there is a set of steps everyone needs to follow. This process is familiar to many, including street vendors who use it easily.

Yet, it often goes unnoticed by many of us sales professionals, despite its potential to significantly impact sales success! To secure bigger and better deals, learning effective sales presentation techniques is essential. These skills can help you close deals quickly and with more confidence. For guidance on enhancing your presentations, keep reading on for more valuable strategies.

What is a Sales Presentation?

Sales presentations vs sales pitches: what’s the difference, the importance of effective sales presentations, what makes a good sales presentation, 11 effective sales presentation tips, 7 effective sales presentation skills every sales rep must have.

Understanding what makes a good presentation begins with understanding the sales presentation definition ;

‘a talk giving information about a product or service that you are trying to sell, intended to persuade people to buy it:’. 

A sales presentation is a meeting between an individual salesperson or sales team and a company. They attempt to persuade key stakeholders to close the deal by displaying the offerings’ capabilities, benefits, and features . They must align with your prospective client’s needs to achieve the desired outcome, which usually requires extensive planning and preparation.

A sales presentation is kind of like a more complex version of a sales pitch. They are comprehensive and tailored for significant deals that require in-depth discussions among multiple decision-makers. They play a crucial role in scenarios where the stakes are high and collective decision-making is essential.

Sales presentations are more detailed than a quick sales pitch. They’re part of a longer sales cycle, usually for significant deals. These presentations often require demonstrating the product or reviewing the sales proposal in detail. They often demand a higher budget. This covers not only the presentation, which often lasts an hour, but also the necessary preparation, scheduling, and rehearsals. Moreover, sales presentations often involve a team, not just one person. Everyone needs to work together as a team to understand and execute the plan.

Navigating the landscape of sales pitches can be transformative for your sales strategy. Choosing the right pitch type can make all the difference, whether it’s a brief chat or a formal meeting.

Here’s a deeper dive into the nuances of each pitch type and discover examples and templates that bring them to life.

Read more here.

The elevator pitch is often mistaken for a regular sales pitch, but it’s actually different. A sales pitch is a formal type of sales presentation, usually used in long buying cycles. It can take multiple times until a deal has closed. Whereas an elevator sales pitch quickly introduces your work to potential clients in a casual setting. You position yourself as the go-to solution they need, aiming to pique their interest and pave the way for a sale.

Crafting an effective elevator sales pitch is an essential skill for any professional. The right pitch can open doors and create opportunities during a brief encounter. An elevator pitch stands out from a regular sales pitch because it’s brief and gets to the point immediately. You have a short moment to grab someone’s attention and convey your message.

If you want to improve your ability to deliver a sharp elevator pitch, our guide is just what you need. It lays out the steps clearly and provides examples to help you craft your effective pitch quickly.

Craft your effective pitch now.

• Using Stories to Demonstrate Value
• The Ultimate Guide To Selling To The C-Suite

A sales presentation helps salespeople build connections with prospective customers. It allows them to differentiate their offering from competitors – with the end goal of closing a deal. Sales presentations are crucial for shaping future interactions in the sales process. They serve as a vital tool to convince prospects that your offering meets their needs perfectly.

Also read: How to Run Effective Remote & Virtual Sales Presentations

An effective sales presentation speaks directly to your audience’s needs, challenges and desires. A sales presentation grabs attention with an engaging story and a clear value proposition. It includes a strong call to action that tells the prospect exactly why your solution is the right choice.

Let’s break down the five essentials of a good sales presentation and the common structure many companies use. This approach helps ensure your presentation is effective:

What are the 5 Core Elements of Every Sales Presentation?

1. research.

You’re giving a sales presentation because you can solve a prospect’s problem. However, you mustn’t start the sales presentation with the solution. Rather, start on the problem itself and the subsequent challenges and pain points your prospect experiences because of it.

Prospects don’t see solutions or features; they see the value that comes with a suitable solution. That’s why you need to research prospects to understand what motivates them thoroughly. Understanding your customers’ challenges is key. As you learn more about their operations, you can customize their experience to offer solutions that truly add value.

2. Storytelling

Stories help prospects visualize the value of your offering . That’s why choosing a few stories to use in your sales presentations can resonate with your prospects. This approach is effective when you’ve thoroughly researched and understood their unique requirements.

3. A Value-Proposition

“What’s really in it for me?” – that’s what every prospect wants to know. Every prospect is looking to understand the benefits they’ll gain. They want to know why your product or service is worth their investment.

Suppose you can’t convince someone else that your product or service offers better value than your competitors. In that case, there is no point in wasting any more time trying to sell your solution. You’ll only ever hear, “We’ll be in touch.”

Always ensure you arrive prepared with a value proposition . It should explicitly state how your company’s product or service benefits prospects. For example, you can always follow the “value proposition formula.” To get started: [Company name] helps [target audience] with [services] so you can [benefits].

Prospects are more likely to move on to the next step when they see proof that others have gained from your solution. To achieve this, ensure you have plenty of social proof available from the get-go when meeting with your prospect. Overall, any proof of your effective solution helps answer the “how can I believe you” question from prospects. To do so successfully, consider sharing evidence such as:

• Client testimonials:  Enhance your credibility impact with reasons other customers love doing business with you. 
• Research data:  Use industry expert quotes to create bridge statements from your features and benefits. 
• Product comparisons against key competitors:  Tell them why your solution is better. 

5. A Call to Action

Last but not least, an effective sales presentation requires a strong call to action at the end to compel prospects to take action. Tell prospects what their next step should be, whether buying, taking internal steps, or trying a free trial.

Crafting a sales slide deck that connects with your audience and clearly presents your value is crucial for a winning sales strategy. It should spotlight your product’s benefits and features while telling a story that matches your prospects’ needs and challenges.

Learn how to create a sales slide deck that supports your pitch effectively and helps you close more deals, leading to more satisfied customers. It has a presentation template outline you can easily follow for your next sales deck.

Create your winning slide deck now.

Mastering the right sales presentation techniques can guide you through meetings and help you close more sales. Check out these methods below to boost your success:

1. Use the “Five-Second Rule”

Prospects have less and less time in this competitive and busy digital world. Capturing a prospect’s attention is hard, but holding onto it is an even harder! Keep the 5-second rule in mind: you have just fifteen to twenty words to capture your prospect’s attention. Ensure your overall opening statement is strong and directly relates to your audience.

2. Talk like an executive

Ideally, prospects will understand your sales presentation after the first minute. That’s why you need to use the appropriate language to address your audience. Not only does it help decision-makers connect with your solution quicker, but it also shows you’re prepared to respect their time.

3. Involve key stakeholders

Use your showmanship abilities and have the prospective decision-makers interact with the product you are selling. Encourage prospects to experience the product firsthand to appreciate its ease of use, softness, or the enjoyment it brings. Focus on its standout feature or benefit. When the customer gets involved, they can imagine themselves using the product, making it easier for them to buy.

4. Present solutions to painful challenges

Begin your sales presentation by focusing on the main issue that your prospect is struggling with. Describe how your product or service solves this specific problem they’re dealing with. Doing so shows them a way out of their current situation and the opportunities they could gain from closing the deal.

5. Make it memorable

When you give a  presentation , people will not retain everything you say. Often, we leave it up to chance what our prospects remember from our presentations. By adding certain elements to your pitch, you can guide what sticks in their memory. Keep it simple and direct, ensuring the key points are memorable and impactful.

• Visuals : The first element is to help them visualize. Use a visual on the screen that emphasizes one of my key messages. Aim to have no more than three key messages that you want somebody to walk away with. But use visuals to emphasize key points.
• Text : Also, put text on the screen, almost like underlining essential words in documents. Use text to highlight important points you want them to remember.
• Story : To get your  prospect  to remember your presentation, include a  story  highlighting your 3 key points. Wrap them in a story that touches on their emotions and can help them visualize how your solution will help them.
• Repetition : By using stories, text, and visuals and repeating your key points, your presentation will stick with the audience. They’ll especially remember the three main messages you want to highlight. Steve Jobs captivated his audience with his effective presentation style. He often used rhetorical techniques and focused on three main points to clarify his message. His presentations always typically emphasized products being thinner, faster, and lighter.

So remember to influence what people remember from your presentation. Use visuals, text, story and repetition.

Engaging presentation principles apply universally, whether delivered live or virtually. Spencer Waldron from Prezi offers insights on keeping your audience engaged. His advice is practical across all types of presentations. His strategies work for any presentation scenario, making sure people hear your message and remember it.

Get the summary here.

6. Prepare valuable insights

Another effective sales presentation technique is to prepare insights ahead of time for your prospects. Insights are accurate understandings of your prospect, your prospect’s business or your industry. These insights come from research, experience, and analyzing data and metrics. They aim to strengthen the relationship with prospects by offering them new ways to enhance and grow their business.

7. Don’t lead with your differentiators. Lead to them!

Suppose you lead by explaining your solution’s differentiating factors. In that case, you risk not hitting the mark and resonating with prospects about why this is so important. That’s why you should introduce your key differentiators only after the prospect clearly understands your backstory. View your key differentiators as clues you leave for prospects, helping them piece together the overall benefits.

8. Master the art of trial closes

Instead of expecting commitment from a single sales pitch, guide your prospect through a series of smaller steps that lead to the final commitment. A commitment is an obligation or a promise; an incremental commitment would be small, bite-sized pieces or portions. For example, you could ask your prospects to commit to:

• Meeting with you again.
• Reviewing your proposal.
• Introducing you to another decision-maker.
• Scheduling a conference call with key stakeholders.
• Forwarding a survey to their staff to understand their needs before you propose something.

Overall, the key is to secure a small, easy commitment from your prospect. When followed by consistent small commitments, this initial step gradually leads you to finalize those extensive, intricate deals.

9. Ask for feedback

The easiest way to lose the engagement of any audience is to drone on for long periods. While your words might be compelling, how you deliver them is crucial. That’s why you should start your presentation by inviting decision-makers to ask questions at any point. This open dialogue lets your sales reps gauge if they’re on target or need to adjust their strategy.

10. Ask for the sale

After the prospect understands the product, how it can benefit them, and how easy it will be to implement , ask for the sale . Consider the approach of the sidewalk seller’s case, who asks, “We have it in red, blue, green and yellow. What color would you like?” Determine what closes work best for you.

Also read: 15 Top Sales Closing Techniques To Increase Close Rates

11. Ask Again

If the customer poses an objection, overcome their objection and ask again. Persist even after an initial rejection. Reflect on the sidewalk seller’s tactic when he asks, “What else can you get in Singapore for $10?”. Salespeople often close most sales on the second or third attempt.

You don’t have to sit on a sidewalk with a loudspeaker blasting your every word to employ these techniques. You just need to demonstrate how your product makes life better for your customers. So find a way to get in front of your prospects, and make sure to follow these steps to maximize results.

We’ve already explored effective sales presentation techniques. Let’s recap the sales presentation skills every sales rep needs to close more deals. Discover each skill in detail below:

Research & Solution-Based Questioning

The first stage of preparing for a sales presentation is thoroughly researching your prospect. Skipping this preparation will likely result in the rejection of your ideas. That’s why all salespeople must be keen researchers of their ideal customers. Gather answers and insights about your prospect’s challenges with  typical solution-selling questions  such as:

• What are their most pressing needs?
• Do they know 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?
• In what way 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? 

The importance of Solution Selling vs. product Selling for effective sales presentations

What does  solution selling vs product selling  have to do with sales presentations? In product selling, the goal is to convince customers that it outshines the competition. This is why salespeople often detail features and prices to uninterested prospects. This approach focuses heavily on the product’s attributes during sales presentations. 

On the other hand, solution selling requires an alternative way of making a sale. Pinpointing your customer’s real-world problem is key. You can then demonstrate how your product is the right solution to solve their problem.

A compelling sales demo goes beyond showcasing features. This is a pivotal moment when the prospect truly sees what the product can do for them. Delivering a sales demo that informs, persuades, and excites is a skill that significantly impacts the sale’s outcome. This skill is vital for turning prospects into customers.

Our guide provides detailed steps for planning and executing a sales demo that will captivate and sway your audience.

Get the full detailed steps here.

Active Listening

You must be willing to listen to your prospects first so that they will pay attention to what you say. This involves more than just allowing your prospects to speak; it’s about actively listening to their concerns and feedback.

Sales professionals should be  listening 80% of the time and only talking 20% of the time . Allocate half of that 20% to asking questions, leaving just 10% for presenting and explaining your product.

To craft an offering that resonates with your prospect, pay close attention to the details they share about their problem. This tailored approach increases the likelihood of a purchase. Rather than spending time preparing an unappealing one-size-fits-all type of deal. 

Overall, effective sales presentations hinge on your body language. Show your prospect that you’re actively listening—through subtle head nods and comments demonstrating understanding and agreement.

Also read: 6 Personality Traits of a Good Salesperson Vs. a Bad Salesperson

Storytelling

Case studies have shown that  people are more receptive to stories  than almost any other type of communication. Our brains not only naturally crave stories, but we remember them and pass on the meaningful ones to others. That’s why incorporating storytelling into asking for the sale is so effective.

Create a hero with a clear name and personality, facing a practical problem they must resolve. However, you must take great care when deciding how to reflect your intended message. When crafting stories for your customers, ensure your storytelling speaks directly to your customers. Include the same hopes, ambitions, fears, regrets, and disappointments they too possess so they see their own stories reflected in yours.

Ultimately, prospects need to perceive you as self-assured to want to work with you. That’s why all sales reps should be confident in themselves and the solution they are selling. To achieve this, all skilled salespeople must rehearse and fine-tune their sales presentations well before it’s time to present. They practice to ensure that the delivery is articulate and compelling. Alongside employing body language techniques such as:

• Eye contact:  Shows prospects you’re interested in what they have to say.
• Standing/sitting straight:  Opens your posture, making your body language warmer and authoritative. 
• A firm handshake:  Always offer a firm but friendly handshake to make a good first impression.
• Smile:  An effective sales presentation technique for keeping prospects at ease when used naturally as not forced. 

Objection Handling

All sales reps should be able to list common past objections and grasp the reasoning behind each one. By doing this, reps can positively frame each response to each objection and practice it for the sales presentation. Continue reading to  learn common sales objections  and how to overcome them. 

Interpersonal & Rapport Building

Interpersonal skills are subtle yet impactful behaviors that help build rapport with prospects. They’re the key to transforming successful sales presentations into lasting, trusted relationships. As the saying goes, ‘People do business with people they know, like and trust.’ So, of course, you need to build rapport – and quickly.

One of the most effective ways to do this is to use your customer’s name and know how to pronounce it correctly. It helps to foster a sense of connection with them because they feel heard. People also kind of love the sound of their names—it’s a simple yet effective way to engage with them.

However, make sure to use their name naturally in the conversation – otherwise, you’ll come off as indigenous. Other types of interpersonal skills include:

• Communication style flexing:  Different prospects have unique ways in which they prefer to communicate based on their communication style. They typically fall into  one of four communication styles  based on two factors. Understanding the different communication styles and how to handle each individually can drastically improve your relationship and ability to connect with other people.  Furthermore, after fully identifying your prospective executive’s communication style, focus on understanding their decision-making approach. How do you do this? Ask yourself and the prospective executive  these questions . 
• Courtesy:  If good manners cost nothing, courtesy is critical for making prospects feel welcome and comfortable. 
• Understanding the prospect’s viewpoint : This can significantly impact our understanding of their motivations for buying—or not buying.

Engaging with prospects effectively is key to sales success. Doing so will allow you to close more deals and forge stronger business relationships. Building rapport, understanding communication styles, and demonstrating courtesy are just a few interpersonal skills that can significantly impact your interactions with prospects. 

Learn the subtle yet powerful strategies that can transform your sales approach and help you connect with prospects on a deeper level.

Discover the strategies here.

Master the art of closing deals remotely

Selling virtually is not a matter of just doing the same old sales pitch but online. You have to be highly organized and have tightly planned out presentations so you don’t leave your prospect bored and disconnected.

Check out our brand new  Virtual Selling course  to take your remote selling skills to the next level. The course includes 5 checklists, cheat sheets, and guides, and 15+ on-demand virtual selling lessons.

Privacy policy

Sales training.

[email protected]

US 1 (855) 702-1778 Canada 1 (604) 332-1778 APAC +65 3129-2355

Copyright © 2009 - 2024 Soco Sales Training Pte Ltd BRN# 201018007H

0  comments

Effective Sales Presentations: Techniques for Impactful Communication

By   Hanson Cheng

May 20, 2024

• minute read

Last Updated on May 20, 2024 by Hanson Cheng

Immerse yourself in this comprehensive guide to crafting the perfect sales presentation. This article is brimming with valuable and insightful pointers on increasing the effectiveness of your sales presentations, covering every aspect from preparation and design to delivery and subsequent evaluation. Whether you’re setting clear objectives, analyzing your audience, structuring your presentation, or overcoming objections, this article has you covered.

The use of visual aids, crafting a compelling story, and tips for successful non-verbal communication are just a few of the highlights you’re about to discover. Step into this treasure trove of information and give your sales presentations the boost they deserve.

Effective Sales Presentations

Sales presentations are integral to any business’s strategy to influence prospective customers, partners, or investors. They are used to highlight a product or service, its benefits, and how it can solve the audience’s specific problems.

Understanding the importance of sales presentations

Sales presentations are the bridge between your business and potential clients. They not only showcase your product or service, but they also represent your company’s identity, mission, and values. A well-prepared, engaging and persuasive sales presentation can build trust, foster relationships, and close sales.

Sales presentations are useful tools for:

• Demonstrating the value and benefits of your product or service
• Establishing a connection with your audience
• Distinguishing your business from the competition
• Persuading the audience to take action: whether it’s to make a purchase, sign up for a service, or invest in your company

In our global and highly competitive marketplace, a compelling sales presentation is necessary, not an option. Also, a  persuasive business presentation  is essential for clear communication, helping to highlight what makes your products special distinguishing the company from its competitors.  Even companies like Apple and Tesla give high importance to their sales presentations, knowing that their market share and revenue generation significantly depend on them.

Characteristics of impactful sales presentations

Not all sales presentations lead to success. Only those that are informative, captivating, and tailored to the audience’s needs and interests can be deemed powerful. Impactful sales presentations typically have these characteristics:

• Clear and simple: Effective sales presentations are straightforward and avoid technical jargon. They articulate the product or service and its benefits in a concise and easy-to-understand manner.
• Customer-centric: Impactful presentations are not about the company but about the customer. They focus on how the product or service can solve the customer’s problem.
• Engaging: Successful sales presentations interact with the audience, asking questions, and encouraging participation.
• Visual: The use of visuals, such as charts, graphs, images, and videos, makes sales presentations more impactful. They can help explain complex data, illustrate a point, and maintain audience interest.
• Storytelling: A good story can help make your sales presentation more persuasive and memorable. Stories can evoke emotions, which can boost retention and influence decision-making.

Knowing the importance and characteristics of effective sales presentations is crucial for any business aiming to gain market share, attract investors, or create lasting customer relationships. A well-thought-out, engaging, and personalized sales presentation can close deals and help your business thrive in any industry.

Preparing for an Effective Sales Presentation

Setting clear objectives.

To host an effective sales presentation, setting clear objectives beforehand is paramount. Knowing the goals you want to achieve will guide the structure and content of your presentation. You may want to outline your objectives in a clear, concise, and actionable manner. One common objective is to demonstrate the benefits of your product or service and how it solves a problem or meets your audience’s needs. Another frequent goal is to persuade the audience to take a specific action at the end of the presentation, such as making a purchase or signing up for a trial.

Analyzing Your Audience

Having a profound understanding of your audience can significantly influence the success of your sales presentation.

– Demographics : Gaining insights into the basic demographic details of your audience, like age, gender, geographic location, occupation, income level, etc., can help tailor your presentation to the needs and interests of your audience. For instance, a presentation targeted at C-suite executives in San Francisco would likely differ in terms of language, tone, and content compared to a presentation made to small business owners in Austin, Texas.

– Prior Knowledge of the Topic : Gauging the audience’s previous knowledge about the product/service being sold is also crucial. For instance, if they are already familiar with the product category, you may want to focus more on showcasing the unique advantages of your offering rather than start from scratch.

Researching Your Product/Service

A deep and realistic understanding of your product or service is fundamental in a sales presentation. It’s important to know the details inside-out to confidently address any question that comes your way during the presentation. You should be well aware of not only the advantages and benefits of your offering, but also its weaknesses or any possible objections from potential customers, to respond efficiently and adeptly.

Designing an Impactful Sales Presentation

Structuring your presentation.

A good structure is key to a compelling sales presentation.

– Introduction : Starting the presentation with an engaging introduction is crucial to hook your audience immediately. It could be a relevant story, a powerful statistic, or an inspiring quote, anything that sparks interest and sets the stage for the rest of the presentation.

– Body : The body of your presentation should be composed of distinctive sections addressing different aspects of your product/service. Each section should be clear, and informative, and add value to the overall narrative. Using data, anecdotes, examples, and stories can help make your presentation more engaging and persuasive.

– Conclusion : Concluding your presentation effectively is equally important. A strong conclusion should recap the main points and offer a clear call to action that inspires your audience to act.

Visual Aids in Sales Presentations

Visual aids can be a gem in sales presentations, as they assist in explaining complex ideas and data more intuitively and leave a lasting impression.- Types of Visual Aids : Visual aids can vary from basic graphs and charts to more sophisticated animations or interactive elements. Whiteboards, slides, videos, infographics, and flowcharts are typical visual aids used.- Best Practices : However, using visual aids demands some best practices to avoid overwhelming or confusing the audience. Visuals should support your spoken message, not overshadow or contradict it. Moreover, keeping visuals clean, simple, and aesthetically pleasing can enhance their effectiveness.

Crafting a Compelling Story

Incorporating a compelling story in your sales presentation can enhance engagement, make the content more relatable, and achieve better persuasion. Use stories that resonate with your audience, align with your brand and product, and convey your value proposition effectively. Whether it’s a client’s success story, the story behind your product, or your company’s journey, ensure it’s genuine, relatable, and engaging.

Delivering the Sales Presentation

In delivering an effective sales presentation, several significant factors come into play. These factors include building rapport with your audience, using effective communication techniques, and handling objections confidently.

Building rapport with the audience

An important and often overlooked part of delivering an effective sales presentation involves establishing a solid rapport with your audience. A positive connection between the presenter and the audience can greatly enhance the effectiveness of a sales presentation. Therefore, sales reps should strive to connect individually with each member attending their presentation.

This connection can be made through common interests, ice-breakers, or another shared experience. Building rapport helps create a comfortable environment where the audience is more likely to be receptive to the main message and stay engaged throughout the presentation.

Communicating effectively

Effective communication during a sale presentation is another significant determinant of the presentation’s success. It goes beyond the spoken words; your vocal quality and non-verbal cues also play substantial roles.

Vocal quality : Your voice’s tone, volume, and pace can significantly affect the audience’s reception of your sales presentation. A monotone voice can be dull and could disengage your audience. Instead, varying your voice’s tone and pitch can make your presentation more engaging and exciting, keeping your audience’s attention.

Non-verbal communication : Body language is another crucial part of communication during a sales presentation. It can influence how the audience perceives you and your message. Things such as eye contact, gestures, and facial expressions can enhance your presentation, making your delivery more robust. For example, maintaining eye contact can help build trust with your audience, while positive facial expressions can create an enthusiastic and welcoming environment.

Overcoming objections

During a sales presentation, objections are almost inevitable. However, how you handle them can make or break your presentation. Instead of viewing objections as roadblocks, view them as opportunities to clarify information and reinforce your sales arguments. Be patient and actively listen to the objecting party, allowing them to completely state their objection before responding. Always keep your responses respectful, constructive, and focused on the value of your products or services. In doing so, you can turn potential deal-breakers into deal-makers.

To summarize, delivering an engaging and effective sales presentation requires building rapport with the audience, using effective communication through both verbal and non-verbal cues, and confidently overcoming objections. Mastering these techniques can help one deliver a sales presentation that informs, convinces, and converts.

Evaluating and Improving your Sales Presentation

The journey to crafting an effective sales presentation doesn’t end after delivery; it’s a continuous evaluation and improvement process. This section will cover three key practices to refining your sales presentation: seeking feedback, learning from successful presentations, and constant practice and refinement.

Seeking Feedback

Feedback serves as a critical foundation for personal growth and professional development. In the context of sales presentations, it helps in identifying areas that need improvement and strategies that work well. Creating an environment where clients, colleagues, and other stakeholders feel comfortable providing honest insights about your presentation is essential.

Consider implementing a structured approach to seeking feedback by focusing on specific aspects of the presentation like the structure, content, delivery style, and visual aids. You can ask questions like “Was the objective of the presentation clear?” or “Were the visual aids effective in communicating the important points?”

Avoid becoming defensive when receiving feedback and embrace constructive criticism. Acting on the feedback will build trust among your peers, clients, and superiors, showing them that you value their insights as you strive to improve your presentation skills.

Remember, the purpose of feedback is growth. So, embrace it as an opportunity to learn from your experiences, making your future sales presentations increasingly successful.

Learning from Successful Presentations

After feedback, learning from the best is another effective way to improve your sales presentations. Recognize the attributes of successful presentations and identify how you can implement them in your presentation strategy. This does not mean copying others’ style, but understanding why their presentations work and implementing those attributes into your individual style.

Watching successful sales presentations can provide insights into various tactics like structuring the presentation, engaging the audience, handling objections, and closing the deal. Online platforms like TED talks, professional workshops, and corporate presentations can act as valuable resources in this learning process.

Moreover, successful sales presentations from the same industry can provide industry-specific insights that can enhance your understanding of the market, customer preferences, and competition.

Constant Practice and Refinement

Sales presentations are part of a skill set; like any other skill, they need constant practice and refinement. The evolution of an effective sales presentation involves an ongoing cycle of planning, practicing, delivering, and refining.

The key is implementing the feedback and learning from successful and less successful presentations in your practice. Regular practice enhances your confidence and helps you prepare for unexpected situations during the presentation.

Record your presentation rehearsals to observe your body language, delivery style, and the flow of the presentation. It provides a different perspective, aiding you to identify areas that might not be apparent during the actual delivery.

To summarize, evaluating and improving your sales presentation requires an open mindset towards receiving and implementing feedback, learning continuously from successful presenters, and rigorously practicing and refining your style. It’s an ongoing process that gradually makes you a proficient presenter capable of delivering effective and successful sales presentations.

Recap of techniques for impactful communication in sales presentations

Reflecting on the insight gained throughout this article, it is evident that an impactful sales presentation relies on a range of methods and techniques. Initially, establishing clear objectives is pivotal. This provides a guiding compass for the presentation, ensuring the message is tailored and targeted. Simultaneously, understanding your audience lays the foundation for formulating a presentation that resonates with their interests, needs and knowledge level.

A product/service research deep dive not only equips you with needed knowledge to hold an informative presentation but also establishes a level of credibility with your audience. Going forward, the structure of the presentation must be carefully composed, maintaining a compelling narrative throughout. Introducing effectively, building an engaging body of content and leaving a lasting impression with a dynamic conclusion all form part of this process.

Visual aids serve to augment the presentation, enhancing the message through engaging and illustrative content. Used appropriately, these graphics can enhance understanding and retention of information. Meanwhile, crafting a compelling story makes your presentation memorable whilst stimulating an emotional connection with the audience.

During the delivery of the presentation, fostering rapport with your audience can be highly beneficial. Communicating effectively, both verbally and non-verbally, enhances the message delivery, ensuring your audience is fully engaged. Overcoming objections in the course of a presentation showcases a deep understanding of the product/service and instills a level of trust within the consumer.

Finally, the constant pursuit of improvement is what distinguishes a good salesperson from a great one. Seeking feedback, learning from successful presentations, and constant practice and refinement are the foundations of this pursuit.

The future of sales presentations

In an ever-evolving business landscape, sales presentations are bound to undergo transformations. Technological advancements continue to reshape how we approach and deliver presentations. Elements like virtual and augmented reality are gradually emerging as valuable tools in sales presentations. By offering more immersive and engaging presentation experiences, these technologies can help firms stand out in an increasingly crowded market.

Furthermore, the growing emphasis on data-driven decision making is likely to shape the future of sales presentations. As businesses gather more data about customers and markets, sales presentations will increasingly rely on relevant data to make more convincing arguments. This may involve presenting statistical evidence of a product’s success, its popularity among a certain demographic, or its market share in comparison to competitors.

Additionally, the need for personalization in sales will continue to intensify. In line with this, future sales presentations will likely focus more on individual consumer needs and preferences. This personalization can manifest in several ways, such as focusing on a customer’s specific pain points, tailor-making solutions, or even personalizing the manner in which the presentation is delivered.

Lastly, sustainability and social impact are becoming significant business considerations, especially among younger consumers. Sales presentations that capitalize on this trend by highlighting a company’s environmental consciousness or positive societal impact may find greater success in future landscapes.

The future of sales presentations promises exciting developments, and staying abreast of these trends will ensure you remain competitive and impactful in your delivery. Regardless of the changes to come, the basic principles of effective sales presentations, as discussed throughout this article, will remain relevant and applicable.

Effective Sales Presentation – FAQs

1. what factors should be considered in creating an effective sales presentation.

Creating an effective sales presentation requires understanding the audience, defining clear objectives, maintaining simplicity, excellent storytelling, using persuasive language, engaging visuals, and incorporating proof points or case studies for credibility.

2. How crucial is storytelling in sales presentations?

Storytelling in sales presentations is vitally important. Stories capture attention, appeal to emotions, make complex information simpler, and inspire action, therefore, making the sales presentation effective and memorable.

3. Why is understanding the audience essential in sales presentations?

Understanding the audience allows customization of the presentation to their needs, expectations, and preferences. This can foster connection and engagement hence, greatly increasing the likelihood of a successful sales presentation.

4. Can the use of visuals enhance the effectiveness of sales presentations?

Absolutely! Incorporating relevant and engaging visuals can simplify complex information, increase retention of the material presented, and make the presentation more engaging and memorable, enhancing effectiveness significantly.

5. How can a presenter demonstrate credibility during a sales presentation?

Presenters can demonstrate credibility by: incorporating testimonials, case studies, or reviews; demonstrating in-depth knowledge of the product/service; showing a clear understanding of the customer’s needs; and presenting a professional demeanor.

6. What role does persuasive language play in sales presentations?

Persuasive language plays a crucial role in influencing the audience’s perception and decisions. It helps in making a compelling argument for the product/service, inspiring action, and, ultimately, achieving the sales objectives.

Thanks For Reading!

You can get more actionable ideas in my newsletter.

 I'll give you info on actionable ideas to grow and cool things that are getting me excited.  Enter your email and join us!

Hanson Cheng

About the author

Living in Portugal with my wife and puppies. Scaling online businesses and sharing lessons learned on this website and in our email newsletter. Always happy to hear from you, so find me on Instagram if you want to say hi!

7 Amazing Sales Presentation Examples (And How to Make Them Your Own)

7 Types of Slides to Include In Your Sales Presentation

Inside the mind of your prospect: change is hard, before-after-bridge: the only formula you need to create a persuasive sales presentation, facebook — how smiles and simplicity make you more memorable, contently — how to build a strong bridge, brick by brick, yesware — how to go above and beyond with your benefits, uber — how to cater your content for readers quick to scan, dealtap — how to use leading questions to your advantage, zuora — how to win over your prospects by feeding them dots, linkedin sales navigator — how to create excitement with color, how to make a sales pitch in 4 straightforward steps, 7 embarrassing pitfalls to avoid in your presentation, over to you.

A brilliant sales presentation has a number of things going for it.

Being product-centered isn’t one of them. Or simply focusing on your sales pitch won’t do the trick.

So what can you do to make your offer compelling?

From different types of slides to persuasive techniques and visuals, we’ve got you covered.

Below, we look at data-backed strategies, examples, and easy steps to build your own sales presentations in minutes.

• Title slide: Company name, topic, tagline
• The “Before” picture: No more than three slides with relevant statistics and graphics.
• The “After” picture: How life looks with your product. Use happy faces.
• Company introduction: Who you are and what you do (as it applies to them).
• The “Bridge” slide: Short outcome statements with icons in circles.
• Social proof slides: Customer logos with the mission statement on one slide. Pull quote on another.
• “We’re here for you” slide: Include a call-to-action and contact information.

Many sales presentations fall flat because they ignore this universal psychological bias: People overvalue the benefits of what they have over what they’re missing.

Harvard Business School professor John T. Gourville calls this the “ 9x Effect .” Left unchecked, it can be disastrous for your business.

According to Gourville, “It’s not enough for a new product simply to be better. Unless the gains far outweigh the losses, customers will not adopt it.”

The good news: You can influence how prospects perceive these gains and losses. One of the best ways to prove value is to contrast life before and after your product.

Luckily, there’s a three-step formula for that.

• Before → Here’s your world…
• After → Imagine what it would be like if…
• Bridge → Here’s how to get there.

Start with a vivid description of the pain, present an enviable world where that problem doesn’t exist, then explain how to get there using your tool.

It’s super simple, and it works for cold emails , drip campaigns , and sales discovery decks. Basically anywhere you need to get people excited about what you have to say.

In fact, a lot of companies are already using this formula to great success. The methods used in the sales presentation examples below will help you do the same.

We’re all drawn to happiness. A study at Harvard tells us that emotion is contagious .

You’ll notice that the “Before” (pre-Digital Age) pictures in Facebook’s slides all display neutral faces. But the cover slide that introduces Facebook and the “After” slides have smiling faces on them.

This is important. The placement of those graphics is an intentional persuasion technique.

Studies by psychologists show that we register smiles faster than any other expression. All it takes is 500 milliseconds (1/20th of a second). And when participants in a study were asked to recall expressions, they consistently remembered happy faces over neutral ones.

What to do about it : Add a happy stock photo to your intro and “After” slides, and keep people in “Before” slides to neutral expressions.

Here are some further techniques used during the sales presentation:

Tactic #1: Use Simple Graphics

Use simple graphics to convey meaning without text.

Example: Slide 2 is a picture of a consumer’s hand holding an iPhone — something we can all relate to.

Why It Works: Pictures are more effective than words — it’s called  Picture Superiority . In presentations, pictures help you create connections with your audience. Instead of spoon-feeding them everything word for word, you let them interpret. This builds trust.

Tactic #2: Use Icons

Use icons to show statistics you’re comparing instead of listing them out.

Example: Slide 18 uses people icons to emphasize how small 38 out of 100 people is compared to 89 out of 100.

Why It Works:  We process visuals 60,000 times faster than text.

Tactic #3: Include Statistics

Include statistics that tie real success to the benefits you mention.

Example: “71% lift driving visits to retailer title pages” (Slide 26).

Why It Works:  Precise details prove that you are telling the truth.

Just like how you can’t drive from Marin County to San Francisco without the Golden Gate, you can’t connect a “Before” to an “After” without a bridge.

Add the mission statement of your company — something Contently does from Slide 1 of their deck. Having a logo-filled Customers slide isn’t unusual for sales presentations, but Contently goes one step further by showing you exactly what they do for these companies.

They then drive home the Before-After-Bridge Formula further with case studies:

Before : Customer’s needs when they came on

After: What your company accomplished for them

Bridge : How they got there (specific actions and outcomes)

Here are some other tactics we pulled from the sales presentation:

Tactic #1: Use Graphics/Diagrams

Use graphics, Venn diagrams, and/or equations to drive home your “Before” picture.

Why It Works:  According to a Cornell study , graphs and equations have persuasive power. They “signal a scientific basis for claims, which grants them greater credibility.”

Tactic #2: Keep Slides That Have Bullets to a Minimum

Keep slides that have bullets to a minimum. No more than one in every five slides.

Why It Works:  According to an experiment by the International Journal of Business Communication , “Subjects exposed to a graphic representation paid significantly more attention to , agreed more with, and better recalled the strategy than did subjects who saw a (textually identical) bulleted list.”

Tactic #3: Use Visual Examples

Follow up your descriptions with visual examples.

Example: After stating “15000+ vetted, ready to work journalists searchable by location, topical experience, and social media influence” on Slide 8, Contently shows what this looks like firsthand on slides 9 and 10.

Why It Works:  The same reason why prospects clamor for demos and car buyers ask for test drives. You’re never truly convinced until you see something for yourself.

Which is more effective for you?

This statement — “On average, Yesware customers save ten hours per week” — or this image:

The graphic shows you what that 10 hours looks like for prospects vs. customers. It also calls out a pain that the product removes: data entry.

Visuals are more effective every time. They fuel retention of a presentation from 10% to 65% .

But it’s not as easy as just including a graphic. You need to keep the design clean.

Can you feel it?

Clutter provokes anxiety and stress because it bombards our minds with excessive visual stimuli, causing our senses to work overtime on stimuli that aren’t important.

Here’s a tip from Yesware’s Graphic Designer, Ginelle DeAntonis:

“Customer logos won’t all necessarily have the same dimensions, but keep them the same size visually so that they all have the same importance. You should also disperse colors throughout, so that you don’t for example end up with a bunch of blue logos next to each other. Organize them in a way that’s easy for the eye, because in the end it’s a lot of information at once.”

Here are more tactics to inspire sales presentation ideas:

Tactic #1: Personalize Your Final Slide

Personalize your final slide with your contact information and a headline that drives emotion.

Example: Our Mid-Market Team Lead Kyle includes his phone number and email address with “We’re Here For You”

Why It Works: These small details show your audience that:

• This is about giving them the end picture, not making a sale
• The end of the presentation doesn’t mean the end of the conversation
• Questions are welcomed

Tactic #2: Pair Outcome Statements With Icons in Circles

Example: Slide 4 does this with seven different “After” outcomes.

Why It Works:  We already know why pictures work, but circles have power , too. They imply completeness, infiniteness, and harmony.

Tactic #3: Include Specific Success Metrics

Don’t just list who you work with; include specific success metrics that hit home what you’ve done for them.

Example: 35% New Business Growth for Boomtrain; 30% Higher Reply Rates for Dyn.

Why It Works:  Social proof drives action. It’s why we wait in lines at restaurants and put ourselves on waitlists for sold-out items.

People can only focus for eight seconds at a time. (Sadly, goldfish have one second on us.)

This means you need to cut to the chase fast.

Uber’s headlines in Slides 2-9 tailor the “After” picture to specific pain points. As a result, there’s no need to explicitly state a “Before.”

Slides 11-13 then continue touching on “Before” problems tangentially with customer quotes:

So instead of self-touting benefits, the brand steps aside to let consumers hear from their peers — something that sways 92% of consumers .

Leading questions may be banned from the courtroom, but they aren’t in the boardroom.

DealTap’s slides ask viewers to choose between two scenarios over and over. Each has an obvious winner:

Ever heard of the Focusing Effect?

It’s part of what makes us tick as humans and what makes this design move effective. We focus on one thing and then ignore the rest. Here, DealTap puts the magnifying glass on paperwork vs. automated transactions.

Easy choice.

Sure, DealTap’s platform might have complexities that rival paperwork, but we don’t think about that. We’re looking at the pile of work one the left and the simpler, single interface on the right.

Here are some other tactics to use in your own sales presentation:

Tactic #1: Tell a Story

Tell a story that flows from one slide to the next.

Example: Here’s the story DealTap tells from slides 4 to 8: “Transactions are complicated” → “Expectations on all sides” → “Too many disconnected tools” → “Slow and error prone process” → “However, there’s an opportunity.

Why It Works:   Storytelling in sales with a clear beginning and end (or in this case, a “Before” and “After”) trigger a trust hormone called Oxytocin.

Tactic #2: This vs. That

If it’s hard to separate out one “Before” and “After” vision with your product or service because you offer many dissimilar benefits, consider a “This vs. That” theme for each.

Why It Works:  It breaks up your points into simple decisions and sets you up to win emotional reactions from your audience with stock photos.

Remember how satisfying it was to play connect the dots? Forming a bigger picture out of disconnected circles.

That’s what you need to make your audience do.

Zuora tells a story by:

• Laying out the reality (the “Before” part of the Before-After-Bridge formula).
• Asking you a question that you want to answer (the “After”)
• Giving you hints to help you connect the dots
• Showing you the common thread (the “Bridge”)

You can achieve this by founding your sales presentation on your audience’s intuitions. Set them up with the closely-set “dots,” then let them make the connection.

Here are more tactical sales presentation ideas to steal for your own use:

Tactic #1: Use Logos and Testimonials

Use logos and  testimonial pull-quotes for your highest-profile customers to strengthen your sales presentation.

Example: Slides 21 to 23 include customer quotes from Schneider Electric, Financial Times, and Box.

Why It Works: It’s called  social proof . Prospects value other people’s opinions and trust reputable sources more than you.

Tactic #2: Include White Space

Pad your images with white space.

Example: Slide 17 includes two simple graphics on a white background to drive home an important concept.

Why It Works:  White space creates separation, balance, and attracts the audience’s eyes to the main focus: your image.

Tactic #3: Incorporate Hard Data

Incorporate hard data with a memorable background to make your data stand out.

Example: Slide 5 includes statistics with a backdrop that stands out. The number and exciting title (‘A Global Phenomenon’) are the main focuses of the slide.

Why It Works:  Vivid backdrops are proven to be memorable and help your audience take away important numbers or data.

Psychology tells us that seeing colors can set our mood .

The color red is proven to increase the pulse and heart rate. Beyond that, it’s associated with being active, aggressive, and outspoken. LinkedIn Sales Navigator uses red on slides to draw attention to main points:

You can use hues in your own slides to guide your audience’s emotions. Green gives peace; grey adds a sense of calm; blue breeds trust. See more here .

Tip: You can grab free photos from Creative Commons and then set them to black & white and add a colored filter on top using a (also free) tool like Canva . Here’s the sizing for your image:

Caveat: Check with your marketing team first to see if you have a specific color palette or brand guidelines to follow.

Here are some other takeaways from LinkedIn’s sales presentation:

Tactic #1: Include a CTA on Final Slide

Include one clear call-to-action on your final slide.

Example: Slide 9 has a “Learn More” CTA button.

Why It Works:  According to the Paradox of Choice , the more options you give, the less likely they are to act.

Step One : Ask marketing for your company’s style guide (color, logo, and font style).

Step Two: Answer these questions to outline the “Before → After → Bridge” formula for your sales pitch :

• What are your ICP’s pain points?
• What end picture resonates with them?
• How does your company come into play?

Step Three: Ask account management/marketing which customers you can mention in your slides (plus where to access any case studies for pull quotes).

Step Four:  Download photos from Creative Commons . Remember: Graphics > Text. Use Canva to edit on your own — free and fast.

What are the sales presentation strategies that work best for your industry and customers? Tweet us:  @Yesware .

Get sales tips and strategies delivered straight to your inbox.

Yesware will help you generate more sales right from your inbox. Try our Outlook add-on or Gmail Chrome extension for free, forever!

Hit your number every month

Works on Outlook or Gmail (+ many more integrations)

Related Articles

10 Best Persuasive Techniques for Sales and Marketing [2022]

Melissa Williams

SPIN Selling: All-In-One Guide for 2022

High-Ticket Sales: How to Sell High-Ticket Products and Services

Casey O'Connor

Sales, deal management, and communication tips for your inbox

We're on a mission to help you build lasting business relationships.

75 Kneeland Street, Floor 15 Boston, MA 02111

[email protected]

• Google Slides Presentation Design
• Pitch Deck Design
• Powerpoint Redesign
• Other Design Services

• Business Slides
• Guide & How to's

How to create an effective sales plan and present it: components and tips

Any business involves sales, and forecasting and planning are some of the major activities for a sales team. In this article, you will learn what a sales plan is, how to create an effective one, and how to make a sales presentation PowerPoint based on this plan. We will also discuss some sales plan examples.

What’s sales plan, and why do you need it?

A sales plan is a part of an extensive sales planning process. It helps forecast the sales success a business wants to achieve and outlines a plan to help it accomplish its goals.

Here are the reasons why you need an effective sales plan:

• It helps foresee risks.
• It makes it easier to track company goals.
• It helps find any bottlenecks in the process.
• It helps set clear revenue targets to achieve within a specific period.
• It helps improve lead generation efforts.
• It helps unify labor policies and ensure consistency in operations.
• It helps understand the business’s strengths and weaknesses.
• It helps track progress.
• It helps identify sale strategies that match the target market.
• It helps evaluate the sales team’s performance.
• It helps define each salesperson’s role and delegate work.
• It helps lay out tactics to execute the sales team’s strategies.

Sales plan structure

A sales plan outline will help you present critical metrics, KPIs, processes, tools, objectives, and strategies necessary to hit your sales goals.

If it is your first time creating a sales plan, below are the sections that must be included:

1. Your target revenue

In a sales plan, you can set a revenue-based goal, such as a target of $10,000 in 5 new deals in one month or $150 million in annual recurring revenue. You will need to keep that revenue target achievable.

Here are a few tips for setting your target revenue:

• Determine a reasonable sales goal according to prior sales results and your ability to reach a new market.
• Calculate the anticipated expenses for a specific period.
• Use projected sales forecasts based on estimates or industry standards.

2. Your ideal customer profile and buyer personas

To establish the target market or ideal customer, you must create a series of unique customer profiles that include geographics, demographics, job positions, behavior, and interests. From there, you can clearly define buyer personas and develop more targeted marketing and advertising strategies.

3. Your sales team

A sales team plays a vital role in implementing any sales plan. You must clearly delegate roles and responsibilities to the sales managers, customer service representatives, account executives, sales development representatives, and other sales professionals.

What’s more, there should be smooth communications and a handoff process. You can even consider using a Customer Relations Management (CRM) system to bring visibility and transparency to the sales process for all team members.

4. Your resources

Is your team small? Then, it would help if you determine how to expand the team to meet the sales targets and state how many resources are necessary within a specific period in your business plan.

You may also utilize specialized sales software for effective sales operation management. One such tool is snov.io , which helps scale a small business while engaging better quality leads with the product or service.

5. Safety of communications

Effective communication is essential in a sales team as it keeps each member productive, engaged, and informed. It also performs the following functions:

• Provides analytics needed to measure engagement with sales goals and benchmarks.
• Encourages marketing and sales teams to collaborate on projects.

That’s where you need to ensure the security of your communications and take advantage of dialpad.com, a workspace dedicated to team and customer communications. It is designed for global teams, where they can safely and efficiently communicate through voice, video, and AI contact centers.

6. Your position on the market

Position on the market is about competition, market trends, risks, and predictions. It outlines what your company must do to market your products and services to your target customers.

If you know how to position your business on the market, you will have a big picture of how you can establish the identity or image of your brand. It also allows you to achieve superior margins for the product or brand relative to competitors.

7. Your prospecting strategy

Prospecting strategy involves how you will generate quality leads and what inbound and outbound methods your sales team will use. Your goal here is to create interest and convert it into a sales meeting.

Below are easy ways to start your prospecting strategy:

• Build a list that includes who your sales team wants to generate meetings with.
• Research your prospects to ensure your new leads are a good fit.
• Craft your offer to drive value.
• Create a prospecting campaign to generate appointments with potential buyers and include a solid value-based offering.

8. Your pricing strategy

Your sales plan’s pricing strategy is about determining how you plan to change the price of your product and within what period. It will help you choose prices that maximize your shareholder value while considering the market and consumer demand.

Pricing strategy accounts for many business factors, such as product attributes, brand positioning, target audience, marketing and revenue goals. It is influenced by external factors, such as economic and market trends, competitor pricing, and consumer demand.

When creating a pricing strategy, consider the following:

• Pricing potential evaluation
• Buyer personas
• Historical data
• Your business goals vs. value
• Competitor pricing

9. Your goals, objectives & DRIs

Goals often include one to three- or five-year projections. Your goals must reflect recurring or existing customers’ expected sales and revenue. Then, you will need to have sales objectives that prioritize the activities your sales team needs to engage in.

Assigning Directly Responsible Individuals (DRIs) also helps make a successful strategic sales plan. These individuals are typically responsible for making sure particular tasks are well-executed.

10. Your action plan

Part of creating an effective sales plan is defining your action plan. It deals with summarizing your plan to achieve each specific objective. For instance, if your sales goal is to increase your referrals by 20%, your actions would be:

Holding referral technique workshops Running a contest to boost referral sales Increasing referral sales commissions by 5%

11. Your budget

In this section, you must outline all costs you believe will be required to achieve your sales targets. Some expenses include hiring, printing, travel, training, sales tools, commissions, salaries, etc. These expenses are meant to be estimates, but due diligence and research should be done to prevent financial errors.

Sales plan examples

When it comes to creating a sales plan, there is no unified sales plan template. Each sales plan differs based on the company’s purpose. While you can encounter different sales plans, here are the common ones:

1. 30-60-90-day sales plan

A 30-60-90-day sales plan is milestone-based. This means it specifies a short-term goal you must achieve within 30, 60, or 90 days. This type of sales plan is suitable for new sales managers, helping them establish tactical and strategic activities according to this plan.

2. Territory sales plan

A territory sales plan features tactics dedicated to the sales team in different territories. You will need to consider a specific area’s market dynamics and working environment.

With a territory sales plan, you can:

• Target specific customers, opportunities, regions, and industries.
• Align the sales team with the prospects.
• Set realistic goals, optimize the strategies, and track progress.
• Spend more time selling.

When creating this sales plan, you have to:

• Define larger sales goals.
• Define the target market.
• Assess account quality and prospects.
• Map out the sales representatives’ strengths and weaknesses.
• Assign leads. Polish your plan.

3. Sales plan for specific sales

When it comes to this sales plan type, you must familiarize yourself with different sales domains, such as sales training plans or compensation, as well as:

• State the company’s mission
• Set objectives and timeframe
• Define the sales team
• Define the target market
• Evaluate the resources
• Create a comparative analysis of your offerings
• Set the sales budget
• Define the marketing strategy
• Work out the strategy
• Define the action plan

4. Monthly sales plan

If you prefer a traditional sales plan, you can opt for a monthly sales plan. It features tactics and revenue goals, which have to be accomplished within a month.

5. Sales tactics plan

A sales tactics plan includes execution strategies. It also involves detailed daily or weekly plans, including prescribed call sequences, meeting appointments, and email follow-up frequency.

Tips on how to create a sales plan

Are you looking for effective recommendations on how to make sales plan for your company? Then, check out the following:

Tip #1: Back up your plan with research and statistics

It is advisable to always back up your sales plan with research and statistics. This will help you define the sales team’s tasks needed to better meet your sales goals. These tasks should primarily stem from statistics and research.

Tip #2: Use SWOT analysis to analyze your capacities

From a sales perspective, SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis will help assess your company’s position in the market. It will also allow you to gain insights into leveraging your selling points, acquiring market shares, and comparing your business’ position with that of your competitors.

To make this easier, you can use a visualizing tool to document the results of your SWOT analysis. You can choose from flow-chart tools, spreadsheet apps with SWOT analysis templates, mind mapping software, SWOT analysis generators, or online presentation or graphic design tools.

Tip #3: Split your sales plan into specific tactical plans

You can use specific tactical plans to achieve your sales goals. The details depend on different variables, such as resources and time. You can make a plan for individual areas of sales, such as SDRs, sales enablement, sales operations, and customer success.

As you create a tactical plan, you have to consider the following key elements:

• Company mission
• Key performance indicators
• Flexibility
• Action items
• Responsible parties

These key elements will help you identify the plan’s success in many ways, including the likelihood of accomplishing it.

Tip #4: Use previous performance data

You can use previous performance data to build incentive, territory, quota, and sales capacity plans. Using this data as your crucial decision-making tool, your sales team can have a basis for making informed decisions and forecasting performance more efficiently and accurately. In return, your sales plan will likely help achieve efficiency, higher performance, and bottom-line growth.

Tip #5: Outline the tracking methods you’ll use

By outlining tracking methods, you can set process workflows, allowing your sales representatives to determine where each prospect stands and which steps they need to take next.

You can also track the following:

• Sale cycle length.
• Number of closed deals.
• Conversion rate.
• Average contract value.
• Pipeline value by quarter, by month, and by individual and team.
• The number of unclosed deals after reaching a specific stage.

Now that you know the peculiarities and components of a sales plan, let’s find out how to make a sales plan presentation, what to include in it, and discover the top 14 sales presentation tips from vetted professionals.

What is a sales deck, and how to best present one?

A sales deck is a set of slides you can use to guide your audience through your sales strategy presentation.

Slide presentations can help your target audience grasp crucial information, pricing, and product characteristics your sales representatives can build their story around.

The best sales presentation slides serve as a touchstone for your sales team’s pitches. They allow your sales managers to draw on their personal knowledge to deliver additional information tailored to the prospects and stakeholders they are presenting to.

What are the types of sales presentation?

Sales presentations are classified into three types: standard memorized presentations, formulated sales presentations, and need-satisfaction presentations. Each sales presentation deck type has distinct characteristics that suit different scenarios.

1. Standard memorized presentations

Standard memorized presentations are very detailed and precise and always follow a predefined structure. They ensure no detail is overlooked and enable the sales team to produce a well-rehearsed, flawless presentation, leaving no room for misinterpretations or potential inaccuracies.

2. Formulated sales presentations

Formulated sales presentations offer a balance between rigidity and flexibility. While they follow a structured sales presentation outline, they allow salespeople to adjust their presentation in real time based on the customers’ reactions. Because of this flexibility, the sales presentation is not set in stone but revolves around customer preferences and queries.

3. Need-satisfaction presentations

Need-satisfaction presentations follow a customer-centric approach, allowing the salesperson to focus on satisfying the customer’s individual demands. The emphasis here is on establishing a dialogue rather than presenting a monologue, encouraging the customer to actively engage in the process.

What are the features of a sales presentation?

The content of your sales presentation PowerPoint must be written carefully and portray the story behind the specific product or service. As time is of the essence in sales, ensure your presentation is no more than 10 minutes and the overall meeting time does not exceed one hour.

When you invite people to come to your sales presentation, make sure they are decision-makers and are related to the things you are selling. Also, try not to lose the prospect’s attention by choosing the wrong points. Your sales presentation doesn’t have to concentrate too much on your service or product. Instead, show the audience how your service or product will change their lives in a good way.

Sales presentation structure

Here’s how to build a sales presentation that catches your audience’s attention and delivers your product’s value proposition in the best way possible:

• Introduce the pain points of your prospects.
• Describe the impact of the problem your prospects are facing.
• Explain why change is urgently necessary and what they stand to lose by not acting.
• Present the solution: a clear path toward the prospect’s goals.
• Provide evidence, address reservations, and FAQs.

To create personalized sales decks quickly, you can use a sales presentation template with the most recent FAQs and case studies. This will allow you to easily copy a deck and create a customized sales presentation for each new prospect in a matter of minutes.

What to include in a sales deck?

Good sales decks have a few key elements, such as:

• Introduction. Say a few words about your company, mentioning your activities and mission. Make sure you grab the audience’s attention with a memorable opening slide or cover image.
• Definition of the problem. Identify the main issues that your company is trying to solve. Provide your audience with some data. Metrics can come from third-party sources or your own sales dashboard.
• Social proof. For instance, you might add quotes and success stories from customers to support your sales presentation. However, you must not repeat the things you say.
• Customized content. Customize your sales presentation for every single prospect so as to build a bridge between your services or product and your audience. In other words, make sure it is personalized.
• Next steps. Include a clear and brief call to action. Offer a few next steps for your potential prospects.
• Visuals. Graphs, charts, and other design elements are all effective techniques to illustrate your point. However, make sure they are simple. Do not overwhelm your sales presentation with too much data; use more visuals instead.

Lastly, make sure that the font (and font size) used in your sales presentation design is legible to everyone in the room.

Other points to consider

1. the product.

Demonstrate how your service or product operates in action. Create a perfect environment to showcase how the product works, if it is physical. Utilize technology if it is a digital product. For instance, you might ask your prospects to download the app. In some cases, you might use video as a demo.

2. Handouts

Hand out some materials to your audience. For instance, it might be a QR code or contact data. The information must be clear and to the point. Distribute the handouts once the sales presentation is over.

3. Practice and teamwork

Double-check your sales presentation with a few salespersons. Practice a lot before the actual presentation. Come earlier to make sure everything works well. Also, decide who will say some information during the presentation and who will do certain things to help you.

Expert tips: How to create your sales presentation?

Tip #1: sync.

Your main points must be synchronized with your sales deck. When you present statistics, you should speak slowly. Emphasize your tone of voice when you are talking about pain points. Express relief when you showcase how your company wants to tackle specific issues. Make sure all the questions you ask your audience have straightforward answers or are rhetorical.

Tip #2: Involve storytelling

People like exciting stories related to their daily lives and problems. They will listen to your sales presentation even more attentively if you tell a story that solves their everyday problems.

Tip #3: Avoid using technical slang

In your sales presentation, use general terms that are clear to every audience member. Do not use slang words. Most people in the room might not have a clue about your offering, so the simpler the lexicon is, the better the result.

Tip #4: Emphasize the value of your product or service

Try to demonstrate how your product or service differs from your competitors. Tell about the main differences slowly. Mention how your product or service will make other people’s lives more comfortable. In other words, emphasize their value.

Tip #5: Practice body language

Your body language must be confident during the presentation. Improve your body language by maintaining eye contact and standing straight. It will prove to people that you are interested in communicating with them.

Tip #6: Be funny

Use your sense of humor. For instance, you might play jokes, but you would better not force them. Keep in contact with your prospects by telling funny stories. Make sure everyone in the room is comfortable and relaxed.

Tip #7: Emphasize your expertise

Do not talk too much about your company. You should focus your sales presentation on the field of your expertise instead. For instance, you might demonstrate a slide with logos of the companies that have already invested money in your brand.

Tip #8: Focus on benefits

Emphasize the strong points and tell how your product or service will improve your prospects’ lives. Do not focus too much on the pain points. Make sure your presentation is personal and describe all the benefits they will get. You might also mention the names of people in the room to make them feel valued.

Tip #9: Include research

Add internal and external types of research to your sales presentation. Use statistics or graphs and cut the information into brief pieces for your company to get more authority. Add relevant numbers and examples to demonstrate how you helped previous clients.

Tip #10: Showcase the return on their investment

Tell how your company will master productivity, multiply market share, make more money, eliminate costs, and boost sales. In other words, you should show the results of investments both long- and short-term.

Tip #11: Rehearse

Rehearsing before a presentation will help boost your confidence and smooth “rough spots.” You will also get to know the approximate amount of time needed to deliver your presentation.

Tip #12: Talk directly to your audience

Do not speak just to your slides. Utilize slides to emphasize the things you say. If you fail to do so, your presentation will most likely sound boring. Try to engage every member of the audience. Express yourself by using your hands. For instance, you might ask them to raise their hands if they agree to some of the points.

Tip #13: Add a clear call to action

Make sure your last slide includes a call to action. Add your contact data, but do not go deeply into detail. Know when it is the right time to stop.

Tip #14: Answer the audience’s questions

Your prospects will ask questions, and you have to be prepared to stop the presentation and answer their questions as they appear. Your audience must be sure that you take them seriously. At the end of your presentation, you can also offer a product’s trial, discount, or other incentive to motivate the audience or create a sense of urgency. The main goal here is to make the audience involved.

Lastly, follow sales presentation best practices to ensure a polished and persuasive delivery. This includes maintaining a clear and concise narrative, addressing potential objections proactively, and incorporating compelling storytelling techniques. Utilize engaging visuals to enhance your message and capture the audience’s attention. Practice your delivery to ensure a confident and natural presentation style and encourage audience interaction through discussions.

By adhering to these best practices, you can create a sales presentation that not only increases the likelihood of successful outcomes but also fosters positive connections with potential clients or stakeholders.

Still wondering how to create a sales deck?

Don’t worry—our presentation design service has got you covered! With profound expertise in designing compelling presentations in different software and thousands of satisfied customers from across the globe, it will be a no-brainer for our dedicated team to transform your ideas into a visually stunning, impactful sales presentation. Take the first step towards a winning presentation by reaching out to us today.

Your success story begins with professionally crafted pitch deck slides —let SlidePeak help you make it a reality!

#ezw_tco-2 .ez-toc-widget-container ul.ez-toc-list li.active::before { background-color: #ededed; } Table of contents

• Presenting techniques
• 50 tips on how to improve PowerPoint presentations in 2022-2023 [Updated]
• Present financial information visually in PowerPoint to drive results
• Keynote VS PowerPoint
• Types of presentations

Introduce a new product idea in a presentation

• Design Tips

A complete guide to perfect pitch deck design: structure, tips & examples

8 rules of effective presentation

The Most Persuasive Sales Presentation Structure of All

Updated: January 28, 2020

Published: April 13, 2017

If you’ve ever sat through a presentation that went around the block a few times before finally arriving at its destination, you understand the need for a clear, comprehensible structure for your message.

Structure isn’t just for keeping you, the presenter, from getting lost in the weeds. As a salesperson, you need to organize your message in a way that has the greatest impact on your audience and ultimately encourages them to take action.

Almost any structure will help you get your arms around information, prioritize, and organize it. However, the right structure can set you up for success and increase your odds of winning the business.

The Basic Three-Act Presentation Structure

Breaking content into an opening , a body , and a conclusion is the basis of most presentations, movies, TV shows, and speeches. This basic three-act structure was invented by Aristotle and has stood the test of time. It’s familiar to audiences, digestible, and easy to follow. In fact, if you’ve ever felt uncomfortable or confused watching a movie, it’s often because the writer has broken the three-act structure ( Memento and Inception are two examples).

A three-act structure is a great place to start for just about any presentation. But within this framework there are several variations. For instance, you could sort information chronologically, by process, or priority, and so on.

If your goal is to educate or inform, these variations are fine -- but they're not optimal for persuasion. To do use, that the  Situation , Complication , Resolution  framework.

SCR: The Best Sales Presentation Structure of All

Situation, Complication, Resolution is really just a way of identifying:

• Our present state
• The problem
• What should we do about it

First identified in Barbara Minto’s book The Pyramid Principle , the SCR structure is an effective way of establishing a persuasive case and will be familiar to anyone who consumes movies, TV, or books.

Here’s an example of the SCR structure in a story:

Situation : A girl is kidnapped. If a steep ransom is not paid by midnight, a bomb will explode.

Complication : The girl's family can’t get the money together. No one knows where the bomb is except the hero. The hero is stuck on a remote island.

Resolution : The hero jumps on a plane, finds the girl, detonates the bomb, and saves the world.

If that sounds like the framework of most movies you’ve seen, there’s a good reason. The SCR structure organizes content in a way that takes people on a journey that leads to a natural conclusion. It builds up tension in the audience which increases their attention and their desire for a resolution.

By following this proven structure in sales, you can produce the same effect on your business audience. Let’s look at how you can leverage each act in your sales presentation.

To take someone on a journey, you must first know where that journey begins. In this first act, define the status quo. What is the critical business issue or challenge your prospect is experiencing, how is he addressing it, and what is the impact?

This act lays the groundwork for why your prospect needs to change and assures him you have a clear understanding of his situation. Ending this first act by painting a brief picture of where this journey can lead (i.e., current state versus potential future state) creates an uncomfortable but necessary disparity between where your prospect is and where he wants to be.

Complication

In this act, introduce complications or consequences that are likely to arise as a result of your prospect not taking action, or choosing an inadequate solution to his problem. Create tension which will make sticking with the status quo or putting off a decision less desirable.

Because most people are uncomfortable with indecision, tension taps into our innate human desire to solve the problem. Widening the gap between pain and relief increases your prospect’s urgency to take action.

Finally, when tension is at its peak, relieve that tension by providing a clear solution to the problem and making it easy for your prospect to act upon. While many structures require the presenter to deliver a heavy handed close at this point, in the SCR structure, the resolution comes as a natural conclusion to the journey.

The SCR Presentation in Action

Let’s look at how you might use the three-act SCR structure in a business example.

Situation : An HR department is doing most of their reports manually. This currently takes 1.5 days per week of each HR person’s time.

Complication : The company is growing at a rate of 20% per year. Projected HR workload will escalate to two days per week if nothing changes and the chances for errors will increase. Employee satisfaction will decline and turnover rates will go up.

Resolution : Deploy an HR workforce application that will reduce time spent on current processes from 1.5 days per week to .25 days per week, resulting in greater efficiency, fewer errors, increased satisfaction, and a lower turnover rate.

In sales, you need every advantage you can get. Following the Situation, Complication, Resolution structure gives you a jumpstart on presenting a persuasive case for why your prospect should choose your solution and make the desired change.

Don't forget to share this post!

Related articles.

10 Best Sales Presentations To Inspire Your Sales Deck [+ 5 Tips]

15 Sales Presentation Techniques That Will Help You Close More Deals Today

9 Ways to End Your Sales Presentation With a Bang

7 Apps That Help Salespeople Become Even Better Speakers

7 Secrets of a Winning Capabilities Presentation

Insight Selling: The 8-Slide Framework for a Better Pitch

The Best Work-Appropriate GIFs to Use in Your Next Sales Slide Deck

How to Make a Business Presentation in 7 Easy Steps [Free Business Presentation Templates]

The 8 Types of Presentation Styles: Which Category Do You Fall Into?

How to Handle Difficult Sales Calls Like a Pro

Pro Tactics For Mastering Every Type of Sales Deal

Powerful and easy-to-use sales software that drives productivity, enables customer connection, and supports growing sales orgs

• Entrepreneurs
• News About Crunchbase
• New Features
• Partnerships

10 Sales Presentation Techniques that will Help You Succeed

By Kiara Taylor, Finance and Technology Expert

Creating an effective sales presentation can be quite tough. However, for some, that isn’t the difficult part–giving the sales presentation is, especially if you’re not naturally charismatic or a gifted public speaker.

Even people with these innate talents struggle to close deals because they haven’t fully prepared for their sales presentations. As most motivational speakers will tell you: “Preparation is the first step to success.”

But how do you prepare a stellar presentation? The following guide will explore the best sales presentation tips to help you close more deals. Hopefully, it will also help you enjoy giving sales presentations more.

1. Construct your presentation like a story

Mastering your sales pitch requires extensive planning. Often, the best way to do this is by structuring your sales presentation like a story. 

Every story has a beginning, middle, and end–at least in a three-point structure. You can add other points such as:

• Inciting incidents
• Resolutions, etc. 

The type of story structure you ultimately choose is irrelevant. What matters most is how you plan to lead your prospective clients through your presentation. It will require you to map out your sales presentation, ensuring that it has a logical structure, so each part transitions smoothly to the next. 

Many salespeople make the mistake of presenting their prospects with a loose collection of facts, hoping that the product will ultimately sell itself. However, that doesn’t usually work, so making your presentation as engaging as possible is important. 

2. Keep it simple

This is a multipoint tip. While you might want to impress your audience with your erudite understanding of the product, you’d do better keeping it simple. It goes for the presentation slides, too–you must ensure they’re not too text-heavy. Slides should be used as a visual complement containing cues for your presentation and working as a tool to help you guide your prospects.

Your slides should not contain more than six bullet points , and each bullet should be confined to six words on a single line. Additionally, your text should be large enough to be read by all audience members. We recommend a font size of 30 and above. 

Another mistake that presenters tend to make is reading from slides. This is a big no-no. You should rely mostly on your speech and improvise where you can so your presentation can feel light, spontaneous and engaging.

Explain how your product can help solve your client’s problems in simple English. Additionally, you should try to expand on complex concepts without sounding too condescending. 

You can include short stories or anecdotes that your audience can relate to (for example, by making them the protagonists or main characters of your story). It will help them visualize how your product will fit into their lives.   

3. More visualization, less text

This tip ties into the last suggestion. Your slides should help visualize your data by including simple charts and graphics. The slides should accompany your words and act as visual cues. After all, it’s been well-established that visuals are more memorable than words. Pairing visuals with your words will make your presentation more unforgettable through verbal and visual word association.  

For instance, you can include graphs that illustrate cash flow projections to show your prospects what they can expect to gain from using your product. Your audience may then associate this positive imagery with your product. However, be careful not to overdo it. You do not want to split your audience’s attention and distract them from your words. 

4. Let your presentation become a dialog

A great way to maintain engagement during a presentation is by encouraging questions. You can ask your audience if they have any questions before moving on to the next slide. Another way to do this is by providing them with just enough information that they’re forced to ask questions. 

Of course, if this is not done with care, it can backfire. It could give prospects the impression that you either don’t know what you’re talking about or your product simply doesn’t have certain features. But first, you need to pay attention to your audience’s verbal and nonverbal cues and adjust your pitch accordingly.  

If done correctly, it will encourage self-discovery from your participants and inspire back and forth communication. It could make you feel more comfortable and your presentation will seem more like a conversation. 

5. Send a summary of your presentation beforehand

There is some contention surrounding this tip. Some experts believe that supplying your audience with copies of your presentation or pitch deck beforehand is a bad idea as it may tempt them to go through the slides and ignore you.

However, others believe it’s a good idea to provide your attendees with a presentation summary. If you do want to send something for your prospects to check out before your conversation, don’t  send  the full presentation deck with all your slides, simply share a plan or a very short summary of some of the points you’ll discuss. That way you’re not spoiling the presentation, but feeding them just enough to create intrigue and encourage questions during the presentation given they’ll have time to think through what you’ll cover. 

6. Use insight as a bridge

Your audience is most likely a group of experts in their field. As a salesperson, you need to remind them that you’re there to solve a particular problem. But you must prove that you understand the problem before you can effectively convince them that you can solve it.

Furthermore, you can gain more respect and engagement from your audience if you show them that you understand them and can teach them something. This part of the presentation can be as jargon-heavy as necessary; however, it is dependent on your product and your presentation’s attendees.

7. Put value first

While your product may seemingly offer features the competition lacks, it may not be a good idea to lead with this. Often, these features may be too abstract for your audience to understand and internalize. Instead, consider discussing what value your product can add by solving their specific problems. You can then expand on other  features and solutions your product offers that can add value or eliminate additional issues your prospects may be facing.

For instance, if you’re marketing sales pipeline planning software, you need to lead with why having a sales pipeline visualization tool is necessary. You can also discuss how it can help optimize salesforce efficiency. Don’t forget to back these points up with real-world data and examples. 

8. Lead into the numbers, do not begin with them

While it may be tempting to show your attendees that you understand the intricacies of their professions by starting with the data, it may not be an effective strategy. You may feel like you’re building urgency by displaying negative differentiators first, but this may throw your audience off. You’re not trying to con them, and the numbers may be too impersonal. 

So, lead into the data and differentials only after you’ve established value by speaking directly to your audience’s pain points. Remember to illustrate your data through visual tools such as graphs and charts.    

9. Time is important

Depending on which source you use, human attention spans are short and getting shorter by the decade. However, data has shown that attention span is individual and task-dependent. The more engaging your presentation is, the less likely your audience is to wander off mentally. Nevertheless, you must keep your presentation as short as possible. 

Expert opinions vary on how much time you should spend on a presentation, but aim for 9-15 minutes. Restrict time spent on one slide to three minutes–it will help you avoid cognitive fatigue.     

10. Do not overemphasize testimonials

You might have a social example proving the effectiveness of your product, but you need to use these testimonials strategically. 

Study your prospects beforehand–social proof or testimonials from big brands may not impress them. If you plan to use testimonials or social proof as a strategy, you need to ensure you pick brands, individuals or companies that your audience can relate to. It’s a similar strategy to politicians using hypothetical or real-life people as political mascots (remember Joe the Plumber) to appeal to certain people.

The success of your deal depends almost entirely on your sales presentation. If done correctly, it will convince your audience that your product is the solution that can solve their problems. 

There’s no such thing as perfect

These 10 tips can help you craft a well-targeted, engaging presentation your buyers will love. But remember, even if things are going well, there’s always room for improvement. Every presentation provides an opportunity to refine your approach. If you can, gather feedback from your prospects, and pay attention to how they react via both verbal and nonverbal signals. These indicators can help you understand if part of your presentation needs adjusting in order to keep people engaged.

And, remember to be kind to yourself. Crafting the perfect presentation takes time, and your sales presentation skills will improve as you practice. You can’t win every deal, but you can use every loss as a learning opportunity. 

• Sales Prospecting
• Originally published August 6, 2022

You may also like

AI in Sales: What to Know in 2024

Rebecca Strehlow, Copywriter at Crunchbase

17 Best Sales Intelligence Tools for 2024

How to Use Sales Enablement Platforms to Navigate an Economic Downturn

Jinal Jhaveri, VP of Corporate Development at Mindtickle

The all-in-one prospecting solution

• Find the right companies
• Identify the right contacts
• Connect with decision-makers

Learn new skills, connect in real time, and grow your career in the Salesblazer Community.

Prep, Present, and Follow Through: How To Nail Your Next Sales Presentation

Audrey Harris

Share article.

When it comes to building an effective sales presentation, no one-size-fits-all sales deck exists.

Every sales presentation you deliver to a prospect should be personalized and tailored just for them. Successful selling today is about establishing yourself as a trusted advisor. Cookie-cutter messages won’t do that. So how should you get started?

High-performing sellers close more deals by focusing on their prospects, rather than their products. Follow these sales presentation tips before, during, and after your next meeting to make it more resonant (and hopefully, more lucrative). These tips work whether you’re building customer relationships remotely or in person.

Deliver polished presentations that address your prospect’s biggest pain points

Use generative AI, powered by Einstein, to help you draft an engaging, tailored talk track for your next sales presentation, perfectly aligning product value to specific prospect needs.

Step 1: Research the company and your contact

An effective sales presentation starts long before the actual presentation. The first step is to learn who your prospect is and the challenges they face; then you can use those insights to show how you can help them succeed.

In particular, you should research the company, the challenges it faces, and the contacts who will hear your presentation.

Learn more about the company’s past, present, and future

First, consult your CRM platform. Find other accounts from the prospect’s industry and see what their customer journeys looked like. Their client information and case history will help you learn what products and services they use most and how your company serves them well. The information in your CRM platform can give you insights and tips that will help you win deals like the one you’re currently working on. Take a look, too, at the sales pipeline for that particular industry. Your CRM system is a tool specifically used to help you sell successfully and should be used throughout the sales process.

Once you have that preliminary information, head to the company website and research what the prospect’s company does, how big it is, and what products or services it offers. Then, dig deeper. Make a note of their mission, values, and corporate culture. Also try to learn more about the company’s history and any news items involving the company. Look into the company’s annual report to get a good idea of where it might be headed in the future.

Your presentation should focus on using insights from your research to show a deep understanding of the company and why your product or service can help it grow.

Consider the company’s challenges

As you learn about the company, pay special attention to the challenges it faces that are relevant to your product or service offerings. Remember these issues so you can use them as conversation starters during your sales presentation. Then you can offer advice — or insights — about how they could better face those challenges.

This type of approach is called insight selling: You as a salesperson bring unique, tailored insights to a prospect to solve their problems.

For example, if you sell a marketing tool, you may notice in your research that your lead is currently using the same ads across social media, search, and display networks. Your insight might be, “I see that your company is using the same ad copy across several platforms. How have those ads been performing for you? Have you been able to reach your sales or traffic goals?” Their answer may change aspects of your sales presentation or may make it even stronger.

Learn more about your audience

When it comes to communication, knowing who will be in the room is critical. If your prospect is the Director of Production, your most effective sales presentation may focus on metrics that can determine how to improve output. If your prospect will be presenting the information to a decision maker, offer resources to help make it easier for them.

Step 2: Prepare for your sales presentation

After gathering insights about the company and your contacts, you are ready to put together your presentation. Whether you use a sales presentation template that your workplace provides or you start from scratch, use these sales presentation tips to build a more compelling pitch.

Focus on the challenges your prospects face, not just your benefits

Salespeople should present themselves as a trusted advisor, not just a company representative. Look for ways to create a dialogue with the prospect and share how you can help their company work more efficiently, provide better service, or solve the challenges holding them back.

Keep your presentation simple

Sales template decks can be useful, but they can also overwhelm prospects if they’re too long. Instead of a 50-slide canned presentation, focus on keeping the slide deck relatively simple and highlighting engaging images and key statistics. This will make it easier to use a storytelling approach, rather than just reading off a slide.

Practice your presentation

You want to prepare, but you don’t want to come across as robotic or scripted. Practice what you’ll say and how you’ll answer questions, and make sure you’ve memorized important statistics or metrics. Build time into the presentation so you can share personal anecdotes or pause for questions.

Keep your delivery style confident, but agile. You may find that one point you thought would be critical doesn’t have as much impact with your prospect as you’d hoped, but a different point unexpectedly piques their interest. Keeping your talk track fluid will make it easier to shift gears if you need to.

Step 3: Nail your sales presentation

Presentation day has arrived. You’ve done your research, nailed the perfect storytelling approach, and trimmed down your slide deck. Now is your time to shine. Here are a few sales presentation tips to help your pitch end in a sale.

End the meeting with your presentation; don’t begin with it

You’ve likely had conversations with your contact and know them well enough, but in this presentation you’ll potentially meet additional people who make decisions. Take the time to get to know each attendee.

Building a rapport with your audience before pitching is a no-brainer. But avoid too much small talk; it can come across as inauthentic or like a waste of the customer’s time. Instead, time permitting, try to use the beginning of the meeting asking questions about day-to-day operations and goals. Ask specific questions that demonstrate your knowledge of their company and industry, and use the answers to shape your narrative. Then, during your presentation, tie back to topics the prospect brought up and focus on how you, the trusted advisor, can help.

Ask questions during the presentation to encourage a dialogue

Getting feedback from your prospect during the actual presentation is the best sales presentation technique of all. This allows you to change your focus in the moment, rather than spending your presentation talking about challenges and solutions that might be unimportant to your prospect.

After you make a key point, ask your prospect a question like, “Does this make sense in your industry?” or “Can you see this applying to your company?” This prompts the prospect to either agree or start a dialogue about pain points and how your products and services can better serve them.

If they agree with you, then you know you’re on the right track and that your suggestions are up to date. On the other hand, if they have clarifications, this lets you adjust your presentation — and follow-up efforts — to better fit their position.

Include proof that shows how your products and services have helped others

Step 4: Prioritize the follow-up just as much as the presentation

The actual sales presentation is just one part of your sales process, and it doesn’t guarantee a signed contract or even further contact with you. The final piece of your sales presentation is a well-planned follow-up, and it’s just as important as the presentation itself.

The most effective follow-up format will depend on your prospect, their needs, and how they best retain information. For example, you may follow up by:

• Emailing your slide deck and asking to schedule a follow-up call. Just remember to avoid the “Just following up” email and make sure your email offers the recipient value.
• Scheduling follow-up emails to reiterate key points in your presentation. A sales automation tool automates emails to share product information and set reminders for you to connect. It helps make sure no prospects fall through the cracks.
• Preparing personalized content that highlights the main points from your sales presentation and includes videos of products in action, testimonials, or other helpful collateral.
• Sending an additional resource about a topic they mentioned during your meeting, whether it pertained to your presentation or not.

Your sales presentation doesn’t end when you walk out the door or end the meeting. As you research and present your pitch, consider what the best follow-up approach will be. Then, take the time to create a well-considered follow-up strategy.

You can make your next sales presentation your best

Preparation and practice are key to successful sales presentations. But there’s so much more to a great presentation than well-designed slides or new research. The heart of a great sales presentation is the relationship between you and your customer, and that’s built on unique insights focused on your potential customer’s challenges and needs.

When you focus on helping, rather than pitching, your sales presentation is more likely to be a hit. That’s a win-win for you and your customer.

Just For You

Leveraging Your Revenue Operations Org Chart for Success

What Is a Value Chain? Definition, Benefits, and Examples

Explore related content by topic

• Business as a Platform for Change
• Customer Relationships
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Personalization
• Sales Strategy
• Sales Representative

Audrey is a senior product marketer for Core Sales Cloud (Salesforce Automation), and a customer advocate who has spent her career delivering B2B technology. An engineer turned marketer, she is passionate about business efficiency, philanthropy, and mentorship.

Get the latest articles in your inbox.

What Is Inside Sales? A Complete Guide

Direct Selling Explained: A Comprehensive Guide

The Manager’s Guide to Communicating Compensation Changes to Employees

Partner Relationship Management Software: A Complete Guide

How to be Indispensable as an Incentive Compensation Manager

How to Create a Business Development Plan in 7 Steps

50 Sales Statistics that Reveal How Great Teams Sell

What is Generative CRM — And What Will It Mean For Your Business?

New to Salesforce?

• What is Salesforce?
• Best CRM software
• Explore all products
• What is cloud computing
• Customer success
• Product pricing

About Salesforce

• Salesforce.org
• Sustainability

Popular Links

• Salesforce Mobile
• AppExchange
• CRM software
• Salesforce LIVE
• Salesforce for startups
• América Latina (Español)
• Brasil (Português)
• Canada (English)
• Canada (Français)
• United States (English)

Europe, Middle East, and Africa

• España (Español)
• Deutschland (Deutsch)
• France (Français)
• Italia (Italiano)
• Nederland (Nederlands)
• Sverige (Svenska)
• United Kingdom (English)
• All other countries (English)

Asia Pacific

• Australia (English)
• India (English)
• Malaysia (English)
• ประเทศไทย (ไทย)

© Copyright 2024 Salesforce, Inc. All rights reserved.  Various trademarks held by their respective owners. Salesforce, Inc. Salesforce Tower, 415 Mission Street, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105, United States

Newly Launched - AI Presentation Maker

AI PPT Maker

Powerpoint Templates

Icon Bundle

Kpi Dashboard

Professional

Business Plans

Swot Analysis

Gantt Chart

Business Proposal

Marketing Plan

Project Management

Business Case

Business Model

Cyber Security

Business PPT

Digital Marketing

Digital Transformation

Human Resources

Product Management

Artificial Intelligence

Company Profile

Acknowledgement PPT

PPT Presentation

Reports Brochures

One Page Pitch

Interview PPT

All Categories

Four types of sales presentation methods

The PowerPoint Template titled Four Types Of Sales Presentation Methods offers the basic knowledge of the four ways to approach a customer in order to qualify them as a lead. Using this PPT design, you can help your audience understand the differences in these approaches in a reader-friendly way. The four categories, namely memorized(structured), persuasive selling(semi-structured), need-satisfaction(unstructured), and problem-solution(centralized), are presented in a zig-zag fashion to make ample space for the additional details. You can input your critical pointers based on personal experiences or common examples to communicate the working of these three methods. You can retain the original theme or play with colors to suit your brand image. To begin working on this presentation, download this PowerPoint layout today.

• Add a user to your subscription for free

You must be logged in to download this presentation.

PowerPoint presentation slides

Presenting Four Types Of Sales Presentation Methods, a completely editable, shareable, and easy to download PowerPoint presentation. Employ this PPT template critical to any organization and share it with your colleagues as PPTs, PDFs, PNGs, and JPEG images. This PowerPoint design is compatible with Google Slides and MS PowerPoint. Additionally, users can acquire the standard screen and widescreen sizes of this PPT upon downloading it.

People who downloaded this PowerPoint presentation also viewed the following :

• Diagrams , Business , Business Slides , Flat Designs , Strategic Planning Analysis , Strategic Planning
• Four Types ,
• Sales Presentation ,

Content of this Powerpoint Presentation

Only 28% of sales professionals expect to meet or exceed their annual quota in 2024. On the other hand, even with challenges like global economic uncertainty, 75% of the professionals have faith in their organization's ability to support them in the evolving selling landscape.

These were some insights from the State of Sales report from Salesforce.

It can be concerning when your sales reps continually miss their targets. There could be multiple reasons for this shortcoming, though. For example, there could be a lack of leads, a poor sales process, or a lack of skills and product knowledge.

The good news is that organizations can overcome these challenges with training and support.

Today, sales teams have to deal with information-conscious consumers. Professionals must change their approach and learn and implement different sales presentation methods depending on the audience.

A memorized script may work on a one-to-one basis. However, a need-satisfaction approach would be more suitable when dealing with a group.

Our sales presentation template can help you introduce these methods to your sales team. You can edit the slide to fit your business branding and product range.

If you want to improve your sales business process and empower your team with persuasive techniques, explore our customizable sales presentation and pitching method PPT.

Sales Presentation and its Types

The sales presentation is a step-by-step process of approaching a potential customer and making a successful sale.

The presentation techniques have to be adjusted depending on the buying group, such as a single buyer or small to large groups of people.

Here are the four sales presentation methods our slide covers.

These presentations follow a predefined structure. They are well-crafted to include the product or service's selling points. The salesperson does most of the talking. 

Do you remember door-to-door salespeople who make the same pitch around the neighborhood? They follow a memorized sales presentation method.

The benefit is that the product's integrity is maintained, with descriptions remaining largely consistent. Customer's needs are, however, ignored.

Persuasive Selling

This presentation type is structured,  but it does not have any script. For example, the sales rep may start by stating the consumer's needs, introducing the product, explaining the benefits, suggesting the next step, and inviting questions.

Its benefit is control over the pitch by the salesmen, but businesses need to train the sales rep in the product. On-the-spot thinking is also needed.

Need-Satisfaction

As the name suggests, the sales rep first understands the consumer's needs and introduces a product/service that best fulfills their requirement.

The method is flexible and can be personalized. It can be used to pitch technical and complex products and services.

The communication skills of the sales rep must be on point as the method can involve a lot of back and forth. 

Problem-Solution

This is a complex presentation method, as the buyer and seller must first uncover the problem. This introduces the need for an additional analysis stage. A solution will be recommended depending on the result of the analysis.

It is a customer-centric approach that takes need-satisfaction to another level.

Closing the sale can be challenging and time-consuming, so the method is best suited for experienced sales professionals.

An effective sales training program can help boost employee engagement and productivity. Here is a uniquely-designed, editable sales training template that can help boost team performance.

Sales Presentation Template

Our editable sales template can be a part of your training module. Let us look at the slide in detail, its design elements, and how you can adapt the template to suit your brand identity.

Template 1: Four Types of Sales Presentation Methods

The four sales methods are presented with a zig-zag pattern. The design is clutter-free and allows each of the sales techniques to be represented fully, and with clear pros and cons.

For example, the slide starts with the memorized method, the simplest of the four. You can explain the method and mention examples or guides using bullet points. The slide ends with the problem-solution method, the most complex of the four.

Different colors and icons are used to get the audience to focus on one method at a time. Headings and content are available to help you start drafting the slide.

One of the benefits of downloading the slide is that it is editable and shareable. For example, you can change the font and color to suit your brand's design palette. You can resize icons or choose new ones from our website that best describes your sales approach.

You can present the slide as a standalone or include it in your sales training manual.

UPSKILLING SALES TEAM THE NEED OF THE HOUR

Today, most consumers research products and services and look for online reviews before making a purchase. Your sales team will need upskilling and adapting to changing consumer behavior.

Our sales presentation slide introduces four methods that sales reps can implement to close leads, depending on the buying audience and product. It includes a zig-zag flow, icons, and colors to improve visual engagement. You can customize the slide according to your training needs and brand design.

Are you putting together a presentation for new sales reps to educate them about consumer behavior and the sales journey? Explore our pre-designed, content-rich, and editable sales methods and techniques PowerPoint.

Four types of sales presentation methods with all 2 slides:

Use our Four Types Of Sales Presentation Methods to effectively help you save your valuable time. They are readymade to fit into any presentation structure.

Ratings and Reviews

Sales Presentation Templates, Types, and Tips

Your sales presentation represents the tipping point of your sale. It is when you actually show the prospect how you intend to solve their problem or provide for their need. 

So, everyone who wishes to be a great salesperson must master the art of presenting. 

What Is a Sales Presentation and Why It’s Important 

How to structure your sales presentation , what to bring to your sales presentation , how to deliver a great sales presentation , sales presentations by type , sales presentation templates by situation , how to follow up after a sales presentation , listen when they speak .

In this post, we will help you do that by providing you with sales presentation best practices, types, and templates to use going forward. 

Before a presentation, your client is wondering, “Is this product/service right for me?” After, they should be thinking, “Why, yes it is!” 

A sales presentation is your opportunity to present your products and services to potential buyers in a way that motivates them to purchase. 

It usually includes slides, videos, case studies, statistics, demos, and any other materials that will help your buyer see the value of your solution. 

A solid presentation will educate them on how the solution works, what benefits they will receive, and how it aligns with their specific needs, wants, and goals. The keyword here is their . 

A presentation should be personalized to the prospect. Only then will it pluck their heartstrings and make them excited to buy. 

Up until the presentation, sellers have probably already engaged in one or two discovery calls with the prospects. 

The prospects have divulged their pain points, goals, and the characteristics of their business and its processes. 

If your sales presentation structure takes these facets into account, your audience will remain engaged throughout, and in the end, view you as a professional who cares about helping them. 

No matter what you are selling, there are some structural rules you can follow to produce a compelling sales presentation. 

First, keep in mind that people digest, remember, and connect with information best when it is presented to them in a narrative structure . 

This is important because you want your prospects to leave with a firm grasp on how your product or service will help them. 

Therefore, most sales presentations should follow this narrative structure, preferably copying the great epic dramas and using three acts, where the prospect is the protagonist . 

We will call these three acts SCR:

• Situation: This is where you lay the foundation of the story. Show the prospect you understand their situation, business processes, goals, pain points, etc. End this by stating the gap between where the prospect is and where they want to be. 

Stories help us make sense of a senseless world. 

Structure your sales presentation like a good story , and you will have prospects who better understand how you are helping them travel from point A to B. 

Should a commercial pest control company bring a cage of mice and a couple of mousetraps to their presentation with a restaurant owner? Probably not. 

Nevertheless, there are certain professional props you will need when giving your presentation, whether it is at the prospect’s office or yours.

Here are some common materials and equipment to bring: 

• Handouts: Sometimes, you might want to print out your sales deck or case studies and hand them to each prospect. 
• Product Samples: If you sell a physical or SaaS product, bring it along physically or virtually. Demo it for them. Help them envision themselves owning and using it. 
• The Powerpoint Sales Deck: Have your PowerPoint sales deck ready. Make sure it’s packed with stats, testimonials, graphs, and visual elements. 
• A Projector: Some offices might not have the technical capability to hook a laptop up to a larger screen, so ask before. If they don’t, bring a projector . 

Being prepared is key to presenting yourself and your brand as a professional. This is a chance to make a good first impression of what it is like to work with your team. 

Before diving into how to deliver a great sales presentation, let’s list out some things you should avoid doing, like getting their name wrong or living out the nightmare of forgetting to wear clothes. 

Here are some things to keep in mind.

• Don’t just read the slides.
• Never overwhelm them with information.
• You can’t just wing it. 
• Avoid talking about yourself too much. 

Instead, to keep your audience engaged, leave a good impression, and win their confidence, follow these best practices when giving a sales presentation: 

Project Confidence: It’s okay to be nervous. However, there are some things you can do to come across as and feel confident. Dress well. Stand tall with your shoulders back. Make eye contact. And use your hands (e.g., extend one finger for point #1). 

Keep It Prospect-Focused: Rather than talking about how awesome your business is, keep it prospect-focused. Talk about their pain points and business traits and how your solution complements them.

Encourage Conversation: If they speak up and want to talk about a certain topic, oblige them and go off track. This will keep them engaged. 

Share Anecdotes: Share stories of how customers like them have achieved results with your solution. This builds credibility. 

Include Some Showmanship: Take notes from the great infomercials you have seen and include some product demonstrations. 

Provide Data/Statistics: Data and statistics that back up your claims will help you convince the audience that your solution is the real deal. 

End With Next Steps: Make sure you tell them what action you want them to take next. It could be scheduling a follow-up call or sending more material in an email. 

Follow these basic best practices, and you will get audience members who speak up, smile, and look pensive during your sales presentations. 

There are four types of sales presentations that you might encounter. 

Let’s go over them, list their pros and cons, and provide you with some example templates for each. 

1. Memorized 

The memorized sales presentation is the most highly structured type. Almost every word is planned and learned beforehand. 

During the presentation, the seller does 80-90% of the talking, while the prospect’s participation is limited. 

The reason why it is so highly structured is that it makes it easy to memorize and therefore deliver to hundreds of different prospects.

Because this type lacks personalization, it is best to save it for earlier interactions such as cold calls or trade shows , where you want to get the main benefits across quickly to spark interest in a lot of different buyers. 

It can also be helpful if you are meeting with a lot of low-ticket prospects .

Those are the prospects for whom you don’t want to spend lots of time creating new and personalized presentations. 

Here are some pros and cons of the memorized sales presentation: 

• Increases confidence of an inexperienced seller, since they have done it so many times. 
• It aligns salespeople throughout the department on messaging. 
• It can deliver the main value proposition in a few minutes. 
• It lacks personalization in accordance with the prospect’s needs, wishes, and business traits. 
• It might touch upon features that mean nothing to the prospect. 
• It discourages conversation between the buyer and seller, making it impersonal. 

A memorized sales presentation follows an outline. 

Usually, each slide will represent a phase of the outline, such as introduction, statistics, case study 1, etc.

The sales rep will memorize verbatim what to say during each slide. 

So, an example of this sales presentation might look like a 10 paragraph essay, each paragraph relating to a slide, which the rep has etched into their memory through repetition and practice, like a theatre performer. 

For instance, this sales deck for Snapchat ads might be presented to a lot of small business owners in the same exact way each time. 

2. Semi-Structured/Formula 

Both new and experienced salespeople can use the semi-structured persuasive sales presentation type. 

It is less structured than the memorized presentation, usually holding constant at the beginning of the presentation but engaging the buyer at an increasing rate as the presentation moves into its later stages . 

This creates replicability while preserving some room for improvisation and personalization. 

• It gives you more opportunities for seller/prospect conversation. 
• You can be sure you are sharing critical information. 
• It leaves space for the seller to answer questions and objections. 
• Less flexibility than the need-satisfaction or problem-solution frameworks below. 
• Not good for complex sales such as SaaS. 

This sales presentation type is best suited for those who have already built a relationship with the buyer, so very little back-and-forth conversation is necessary. 

The seller should already know the needs and wants of the buyer .

This often happens in the scenario where a past client is re-ordering a product or buying a new one from the same line. 

Large companies like W.B Mason, an office supplies company, might use this presentation method to quickly convince past customers to re-up on supplies they have purchased in the past (more pencils, paper, etc.). 

Example Template of a Semi-Structured/Formula Presentation 

The flow of this presentation type might look like this: 

Re-State Situation: “So, last time we met, you mentioned you were trying to grow your sales department?”

State Your Idea: “I had an idea about getting you some new office supplies for them at a lower price than usual.” 

Explain How it Works/Benefits: “We have a big savings deal currently, and if you were to purchase X number of desks and chairs, it would cost you less now than it will down the line.” 

Suggest Next Steps: “If you submit an order this week for X units, I can get you Y price, and they will arrive the following Friday.” 

The sales rep relies on their existing relationship with the client in order to offer an additional solution that would benefit them.

3. Need-Satisfaction 

The need-satisfaction sales presentation is often the most difficult to master, and its deployment should be reserved for more experienced sellers. 

It is essentially a back-and-forth conversation between the buyer and seller.

In it, it is the salesperson’s job to guide the buyer towards revealing a certain need to which the seller can provide a satisfactory solution. 

Sellers uncover this need or pain point by asking open-ended questions .

At the same time, they are adapting and changing their trajectory as they learn more about the buyer’s answers, questions, and objections. 

• Very good for relationship building. 
• Effective for complex or technical sales. 
• Can be useful in tandem with SPIN Selling . 
• Helps you learn about the customer’s specific needs and pain points. 
• Sometimes you dig for a problem but never find one. 
• Can forget to convey the most critical information. 

An example of how this might look is if a software seller had a meeting with a prospect whose reason for taking the meeting was to see some new technology. 

Before demoing the product, the seller would initiate discussion and try to tease out the buyer’s true needs and problems, so that they can customize the demo for the prospect. 

Example Template of a Need-Satisfaction Presentation

Here’s what a need-satisfaction presentation might look like in practice.

Identify the Need: First, ask questions to learn more about the customer’s business so that you can find a need to solve. 

Agitate the Need: Through conversation, help the customer see how problematic this pain point or need is, and how it’s holding them back. Make them dissatisfied with their current situation. 

Share Your Idea: Explain that you have a solution to that need. Tell them the benefits. Paint the image of the wonderful world they will enjoy after that need is met. 

Show Solution: In a slideshow or demo, show them how your product or service works to satisfy their need. 

As you can see, this type of presentation is very customer-centric and relies on the specific information that the customer provides during the preliminary conversation.

4. Problem-Solution 

The problem-solution presentation is just as flexible as the need-satisfaction type. 

It basically follows the same conversational framework, but the final presentation of the solution is even more personalized, including an analysis of the specific problem. 

The main difference between the two is that, in the problem-solution presentation, a seller is trying to help the buyer see a problem that they might not even know exists , nor understand, nor know how to solve. 

• Great for presenting yourself as an expert. 
• Well-suited for highly complex or technical sales. 
• You give an in-depth analysis of specific problems and solutions.
• It sometimes requires more than one person to handle the sales cycle (e.g., pre-sales/account executive). 
• It is time-intensive and could take several months packed with meetings with different members of the team. 

You might find this type of sales presentation in a marketing consulting sale. 

Perhaps the buyer is unaware that their lack of branding is killing their ability to grow. 

The seller has to first convince them with stats, data, and industry expertise that this is, in fact, a serious problem. 

They then have to think of a strategy designed specifically for them to overcome it. 

Finally, they have to present the analysis of the problem and the associated strategy. 

Example Template of Problem-Solution Presentation

Here’s the flow of a problem-solution presentation, which could last many months. 

Convince Buyer to Allow an Analysis of the Problem: First, you have to provide enough evidence to get them to let you try to research and solve the problem. 

Run the Analysis: A more technical member of the team might handle this. An example could be running a compliance report on a property owner’s buildings to find the cost of violations. 

Agree That it’s a Problem: Present your findings and get them to state their belief that this is a problem they think is worth solving. 

Prepare a Proposal: Think up your solution and share the idea with the buyer. 

Present it: Finally, show your solution in a slideshow or demo. Show them the value you bring to the table. 

This type of presentation requires a lot of effort on your part, but because it is so specific in providing value to the customer, it has the potential to result in a fruitful, long-lasting relationship.

As a sales rep, you encounter many situations where you have to reel off information about your product or service in a way that sparks interest in the buyer. 

So let’s go over some sales presentation templates by situation. 

1. Elevator Pitch 

An elevator pitch is a short 10-30 second pitch that encapsulates what your product or service is, the problem it solves, and the benefits it provides. 

It is useful to have one of these handy in your pocket whenever you might encounter a potential buyer, for instance, at a tradeshow or a networking event . 

A good elevator pitch should be: 

• Succinct: Keep it short and to the point, or else the listener’s attention might drift. 
• Customer-Focused: Make it about your customers, the problems they have, and the results they see. 
• Actionable: Include a call to action .

Here is an example of an easy template you can use to create a solid elevator pitch. 

State the Problem Your Customers Have: “A lot of property management companies struggle with enforcing their standard operating procedures across their building staff.”

Briefly Explain What Your Solution Is: “So they come to us for our {product or service}.”

Inject Some Credibility: Over 1000 companies currently work with us, including {well-known brands A and B}.

Describe Your Value Proposition: Our solution helps them easily implement and enforce SOPs across their team and see 2x the efficiency, and are therefore able to double the size of their building portfolios without hiring new staff.” 

Offer a CTA (Call to Action): “Would you be open to a meeting to discuss the solution more in-depth?” 

In an elevator pitch, you have to be persuasive in a short amount of time in order to get a potential customer to take action.

2. Cold Sales 

Cold calls need to convince a stranger that you are worth talking to. This can be tricky. 

A good cold call script quickly informs the buyer that you have done your research about their business and that you solve problems relevant to them. 

With a cold call, you should usually only script the first few sentences. The rest should be improvised according to what the prospect says. 

Script the first sentences of the pitch using this framework. 

Introduce Yourself and Company: “My name is {Name} and I head up new business for {Company Name}.” 

Open With Common Pain Points: “The reason for my call today {Their Name} is because a lot of {prospect’s position or type of business—e.g., VPs of Sales} are struggling with {Pain Points A and B}.”

Mention Any Research You Did on Their Business: From what I read about your {some research}, it seems like these might be on top of your mind. Is that the case?”

From there, try to connect with the buyer and learn more about their business. 

If they do have the problems you mentioned, quickly tell them how your company can solve them—using your elevator pitch. Then, ask for a meeting. 

For more about effective cold calling, check out our article on cold calling best practices . 

3. Written 

A written pitch has to be brief and compelling, since you are without the power of tone, facial expression, and human presence. 

You will often find a use for written pitches in your sales emails or proposals. 

Here are some steps for crafting a good one:

• Do Your Research: Before sitting down to write your pitch, learn a bit about the prospect and their company. 
• Mention Something About Them: To grab their attention, mention something about them like, “I noticed on your LinkedIn that you recently acquired a new software company.” 
• Lead Into Your Solution: “We work with a lot of companies to help them with mergers such as these.”
• Mention Benefits: “ Our clients see {list salient benefits}. 
• Ask For a Meeting: “Would you be open to a meeting with us to learn more about our service?” 

Essentially, you want your message to leave an impression on the customer so that they feel inclined to reach out to you.

Your presentation isn’t done when you click through the last slide. You still have to follow up to continue selling your idea to the prospect. 

Here are some tips for what to do after you have made your sales presentation. 

• Send The Sales Deck: Email the deck you used during the presentation. They can pass it around internally. 
• Send Testimonials: Share some case studies or testimonials that you think will shorten the distance their faith must leap. 
• Answer Any Questions They Had: Sometimes, there will be questions you can’t answer during the presentation. Answer those in email form after. 
• Ask For A Follow-Up Call: Ask them if they want to have a follow-up call where you will answer any questions or concerns they have had since the presentation meeting. 

Taking these actions will demonstrate your professionalism to your buyers. Plus, it will help them justify the purchase to themselves and the rest of their team. 

Contrary to what one might think, the most important skill required for giving a great sales presentation is the ability to listen, not talk. 

When your prospect speaks up, don’t railroad past their statement in order to continue with your presentation.

Instead, pause and really listen. What they are objecting to or asking about sheds light on what matters most to them. 

Once you know that information, you will be able to craft a much more personalized and effective presentation—while speeding up the process with these templates.

13 Best Practices for Sales and Marketing Alignment

Sales Invoice Templates and Best Practices

Related posts.

The new paradigm for B2B data – Procurement Perspective

25 Motivational Quotes for Sales Team Empowerment

What Is Sales Enablement?

• Partnerships

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

Privacy Overview

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

Article Categories

Book categories, collections.

• Business, Careers, & Money Articles
• Business Articles
• Sales Articles

Using Presenter Notes, Memorizing, or Winging It for Your Sales Presentation: The Pros and Cons

Sales presentations for dummies.

Sign up for the Dummies Beta Program to try Dummies' newest way to learn.

How to memorize or read from a script is a topic rarely covered in sales meetings, yet the success of your sales presentation lies on your ability to effectively and accurately communicate your message. When it comes to using scripts, there are three basic methods to choose from. Some salespeople like to put their script in the notes section of PowerPoint or Keynote to read from or refer to as they present. Others prefer to memorize the entire script, whereas still others prefer to wing it and hope for the best.

What’s the best way to work with a script? The answer is it depends. Here are some pros, cons, and best practices for each style.

Employing the best practices for your method of choice helps ensure that you’re able to deliver your script in an authentic and engaging manner.

Using presenter notes

The notes section of your slides are a handy way to associate key points you want to make with the appropriate slide. Following are some pros and cons for using your presenter notes effectively in your presentation.

Pros: They’re right there in front of you when you need them. You don’t have to shuffle through papers or worry about blanking out. Even if you don’t end up referring to your notes, the act of typing them with the associated slide can provide mental reinforcement.

Cons: Presenter notes keep you stuck behind your laptop. Even if you know the material, you can easily start relying on your notes. Reading your notes, sounding authentic, and interacting with your audience at the same time is difficult. Unless you’re really good, your audience can see that you’re reading notes — or in a web presentation, hear it in your voice — and prospects feel less engaged.

Best practice: Use presenter notes to write down key phrases, numbers, or words that you need to get right. Don’t write down full sentences and don’t use notes for every slide, especially the ones that are obvious. When using your notes, follow a practice actors use: Glance at your notes, get the information you need, and then make eye contact with your prospect as you say them. Make a point of stepping away from the laptop for several slides at a time when don’t need your notes.

If you have the time and the ability to memorize comes easily to you, committing your presentation to memory is often the best way to free you up from the constraints of a script. Here are some additional reasons you may want to consider when memorizing your script as well as some tips that can keep your script sounding fresh and natural each time you deliver it.

Pros: Memorization gives you the benefit of having the information in your head when you need it and the freedom to improvise as you see fit — no fumbling for notes or staring at your laptop. You can focus on engaging and connecting with your audience.

Cons: Sometimes it’s not all there in your head. Nerves or distractions can cause you to forget what you were going to say. Few people know how to memorize a script in a way that makes recall easier and keeps their delivery sounding fresh and authentic.

Best practices: Because memory isn’t fail-proof, keep key points in your presenter notes as a fall back. The way you memorize your script can greatly affect your ability to recall it when needed and how you deliver it. Here are some good memorization tips used by actors:

Get familiar with your script before memorizing. Most salespeople jump straight to memorization, which can lock them into a mechanical delivery that sounds preplanned and insincere. Read through your script a number of times before attempting to memorize it. Get the big picture first and let memorization be a natural byproduct of that familiarity.

Know your subtext. Many salespeople try to memorize their script word for word and then get thrown off when they forget a specific word during their presentation. Focus on the subtext — the underlying meaning of each line. What are you really saying and why are you saying it? Knowing this information helps you to stay in the flow of your presentation and find your way back if you should get off track.

Don’t predetermine how to say it. Many presentation coaches tell you precisely which words to emphasize and where to pause or smile or gesture. This type of delivery rings false to most audiences and should be avoided at all costs. It reinforces a mechanical delivery that is tough to break. Just as a good actor doesn’t give the same performance night after night, your delivery will change based on what’s happening in the moment and your reaction to your prospect — both verbally and nonverbally — keeping your delivery fresh and exciting.

Like to go with the flow in your presentation? Operating without a net isn’t without its drawbacks. Make sure you understand the risks and consider putting the following safety measures in place for when you do choose to venture off script.

Pros: You’re in the moment and able to react to your prospect.

Cons: You may forget to make certain points or leave out important details or entire sections. You may wander far off course and struggle to find your way back. You can appear unprepared and damage your credibility.

Best practice: Allow room to improvise in a well-rehearsed presentation, but leave the total improvisation to the pros. Know your material so well — or keep your presenter notes handy — to make sure that you hit all the important points and have a good sense of timing when you do go off script.

About This Article

This article is from the book:.

• Sales Presentations For Dummies ,

About the book author:

Julie Hansen , who is recognized as the "Sales Presentation Expert," redefines the typical sales presentation and helps salespeople apply best practices. She leverages the power that performers have been using for centuries to engage and move audiences.

This article can be found in the category:

• Sales Presentations For Dummies Cheat Sheet
• 6 Ways to Make Your Sales Presentation Sticky
• Using Hooks in Your Sales Presentation’s Opening
• Increase Interaction by Gamifying Your Sales Presentation
• 10 Quick Tips for a Winning Sales Presentation
• View All Articles From Book

Exploring the Pros and Cons of Memorized Presentations

Acing your presentation will result in the following – an approved business idea, lead conversion and sale, and getting people up to speed with a concept.

So, you need to work hard to create an effective presentation to deliver important information to people as intended. One of the key factors that will assist you in this process is memorizing the material.

Memorized speech is the rote recitation of texts that the presenter has committed to memory, and it has its positives and negatives.

So, let’s delve into what it means to learn by rote, how effective it is in presentations (advantages and disadvantages), and if there is anything better you can do than memorizing material for a successful presentation.

What is a Memorized Presentation?

It is the process where you learn the speech/material in your presentation and present it without the help of your notes. 

Upsides of Memorizing the Presentation

Learning the material in advance has its advantages. It can give you leverage over other methods of recitation (impromptu, manuscript).  

1. You get more time to make eye contact

One of the best advantages of learning your presentation is that you can completely face your audience and make eye contact consistently. You get more time to scan your audience and establish rapport by locking glances.

Why is it so important?

Because it is the quickest and easiest way to build connections, and you wouldn’t want to be the person who keeps looking in the notes or on screen when presenting. It will make your presentation very impersonal, and you will miss out on the magic of forging interpersonal relationships in that crucial duration.

2. Less use of filler words and distracting speech

When you are prepared in advance, you know the content beat by beat, including the sequence, the words, and the entire material. It frees you from the space of not knowing and having to fill up the speech with filler words (um, like, you know) or accidentally using them.

In the process, you might need to go back to your notes or PPT to recall, creating this silent space (use of distracting speech or being quiet) which is an embarrassment for both the audience and the presenter.

3. You look like an expert

In an ideal situation, the memorized speech sounds like an off-the-cuff statement by an eloquent presenter and an organized thinker. It gives you the space to speak with conviction, control, and confidence since you know the entire content like the back of your hand. 

The presenter can’t get sidetracked with the content and can deliver the message exactly as intended. Also, people will feel more confident in your knowledge of the content .

4. Appropriate use of space and body language

Memorizing the presentation will free you from being restricted to personal notes and PPT screens. So that gives you ample time and space to move around the stage and be mindful of your body language and gestures. If you are using visual aids in your presentation, then you are more at an advantage.

However, to use this to your benefit, try to memorize the vocal cues (the varied pitch, tone, volume, and pace), facial expressions, and gestures, as well, to avoid the risk of making your presentation flat and dull.

  Downsides of Memorizing the Presentation

  Let’s go through some of the reasons that make memorized presentations a bad idea.

1. Forgetting the content

Okay, let’s see. Why does anyone memorize a presentation?

The purpose is to remember everything and not miss any key point in the presentation.

But as it stands, memorization might help with short content, like a wedding toast speech. Presentations are complex and lengthy, and the longer they are, the harder they are to remember word for word.

And you will be more likely to forget your speech. So, the very reason for which you wanted to do this in the first place might not be fulfilled, and the situation becomes paradoxical.

Also, a format like that has no personality. When you are too focused on remembering everything, a lot gets lost mid-way. One of the quickest responses would be from your audience disengaging from you as the speaker, and it’s very difficult to get people back from that stage.

2. Unnatural and lack of spontaneity

The primary goal of your presentation would be to engage your audience to elicit the desired result from the presentation. How engaging and interesting the presenter looks reading the content word for word?

How inspired or excited do you think the audience is sitting through that presentation?

A memorized presentation to the T might mean you stand the risk of sounding too rehearsed, resulting in a monotonous tone. It lacks the passion and authenticity of a good delivery from someone with presentation skills .

3. Going in autopilot mode or not being mindful

When you have memorized everything, you can quickly move into an autopilot zone, relaying everything like a parrot. Also, the process of recalling makes you not mindful of the environment. 

Such a thing will make you miss out on emphasizing the relevant and essential points and doesn’t sound too authentic.

4. A lot of work

A presentation is a long document, and not like a 2-minute speech at some political event or wedding. Memorizing the entire thing is a big and tedious task and will require a lot of effort. And it’s not just the texts you will have to remember for effective relaying –  you need to be mindful of the delivery as well. 

Otherwise, your presentation will become too insipid for anyone to engage with. So, including everything, learning by rote is too much effort, and the benefits do not level the risks associated.

5. Discomfort with any changes

Any changes in the audience or situation might become discomforting and distracting as a lot of energy is focused on recalling everything right. Any alterations and interruptions might sidetrack you enough to lose track of the content, and getting back from that stage could be troubling.

Imagine this happening just even twice in your presentation.

Also, if you suddenly start an ad-lib, the audience will notice the change of delivery and the transition that took place. And it will make them see that something is off and wrong.

5. It is wise to practice

Where memorization is lacking, practice will fill all the gaps. The more you practice, the more you will be learning things as a byproduct, and you will realize, eventually, those two are very different.

Practicing the content will help you cover things like specific words you will say, pauses, gestures, etc. On the other hand, memorization is committing the information to memory to be recalled later.

Don’t try to learn the entire manuscript by heart – rather, go with the outline. Practice so you can effortlessly recall the order and content of your main points.

However, there are specific things that you could memorize, like the crucial statistics of your presentation (if you have to), opening and closing speech, etc., where you don’t need to refer to your notes again and again.

To Sum it Up

Memorizing a presentation has its upsides and downsides. On the one hand, it will give you a sense of knowingness; on the other, you stand the risk of looking too robotic and predictable. 

So, it is wise to draw the line in between. You can memorize parts of your presentation and rely on practice and strong presentation skills to cover points. 

Rather than relying on memorizing, you should try learning your presentation cold. Meaning that taking time to craft the sequence of your content and rehearsing it so much that you can recite it backward if needed. Practicing your presentation like this will help you cover all the loopholes and negatives of memorization, rendering you with only the pluses. 

Work on creating solid slides that give you a peek into all the relevant points and transitions and use them to your advantage in your elocution skills. And you are good to go for a rocking presentation!

Leave a Response Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Please enter an answer in digits: eighteen − 5 =

Ashish Arora

You might also like.

Essential Tips to Find the Right Audience for Your Next Presentation

Expert Tips to Handle Distractions When You Speak on Stage

9 Tips to Craft the Perfect Title for Your Next PowerPoint Presentation

Unleash the Power of Agile Communication in the Fast-Changing Digital Realm

Moscow Method

What do you think of this template.

Product details

At its core, the MoSCoW method is simply a prioritization framework that can be applied to any kind of situation or project, but it works best when a large number of tasks need to be ruthlessly whittled down into a prioritized and achievable to-do list. The core aim of the process is to classify tasks into four buckets; Must, Should, Could and Won’t. As you can probably fathom, Must is the highest priority bucket, and Won’t is the lowest. You can also presumably now see where the funny capitalization in the term ‘MoSCoW’ derives from. One of the primary benefits of a MoSCoW exercise is that it forces hard decisions to be made regarding which direction a digital product project will take. Indeed, the process is usually the first time a client has been asked to really weigh up which functions are absolutely fundamental to the product (Must), which are merely important (Should) and which are just nice-to-haves (Could). This can make the MoSCoW method challenging, but also incredibly rewarding. It’s not uncommon for there to be hundreds of user stories at this stage of a project, as they cover every aspect of what a user or admin will want to do with the digital product. With so many stories to keep track of it helps to group them into sets. For example, you may want to group all the stories surrounding checkout, or onboarding into one group. When we run a MoSCoW process, we use the following definitions. Must – These stories are vital to the function of the digital product. If any of these stories were removed or not completed, the product would not function. Should – These stories make the product better in important ways, but are not vital to the function of the product. We would like to add these stories to the MVP build, but we’ll only start working on them once all the Must stories are complete. Could – These stories would be nice to have, but do not add lots of extra value for users. These stories are often related to styling or ‘finessing’ a product. Won’t – These stories or functions won’t be considered at this stage as they are either out of scope or do not add value.

The first two slides of the template are similar in design and structure. These slides can be used to provide general information to the team about the client’s needs. The slides will be useful for the product owner, development team, and scrum master. The next slide groups user stories into vertical columns. You can also set a progress status for each user story. The last slide gives you the ability to specify the time spent on each user story. After summing up the time for each group, the team can understand how long it will take them to complete each group. All slides in this template are editable based on your needs. The template will be useful to everyone who uses the Agile method in their work.

Related Products

Checklist Template

Cohort Analysis

Action Item Template

Kanban Board Project Management

Project Checklist

Customer Journey Map Template

Feasibility of Options

Data Lake Architecture

Project Management Process

Action Plan Template

You dont have access, please change your membership plan., great you're all signed up..., verify your account.

PowerSlides.com will email you template files that you've chosen to dowload.

Please make sure you've provided a valid email address! Sometimes, our emails can end up in your Promotions/Spam folder.

Simply, verify your account by clicking on the link in your email.

Feature prioritization template

Prioritize features using data and trusted frameworks

Use this template to make informed decisions and prioritize features based on a combination of guided principles and data. The feature prioritization template empowers product managers to guide prioritization decisions with two tried and true frameworks: MoSCoW and RICE.

We recommend using the MoSCoW method for prioritizing features that take your product from 0 to 1, or pre-product market fit.

RICE scoring is best for prioritizing features that take your product from 1 to N, or post-product market fit.

The feature prioritization template helps you:

• Clearly outline your priorities
• Get aligned with stakeholders on priorities and next steps
• Mitigate risk using proven methods and data-driven decision making
• Make efficient use of resources

How to use the feature prioritization template

To use Mural’s feature prioritization template with your team, follow the steps outlined below.

1. Prepare by answering the four questions

The first step in feature prioritization is to make sure you have answers for the following questions:

• Do you have a solid strategy and clear prioritization criteria?
• Are you chasing a trend or will this have lasting impact?
• Who are you mainly listening to? The loudest speaker or biggest customer?
• Are you only responding to your competitors’ features (feature parity)?

2. Determine the best framework for current state

Next, determine which stage of the process best fits your journey: Is this a pre-market exercise? If so, it’s best to use the MoSCoW method. Is this about scaling an established solution? Then you should use the RICE scoring model.

MoSCoW method

The MoSCoW method is a prioritization technique used in project management and product development to categorize requirements or features based on their importance and urgency. The acronym "MoSCoW" stands for:

• Must have : These are the requirements or features that are critical and essential for the project's success. They are considered non-negotiable and must be delivered within the specified timeframe.
• Should have : These requirements or features are important but not critical for the project's immediate success. They are considered high-priority items that should be included if possible, but their omission would not jeopardize the project's overall viability.
• Could have : These requirements or features are desirable but not necessary for the project's core functionality. They are considered nice-to-have items that can be included if time and resources permit.
• Won't have (this time) : These are the requirements or features that are explicitly excluded from the current project scope. They are considered low-priority or non-essential items that will not be addressed in the current iteration or release.

The MoSCoW method helps teams prioritize and make decisions about which requirements or features to focus on, especially when faced with limited time, resources, or tight deadlines. It provides a framework for stakeholders to align their expectations and make informed decisions about what is critical, important, or optional for the project's success.

RICE scoring model

The RICE scoring model is a prioritization framework used to evaluate and rank ideas, features, or projects based on their potential impact, effort required, confidence level, and reach. The acronym "RICE" stands for:

• Reach : This factor measures the number of users or customers who will be affected by the idea, feature, or project. It quantifies the potential reach or audience size. For example, if a feature will impact all users, the reach score would be high.
• Impact : This factor assesses the potential impact or benefit that the idea, feature, or project will have on users or the business. It quantifies the expected positive outcomes, such as increased revenue, improved user experience, or enhanced efficiency. The impact score reflects the magnitude of the expected impact.
• Confidence : This factor represents the level of confidence or certainty that the team has in the estimates for reach and impact. It takes into account the availability of data, user research, market analysis, or any other relevant information that supports the estimates. The confidence score reflects the reliability of the reach and impact assessments.
• Effort : This factor evaluates the level of effort, resources, and time required to implement the idea, feature, or project. It considers factors such as development complexity, design work, testing, and any other necessary tasks. The effort score reflects the estimated workload or investment needed.

Each factor is assigned a score from 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest. Once the scores for each factor are determined, they are multiplied together to calculate the RICE score:

RICE Score = Reach x Impact x Confidence / Effort

Higher RICE scores indicate higher priority items that are expected to have a significant impact, reach a large audience, and require relatively less effort.

3. Capture any questions, ideas, and other considerations

After you’ve gone through the appropriate exercise, make sure that you give space to your team to brainstorm any related ideas, answer questions, and record other considerations that may factor into the success of your feature(s).

Tips for running a feature prioritization template exercise

To get the most out of the Mural feature prioritization template, built by the Product School of Silicon Valley, you should:

• Before bringing the team together, go through the four questions at the beginning of the template to make sure you’re prepared and can make the group effort as effective and rewarding as possible
• Use tools like anonymous voting and private mode to get honest feedback and determine next steps, as well as avoid groupthink when brainstorming
• Once you’ve conducted your exercise, share it with stakeholders to make sure you have broad alignment and a clear vision for next steps

How to create a Feature prioritization template

Mural makes it easy to collaborate visually and make informed decisions.

Real-time collaboration

Add more productivity and engagement to meetings and calls with features to guide collaboration.

Sticky notes & text

Add ideas, action items, and more as a sticky note or text box — then change the colors and cluster to identify patterns and new solutions.

Anonymous voting

Gain consensus and reach alignment quickly, either in real time or asynchronously.

Private mode

Avoid groupthink and get authentic feedback by allowing collaborators to add content privately.

Easy sharing

There are no barriers to collaboration with the ability to safely and securely share murals with others.

Video meeting integrations

Seamlessly add visual collaboration to meetings with Microsoft Teams, Webex, and Zoom integrations.

Feature prioritization template frequently asked questions

What are the benefits of a feature prioritization template, how do you prioritize features.

Template by Product School

Mural is the only platform that offers both a shared workspace and training on the LUMA System™, a practical way to collaborate that anyone can learn and apply.

More Evaluate templates

Pros and cons list

Workshop summary

Weekly team retrospective

• Integrations
• Learning Center

MoSCoW Prioritization

What is moscow prioritization.

MoSCoW prioritization, also known as the MoSCoW method or MoSCoW analysis, is a popular prioritization technique for managing requirements. 

  The acronym MoSCoW represents four categories of initiatives: must-have, should-have, could-have, and won’t-have, or will not have right now. Some companies also use the “W” in MoSCoW to mean “wish.”

What is the History of the MoSCoW Method?

Software development expert Dai Clegg created the MoSCoW method while working at Oracle. He designed the framework to help his team prioritize tasks during development work on product releases.

You can find a detailed account of using MoSCoW prioritization in the Dynamic System Development Method (DSDM) handbook . But because MoSCoW can prioritize tasks within any time-boxed project, teams have adapted the method for a broad range of uses.

How Does MoSCoW Prioritization Work?

Before running a MoSCoW analysis, a few things need to happen. First, key stakeholders and the product team need to get aligned on objectives and prioritization factors. Then, all participants must agree on which initiatives to prioritize.

At this point, your team should also discuss how they will settle any disagreements in prioritization. If you can establish how to resolve disputes before they come up, you can help prevent those disagreements from holding up progress.

Finally, you’ll also want to reach a consensus on what percentage of resources you’d like to allocate to each category.

With the groundwork complete, you may begin determining which category is most appropriate for each initiative. But, first, let’s further break down each category in the MoSCoW method.

Start prioritizing your roadmap

Moscow prioritization categories.

1. Must-have initiatives

As the name suggests, this category consists of initiatives that are “musts” for your team. They represent non-negotiable needs for the project, product, or release in question. For example, if you’re releasing a healthcare application, a must-have initiative may be security functionalities that help maintain compliance.

The “must-have” category requires the team to complete a mandatory task. If you’re unsure about whether something belongs in this category, ask yourself the following.

If the product won’t work without an initiative, or the release becomes useless without it, the initiative is most likely a “must-have.”

2. Should-have initiatives

Should-have initiatives are just a step below must-haves. They are essential to the product, project, or release, but they are not vital. If left out, the product or project still functions. However, the initiatives may add significant value.

“Should-have” initiatives are different from “must-have” initiatives in that they can get scheduled for a future release without impacting the current one. For example, performance improvements, minor bug fixes, or new functionality may be “should-have” initiatives. Without them, the product still works.

3. Could-have initiatives

Another way of describing “could-have” initiatives is nice-to-haves. “Could-have” initiatives are not necessary to the core function of the product. However, compared with “should-have” initiatives, they have a much smaller impact on the outcome if left out.

So, initiatives placed in the “could-have” category are often the first to be deprioritized if a project in the “should-have” or “must-have” category ends up larger than expected.

4. Will not have (this time)

One benefit of the MoSCoW method is that it places several initiatives in the “will-not-have” category. The category can manage expectations about what the team will not include in a specific release (or another timeframe you’re prioritizing).

Placing initiatives in the “will-not-have” category is one way to help prevent scope creep . If initiatives are in this category, the team knows they are not a priority for this specific time frame. 

Some initiatives in the “will-not-have” group will be prioritized in the future, while others are not likely to happen. Some teams decide to differentiate between those by creating a subcategory within this group.

How Can Development Teams Use MoSCoW?

  Although Dai Clegg developed the approach to help prioritize tasks around his team’s limited time, the MoSCoW method also works when a development team faces limitations other than time. For example: 

Prioritize based on budgetary constraints.

What if a development team’s limiting factor is not a deadline but a tight budget imposed by the company? Working with the product managers, the team can use MoSCoW first to decide on the initiatives that represent must-haves and the should-haves. Then, using the development department’s budget as the guide, the team can figure out which items they can complete. 

Prioritize based on the team’s skillsets.

A cross-functional product team might also find itself constrained by the experience and expertise of its developers. If the product roadmap calls for functionality the team does not have the skills to build, this limiting factor will play into scoring those items in their MoSCoW analysis.

Prioritize based on competing needs at the company.

Cross-functional teams can also find themselves constrained by other company priorities. The team wants to make progress on a new product release, but the executive staff has created tight deadlines for further releases in the same timeframe. In this case, the team can use MoSCoW to determine which aspects of their desired release represent must-haves and temporarily backlog everything else.

What Are the Drawbacks of MoSCoW Prioritization?

  Although many product and development teams have prioritized MoSCoW, the approach has potential pitfalls. Here are a few examples.

1. An inconsistent scoring process can lead to tasks placed in the wrong categories.

  One common criticism against MoSCoW is that it does not include an objective methodology for ranking initiatives against each other. Your team will need to bring this methodology to your analysis. The MoSCoW approach works only to ensure that your team applies a consistent scoring system for all initiatives.

Pro tip: One proven method is weighted scoring, where your team measures each initiative on your backlog against a standard set of cost and benefit criteria. You can use the weighted scoring approach in ProductPlan’s roadmap app .

2. Not including all relevant stakeholders can lead to items placed in the wrong categories.

To know which of your team’s initiatives represent must-haves for your product and which are merely should-haves, you will need as much context as possible.

For example, you might need someone from your sales team to let you know how important (or unimportant) prospective buyers view a proposed new feature.

One pitfall of the MoSCoW method is that you could make poor decisions about where to slot each initiative unless your team receives input from all relevant stakeholders. 

3. Team bias for (or against) initiatives can undermine MoSCoW’s effectiveness.

Because MoSCoW does not include an objective scoring method, your team members can fall victim to their own opinions about certain initiatives. 

One risk of using MoSCoW prioritization is that a team can mistakenly think MoSCoW itself represents an objective way of measuring the items on their list. They discuss an initiative, agree that it is a “should have,” and move on to the next.

But your team will also need an objective and consistent framework for ranking all initiatives. That is the only way to minimize your team’s biases in favor of items or against them.

When Do You Use the MoSCoW Method for Prioritization?

MoSCoW prioritization is effective for teams that want to include representatives from the whole organization in their process. You can capture a broader perspective by involving participants from various functional departments.

Another reason you may want to use MoSCoW prioritization is it allows your team to determine how much effort goes into each category. Therefore, you can ensure you’re delivering a good variety of initiatives in each release.

What Are Best Practices for Using MoSCoW Prioritization?

If you’re considering giving MoSCoW prioritization a try, here are a few steps to keep in mind. Incorporating these into your process will help your team gain more value from the MoSCoW method.

1. Choose an objective ranking or scoring system.

Remember, MoSCoW helps your team group items into the appropriate buckets—from must-have items down to your longer-term wish list. But MoSCoW itself doesn’t help you determine which item belongs in which category.

You will need a separate ranking methodology. You can choose from many, such as:

• Weighted scoring
• Value vs. complexity
• Buy-a-feature
• Opportunity scoring

For help finding the best scoring methodology for your team, check out ProductPlan’s article: 7 strategies to choose the best features for your product .

2. Seek input from all key stakeholders.

To make sure you’re placing each initiative into the right bucket—must-have, should-have, could-have, or won’t-have—your team needs context. 

At the beginning of your MoSCoW method, your team should consider which stakeholders can provide valuable context and insights. Sales? Customer success? The executive staff? Product managers in another area of your business? Include them in your initiative scoring process if you think they can help you see opportunities or threats your team might miss. 

3. Share your MoSCoW process across your organization.

MoSCoW gives your team a tangible way to show your organization prioritizing initiatives for your products or projects. 

The method can help you build company-wide consensus for your work, or at least help you show stakeholders why you made the decisions you did.

Communicating your team’s prioritization strategy also helps you set expectations across the business. When they see your methodology for choosing one initiative over another, stakeholders in other departments will understand that your team has thought through and weighed all decisions you’ve made. 

If any stakeholders have an issue with one of your decisions, they will understand that they can’t simply complain—they’ll need to present you with evidence to alter your course of action.  

Related Terms

2×2 prioritization matrix / Eisenhower matrix / DACI decision-making framework / ICE scoring model / RICE scoring model

Prioritizing your roadmap using our guide

Talk to an expert.

Schedule a few minutes with us to share more about your product roadmapping goals and we'll tailor a demo to show you how easy it is to build strategic roadmaps, align behind customer needs, prioritize, and measure success.

Share on Mastodon

Scrum Alliance

Technical agility.

• Business Agility with SAFe®
• Service Delivery Using Kanban
• Agile Software Development
• Product Delivery with Scrum
• Agile Capabilities Using ICAgile
• Agile Project Management
• Web & Mobile App Development

Explore a curated collection of over 500 blogs covering topics.

Access our exclusive e-book and enhance your expertise.

Evaluate your knowledge of Agile, Scrum, Kanban, and SAFe®.

Maximize your career growth in our Upcoming workshop.

Join our community to master Agile, Scrum, and SAFe methodologies.

Meet our passionate Agile coaches delivering extraordinary results.

Discover upcoming and past webinars on Agile, Scrum, Kanban and SAFe.

Agile Glossary

Access and learn the unique terminology of Agile development.

SAFe Glossary

Learn specialized terminology utilized in Scaled Agile development.

Knowledge Area

• Product Management
• Agile Leadership
• Code of Conduct

What is MoSCoW Prioritization & How to Use it?

Agilemania, a small group of passionate Lean-Agile-DevOps consultants and trainers, is the most tru... Read more

Ever feel like you're being pulled in a million directions at once? Managing priorities, juggling tasks, resources, and deadlines can be a constant struggle. This is especially true for project managers, product developers, and anyone who has to wear many hats. 

There's a simple yet powerful technique that can help you achieve laser focus and make smarter decisions: MoSCoW prioritization.  MoSCoW stands for Must Have, Should Have, Could Have, Won't Have, and provides a clear framework for categorizing your projects and tasks based on their importance.

In this blog post, we'll explore the benefits of MoSCoW prioritization and show you how to implement it to achieve greater clarity, improve communication, and ultimately, get more done.

What is the MoSCow Prioritization Method?

MoSCoW (pronounced "Mos-Cow") is a simple yet powerful framework for prioritizing projects, tasks, or features.  It stands for Must Have, Should Have, Could Have, Won't Have (this time), providing a clear structure to categorize them based on their criticality.

Developed by software guru Dai Clegg, MoSCoW helps teams achieve clarity and focus from the get-go.  By establishing what's absolutely essential (Must Haves), what's desirable but not deal-breaking (Should Haves), and what can wait (Could Haves and Won't Haves), MoSCoW ensures everyone is on the same page and resources are allocated efficiently.

The MoSCoW prioritization framework goes by many names. You'll often hear it referred to as  MoSCoW analysis, MoSCoW technique, or even MoSCoW rules.

How does the MoSCow Prioritization Method Work?

The MoSCoW prioritization method is a valuable technique for project management that ensures alignment between stakeholders and the product team regarding objectives and prioritization factors.

Before diving into MoSCoW, some groundwork is essential.  First, get key stakeholders and your team aligned on project goals and the factors that influence priority.  This ensures everyone's on the same page from the outset.

Disagreements are inevitable. To prevent them from derailing your project, establish a clear process for resolving any conflicts that arise during prioritization.  Will you use voting, seek input from a senior manager, or follow a predetermined set of criteria?  Having a plan keeps the project moving smoothly.

Finally, decide how much effort (as a percentage) will be allocated to each MoSCoW category (Must Haves, Should Haves, etc.).  This helps manage expectations and resource allocation.  For example, will 80% of your resources focus on Must-Have features, leaving 20% for Should-Haves and Could-Haves?

Accelerate Your Project Management Mastery with PMI's Official PMP® Certification Training

Master project management with PMP® certification training. Comprehensive courses prepare you for the PMP exam, advancing your career and validating your expertise in project management.

Decoding MoSCow Prioritization Categories

With the groundwork laid, let's explore the four categories that make MoSCoW tick:

As the name implies, Must-Haves are the absolute essentials, the non-negotiables without which your project simply fails. Focus on completing these first. Think of security features in a healthcare app – these are Must-Haves to ensure user data protection and regulatory compliance.

Here's a simple trick to identify Must-Haves: ask yourself, "If the product or release wouldn't work without this initiative, is it a Must-Have?"  If the answer is yes, it belongs in this critical category.

Should Haves 

Should-Haves are a step below Must-Haves in terms of criticality.  They're important features that significantly enhance the value of your project or product, but they're not strictly mandatory.  Think of performance improvements or minor bug fixes – while they don't make the product unusable, they certainly improve the user experience.

The key difference between Must-Haves and Should-Haves is flexibility.  Should-Haves can often be deferred to a future release without derailing the current one.  This allows you to focus on essential features first and then incorporate these valuable enhancements later.

Could Haves

Could-Haves are the desirable features that add a little extra something special – the sprinkles on your prioritization cupcake!  They're not essential for core functionality, but they can elevate the user experience.

Compared to Should-Haves, Could-Haves have a much smaller impact if left out.  Think of a new design element or a minor feature addition.  While they'd be nice to have, they don't significantly hinder the product's core functionality.

Won't Haves (this time)

One of the strengths of MoSCoW is the "Won't Have (This Time)" category.  This allows you to manage expectations by clearly stating what will not be included in a specific release.  Placing initiatives here prevents scope creep and ensures everyone's on the same page about what's being prioritized now and what can wait.

Some initiatives in "Won't Have" might be reconsidered for future releases, while others may be tabled indefinitely.  Some teams even create subcategories within "Won't Have" to differentiate between these possibilities. 

How Can Development Teams Use MoSCoW Prioritization Method?

MoSCoW is a powerful tool that helps development teams prioritize tasks and features. Here's how development teams can leverage MoSCoW to tackle other prioritization:

Budget Battles

What if deadlines are flexible, but your budget is tight?  MoSCoW can help you and product managers decide which features are essential (Must-Haves) and which are desirable but not critical (Should-Haves).  Then, with your limited budget in mind, you can figure out which Must-Haves can be delivered in this release.  Should-Haves can be planned for future releases with more funding.

Skillset Challenges

Even the most skilled team might not have everything covered.  A product team might require features that need expertise they don't have.  MoSCoW can help here too!  During your MoSCoW analysis, consider your team's skill set when prioritizing features.  Features requiring extensive development outside your team's expertise might be categorized as Could-Haves or Won't Haves (this time). This allows you to focus on what your team can deliver effectively.

Competing Priorities

Cross-functional teams often face pressure from different directions.  Imagine wanting to push forward on a new product release, but senior management has tight deadlines for other projects.  MoSCoW can help you navigate this situation.  Use MoSCoW to determine which features of your desired release are absolute Must-Haves.  Everything else can be temporarily backlogged.  This allows you to meet critical deadlines while keeping future development plans on track.

By using MoSCoW's flexibility, development teams can overcome a wider range of prioritization challenges. This ensures they focus on what truly matters and deliver successful projects regardless of the limitations they face.

How Can Project Management Use MoSCoW?

Project managers wear many hats – juggling deadlines, resources, and ever-changing priorities.  The MoSCoW method can be your savior for handling these challenges and ensuring project success.

MoSCoW empowers you to prioritize tasks efficiently, even when faced with limitations. Managing cross-functional teams can be tricky, especially when juggling competing priorities from different departments.  MoSCoW helps bridge this gap.  When faced with a new product launch and tight deadlines from another project, use MoSCoW to identify the absolute essentials (Must-Haves) for your launch.  This allows you to focus on meeting critical deadlines while keeping everyone on the same page.

Projects rarely go exactly according to plan.  Unexpected roadblocks are inevitable.  The beauty of MoSCoW is its flexibility.  Even with the best planning, the MoSCoW categories allow you to adapt and prioritize effectively when challenges arise.

By using MoSCoW, project managers gain a powerful tool for navigating complex prioritization challenges, ensuring projects stay on track and deliver success, even when things get tough.

What Are Best Practices for Using MoSCoW Prioritization?

• 1 Ensure all key stakeholders are present during MoSCoW sessions. This includes developers, product managers, sales representatives, and anyone with a vested interest in the project.
• 2 Open discussion is encouraged, but avoid letting debates derail the process. Schedule separate time to address any concerns or conflicts that arise.
• 3 Once priorities are set, establish clear deadlines for each task. This promotes accountability and keeps the project on track.
• 4 During MoSCoW, strive to list every conceivable task, big or small. A comprehensive list ensures a thorough analysis and helps avoid overlooking important details.
• 5 Before embarking on MoSCoW prioritization, allocate resources (personnel, budget, etc.) to each task. This transparency ensures realistic prioritization and avoids setting up teams for failure due to resource constraints.
• 6 Establish clear criteria and objective ranking systems to guide MoSCoW decisions and prevent the Highest Paid Person's Opinion (HiPPO) from overshadowing valuable insights.
• 7 Never lose sight of the customer throughout the MoSCoW process. Prioritize features and initiatives that deliver the most value to your target audience. Consider including customer success representatives in your discussions.
• 8 Set clear and specific requirements for each MoSCoW category (Must-Haves, Should-Haves, etc.). This provides a concrete framework for decision-making and ensures everyone is on the same page about what falls into each category.

MoSCoW Example

Let's imagine "MarvelMail," a company developing an email marketing software product. They're gearing up for a new release and need to prioritize features using MoSCoW.

Must-Haves (Absolutely Essential):

Drag-and-drop email builder: This is the foundation for users to create visually appealing emails.

Email sending and scheduling: The core functionality of the software – users must be able to send emails and schedule them for future delivery.

Basic email analytics: Users need to track basic metrics like open rates and click-through rates to gauge campaign performance.

Should-Haves (Important, but Flexible):

A/B testing capabilities: This allows users to test different versions of emails to optimize performance, but it's not essential for the initial launch.

Email personalization features: Adding personalized touches like subscriber names can improve engagement, but it can be offered in a later update.

Landing page creation tool: While valuable for comprehensive marketing campaigns, it's not crucial for basic email marketing needs.

Could-Haves (Nice-to-Haves):

Advanced segmentation features: Segmenting email lists allows for targeted campaigns, but it can be a later addition.

Multivariate testing: This allows for more complex testing than A/B testing, but it can wait for a future release with a focus on advanced users.

Social media integration: Posting email campaigns on social media can increase reach, but it's not a core functionality.

Won't Haves (This Time):

SMS marketing integration: This expands marketing reach beyond email, but it's outside the scope of the current release.

Advanced reporting and analytics: Highly detailed reporting can be a valuable add-on, but it can be offered as a premium feature later.

Customizable email templates: Pre-designed templates are sufficient for the initial launch, with custom templates as a potential future offering.

By applying MoSCoW, MarvelMail can ensure they focus on developing the essential features (Must-Haves) for a successful launch. They can then plan to incorporate the Should-Haves in future updates based on user feedback and market demands. The Could-Haves and Won't Haves become part of a longer-term product roadmap, ensuring a clear vision for future development without compromising on the initial release.

Software Tools For Creating Moscow Template

While there are no software tools specifically designed for creating MoSCoW templates, many project management and task management tools can be adapted to facilitate the MoSCoW prioritization process. Here are a few options:

Spreadsheets: Simple and readily available, spreadsheets like Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel allow you to create a basic MoSCoW template. You can list features or tasks in one column and assign them categories (Must-Have, Should-Have, Could-Have, Won't Have) in another.

Kanban boards: Tools like Trello, Asana, and Jira offer Kanban boards, which are visual representations of workflows. You can create separate lists for each MoSCoW category and drag and drop tasks between them as priorities shift.

Mind mapping software: Tools like Miro or XMind allow you to brainstorm features and visually organize them using a mind map. You can color-code or categorize branches of the mind map to represent MoSCoW priorities.

Project management software: Some project management platforms, like monday.com or Wrike, offer features like custom fields or tags that you can utilize for MoSCoW prioritization.  Create a custom field or tag for priority and assign "Must-Have," "Should-Have," etc. to categorize tasks.

Remember, the most important aspect of MoSCoW is the prioritization process itself, not the specific tool you use. Choose a tool that fits your team's workflow and comfort level to ensure effective MoSCoW implementation.

What Are the Limitations of MoSCoW Prioritization?

• 1 Inconsistent scoring can lead to misplaced tasks. Use weighted scoring for objective evaluation.
• 2 Excluding key stakeholders can lead to miscategorization. Get input from everyone involved.
• 3 MoSCoW is susceptible to team bias. Establish a clear ranking system to minimize bias.
• 4 Some managers find MoSCoW's "Won't Have" category unclear, leading to anxieties about truly removing features. This can delay essential functionalities.
• 5 Managers might misuse MoSCoW to secure extra resources by inflating "Should-Have" categories, leading to unrealistic expectations and potential project failure.
• 6 MoSCoW provides a general hierarchy, but further prioritization within each category might be needed.
• 7 Reaching consensus through MoSCoW can be time-consuming due to the need for in-depth discussions and stakeholder involvement.

Wrapping Up

Prioritizing tasks, features, and projects is a constant challenge for teams in today's fast-paced business environment. Without a clear framework, it's all too easy to lose focus, miss deadlines, and deliver products that fail to meet customer needs.

The MoSCoW prioritization method provides a simple yet powerful solution to this problem. By categorizing initiatives as Must Haves, Should Haves, Could Haves, and Won't Haves, teams gain clarity on what is truly essential, what is desirable, and what can be deferred or omitted entirely.

While MoSCoW is not without its limitations, following best practices such as involving key stakeholders, establishing objective criteria, and maintaining a customer-centric perspective can help teams overcome potential pitfalls and reap the full benefits of this powerful prioritization technique.

Frequently Asked Questions

The MoSCoW method is a technique used in project management and product development to prioritize tasks, features, or requirements into these four categories based on their importance or criticality to the project's overall success.

Yes, MoSCoW prioritization is an effective method for streamlining project tasks and features. Its simplicity allows even newcomers to participate, fostering better team understanding of the project scope. MoSCoW's clear framework (Must-Haves, Should-Haves, etc.) helps evaluate tasks and make informed decisions about what to include in the project.

MoSCoW prioritization is important because it brings clarity and focus to product development. It helps you:

Set a timeline: By identifying Must-Haves first, everyone knows what needs to be completed for the initial launch.

Manage expectations: Stakeholders understand core functionalities and potential costs.

Maintain product vision: MoSCoW keeps the team focused on essential features, avoiding feature creep during development.

The MoSCoW method categories are:

Should Haves

Sign up for Agilemania Newsletter

Stay updated with the latest agile & scrum trends..

Agilemania, a small group of passionate Lean-Agile-DevOps consultants and trainers, is the most trusted brand for digital transformations in South and South-East Asia.

Explore the Perfect Course for You! Give Our Course Finder Tool a Try.

Related post.

Aug 23rd, 2024

How agile thinking drives business innovation: key benefits & strategies, by agilemania.

Aug 21st, 2024

Best product roadmap software for stakeholder alignment in 2024.

Aug 19th, 2024

Complete guide for monitoring and controlling project work.

Aug 16th, 2024

Solution architect interview questions and answers.

Become a community Member

Thank you .

We will get back to you soon!

For a detailed enquiry, please write to us at [email protected]

Avail the best offer Today!

Enroll in scrum master training today and get a pmp course absolutely free hurry, spots are limited in each batch.

By clicking the above button, you agree to our Privacy Policy .