There Is No One-Size-Fits-All Sales Presentation
We’re not suggesting that every company is the same; rather, your prospects aren’t interested in lengthy, comprehensive presentations that answer every possible question. They’re unlikely to engage with a 30-minute story about your vision, mission, or the SDGs you’re addressing—at least not initially.
What they typically want is specific information tailored to different stages of your sales funnel. Our advice is to deliver this information in bite-sized chunks, step by step.
So, who actually uses presentations in sales? Many B2B companies do. Here are a few examples:
A SaaS company showcases its project management software to a marketing agency, highlighting features and success stories to enhance collaboration and workflows.
A manufacturing equipment supplier presents advanced machinery to a large firm, emphasizing specifications and ROI to improve production efficiency.
A management consulting firm proposes a digital transformation strategy to a financial services company, supported by an analysis of operations and relevant case studies.
These presentations are critical moments that can define success or failure. So, how should you approach presentations when aiming to convert a prospect into a client?
What Does Your Sales Funnel Look Like?
Chances are, you either know your sales funnel well or have no clear picture of it. Rest assured, though—you have a sales funnel. It consists of a series of touchpoints that guide prospects from their first encounter with your brand to the moment they sign a deal. In B2B contexts, this funnel often includes multiple steps.
Before planning your presentation, take a moment to map out your interactions. These may include:
A short email expressing interest
A video call
An in-person meeting
Sharing a proposal
Answering additional questions
Following up after the deal is closed
What Does Your Prospect Want to Hear in Each Phase?
Once you understand your funnel, identify the information your prospects need at each stage. Initially, they may just want to know if your company or product can solve their problem. Once that’s confirmed, they’ll likely seek more details about how your solution works and its costs, to compare with competitors. If they remain interested, they may look for case studies as reassurance that you can deliver on your promises. Finally, if they’re still engaged, they’ll want a detailed budget and a tailored plan before considering a deal.
Now that we understand what your prospects want at different stages of the funnel, it’s time to consider your presentation assets.
A Real-Life Example
Below is a simplified sales funnel with corresponding presentation assets for each prospect interaction. In this case, we’ve created three distinct presentation assets, each serving a specific purpose:
Introducing a relatively new brand to the market
Presenting an interactive product portfolio
Providing detailed information about products the prospect has shown interest in
Each presentation asset is designed with a clear purpose. By aligning them visually and through consistent messaging, you create a cohesive, professional sales journey that guides prospects from initial contact to conversion on their terms.
Let Us Help You Map Your Funnel
We offer a Sales Funnel Workshop as part of our Presentation Sales Solution. In this workshop, we guide your sales team in mapping out your funnel and creating an overview of the desired presentations and supporting assets.
Our experience shows that companies benefit greatly from the outside-in perspective we bring to these sessions. We help foster alignment and a shared understanding within teams regarding funnel structure, messaging, and assets.
