PowerPoint presentations are powerful tools for salespeople. With a multitude of ways to utilize a presentation to increase sales, every professional salesperson should have at least one professionally designed presentation in their toolbox.
A professionally designed PowerPoint deck can be emailed to prospects, used in demos and webinars to close deals, shared over coffee on an iPad or phone, uploaded to SlideShare to generate leads, and shared on social media – the list of possible uses for PowerPoint slides goes on and on.
If you are ready to increase sales by creating a PowerPoint presentation, I want to outline for you a simple 5-stage structure that was originally presented by Ethos3 CEO Scott Schwertly in a recent podcast episode, The Five Stages of a Sales Presentation.
Since the podcast episode was such a hit, I wanted to cover this 5-stage format again in a blog post for anyone who has not been listening to Scott’s podcast, as well as for our podcast listeners who might appreciate the visual aid below which illustrates the information that was presented in the podcast.
I will quickly review all of the stages in the paragraphs below, but first I want to share this presentation, which was designed to illustrate the structure originally presented in Scott’s podcast:
5 Steps for Creating a Sales Deck that Sells
Stage 1: Relatability
Before you launch into content that is all about you, your product, your business, or your objectives, acknowledge the audience and show some gratitude by first relating to them. As you contemplate how to relate to your audience, ask yourself: What are their hopes, fears, or concerns? What keeps them up at night, or gets them up in the morning? Use your answers to these questions to develop an opening for your sales deck that will be meaningful to the people you are trying to persuade.
In the presentation above, this stage is included in slides 2-5.
Stage 2: Compatibility
Stage 2 is the bridge between relating to your audience in Stage 1 and delivering your core message in subsequent steps. In the second stage of your sales deck, explain how how your product or services solves a problem for the audience or improves their lives in some way. This section should be relatively quick as it is meant to just tease your central message, not reveal it completely.
In the presentation above, this stage is included in slides 6-8.
Stage 3: Stability
Stage 3 is where you clearly and fully express your core message. Use Stage 3 to build off of Stage 2. The world needs your solution, right? Say it loud and clear in Stage 3.
In the presentation above, this stage is included in slides 9-11.
Stage 4: Deliverability
Stage 4 is where you prove the claims you declared in Stage 2 and Stage 3. Can you deliver what you promised? Can you also deliver proof that supports your claims? This stage is the nuts and bolts of your message. You can tell stories, use stats and facts, or both to add meaning and value to Stage 4.
In the presentation above, this stage is included in slides 12-14.
Stage 5: Possibility
Now that you have connected with your audience and convinced them that you have answers they need, what do you want them to do next? Give your audience a call-to-action in Stage 5. Drive home the appeal of the call-to-action by circling back to some of your points from Stage 1 and Stage 2, and perhaps even hit on a critical point from Stage 3 and Stage 4. No matter what other points you highlight in Stage 5, ensure that your call-to-action is the star of this stage, and the entire show.
In the presentation above, this stage is included in slides 15-16.
Conclusion:
Building your deck in stages will help you break your message into smaller chunks, making your content easier to organize and your pitch easier to remember. Give it a go and let us know what you think.
