Meeting with advertisers can be stressful. Planning and prepping require industry research and defining what channels are ideal for them to use. All of this then goes into your presentation, which should be engaging and valuable to your prospects. If you’re looking for sales presentation ideas, we’re here to help. Consider these options to hook customers and close more deals. 

 

6 Sales Presentation Ideas

In developing your sales presentation, there are many opportunities to be more effective. You have limited time to make an impact, so you’ll want to be as concise, relevant and useful as possible. Before we launch into the ideas, we have a few suggestions on presentations in general. 

Try to limit it to 20 slides or fewer. More than that is too much information, and they’ll lose focus. Your deck should also have these key ingredients:

  • Value proposition
  • Analysis of the market, ROAS (return on ad spend) and the competitive landscape
  • Specific examples for campaigns and why they’ll work
  • Success stories
  • How the process works 

Now, let’s get to those ideas!

 

Define a Simple Value Proposition that Resonates

Your value proposition is the message that defines what benefits your advertiser will receive in working with you. It should tie directly to the pain points and/or goals you identified in your initial CNA. Often, there are many reasons you’re a great option for them. Keep in mind that prospects are likely to lose attention if this goes on and on. Instead, create one clear and direct value proposition. Lead and end with this message. 

It needs to resonate with the person or people on the other side. Knowing your customer is critical for any broadcast or digital sales rep. If you don’t have this knowledge, it will show in a disconnected message. Research the company but also the specific people. Using a sales tool like Crystal Knows is such a help with this. (Get the scoop on how to use it and other prospecting tools in our Research Rocks webinar replay.)

 

Don’t Overdesign the Presentation

You are likely using a branded template for presentations. If not, your organization should consider creating one. Beyond this template, you’ll have opportunities to add additional graphics and formatting. 

You don’t want it to be plain, but many go in the other direction and overdesign. Graphics should be appealing and applicable to the topic. They should also be high-quality. Keep copy short and to the point. Use color where appropriate to make certain words stand out. 

A good example of finding the right balance is using icons to illustrate a workflow or process. You could also use an infographic approach to explain how you create and schedule ads or how attribution works in campaigns. Every image should be purposeful in nature and should not be an afterthought. If you need inspiration, check out our creative examples.

 

Include Data Visualization Concepts

Another part of the visuals is representing data in the most interesting way. Data visualization is the process of taking numbers and data points and organizing them into impactful, attractive visuals. 

Using these, you’ll convey what the data is telling them more effectively than with text alone. Charts and graphs are part of data visualization, but go beyond the standard. Best practices include:

  • Variables should be a manageable number; otherwise, it’s too overwhelming. Your pie chart shouldn’t have 30 pieces! 
  • Simplicity is key, but you should use your brand colors and fonts.
  • Data visualizations should be on their own slide. 

Adding takeaways from the data points is key to connecting with the audience. If the data drives home a point, such as digital display ads having increased conversions for their industry, then make sure that’s the story you’re telling. 

When to use data visualization:

  • Statistics around consumer demographics
  • Trends over time in different advertising channels
  • Displaying growth or a decline
  • Timelines 

 

Lead with Education

The 21st-century salesperson is really a consultant. Stop selling, and start helping. Your sales presentation shouldn’t feel salesy or pushy. Instead, lead with education that’s meaningful to your advertiser. What do they need to know about, and how can you make it easy to understand?

Here’s a great example. If you have a customer who’s well-versed in TV and radio ads but is hesitant about digital options like OTT/CTV (over-the-top/connected TV) or SEM (search engine marketing), teach them the basics. It would be an excellent concept for an infographic. It can mix visuals with text. 

 

Mix Up Media

When you use various media types, your customer’s attention level will rise. That’s how our brains work when we see something “new.” Presentations with only text and static images are fine, but adding a video can be more interesting. If you’re presenting options for video ads, show them one you’re using for a similar client, and then talk about its performance for the customer. 

You have an ad example and data points in one section, which will give you more credibility and pique their attention. 

Also consider adding some movement to your data visualizations. You could do this by animating parts or using GIFs. This slight motion, again, is an attention-getter. 

 

Give Your Presentation a Narrative Feel

Storytelling is part of the human experience, and our brains react differently when hearing stories versus other data. Stories often have an emotional element, so we retain more of the information. 

Using storytelling as a sales presentation idea can lead to success. Stories have a beginning, middle and end. The beginning is the challenge, the middle is the context, and the end is the solution. 

Creating a story with your slides doesn’t mean you need an elaborate theme. Rather, you’ll tie together all the elements in your presentation to follow that narrative path. 

Here’s what we mean. A retailer is losing business to a new competitor. That’s the challenge. In the middle, you’ll use data visualization and information to discuss why this is happening and the opportunities to gain back share. Your solution could be to employ location-based advertising, targeting past shoppers with special deals to win them back. Then, with images or other media that convey the emotion of this story, you’ll engross your advertisers. 

 

Enjoy More Wins with These Sales Presentation Ideas

With these suggestions, you can reinvigorate your sales presentations. These tips are practical for both video and in-person presentations. Leveraging them is an easy way to win more business by being a relevant and visually appealing storyteller!