Sales presentations can be intimidating to have to deal with. But dealing with them is a must. There’s no better way to close the deal than to stand up in front of your core audience and, well…sell it to them.

This is your opportunity to crowd out the competition, make a connection, and win your potential client over. The best way to get started is to draft a sales presentation outline to get your creative juices flowing.

Let’s talk about how to do that.

What is the best structure for a sales presentation?

Any time you’re going to draft any document, you always want to start with an outline. It gives you the structure and foundation to build on. Then, all you have to do is fill in the blanks! The best structure for your sales presentation outlines looks like this:

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Introduction

Begin by grabbing your audience's attention with a strong opening, such as a compelling story or a thought-provoking question. Clearly state the purpose of your presentation and establish a connection with your audience.

When you open strong like this, you get your audience to sit straight up and consider you a viable candidate. Here are a few ideas for your introduction:

• A Compelling Story: If you decide to go with a story, make it either dramatic, funny, or highly relatable. You don’t want to lose your audience by boring them. Also, make sure it has a point that connects directly to how you can help the client.
• A Thought-Provoking Question: This would be a good way to end a compelling story. Leave your audience imagining what it might be like to work with your company. Ask them to consider a new perspective, aim for higher goals, or clearer timelines.
• State the Purpose: No one wants to sit around guessing why they’re here. Get clear up front on why you’re in this meeting, what the goal of this presentation is, and why, in one or two sentences, you think you’d be the best option for this client.

Here are some tips for crafting an introduction that catches your potential client’s attention:

1. Visuals: Include engaging visuals in your introduction that catch your audience’s attention and help them see themselves working with you.
2. Keep It Short: The introduction is just about making it clear why everyone’s here and getting this potential client excited about what’s coming. Do not drag out the introduction. You should be able to fit everything on one slide.
3. Practice: If you don’t practice any other section of the sales presentation, practice the intro. You want to have this part down pat because it will establish the rapport that makes the rest of the meeting feel smooth and easy.

Problem Identification

Clearly articulate the problem or pain points that your product or service addresses. Use relevant data, statistics, or customer testimonials to emphasize the significance of the issue.

Remember, you’re just outlining here. The actual sales presentation comes next. For now, you don’t have to fill in every aspect, every data point, every testimonial. But you do need to know what you’ll be drawing on and create space in your outline for each one.

Make sure you do your research ahead of time, so you know if you have data, statistics, or testimonials that relate to the client’s problem, and how you plan to solve it.

In terms of slides, you should have one slide per graph or statistical analysis and one slide with testimonials, in addition to the slides you create that outline your client’s pain points. You’re looking at 5 to 6 slides for this section alone.

Solution

Next comes your solution. You’ll want to outline this section well so you’re prepared to write out exactly how you plan to help this client.

Present your product or service as the ideal solution to the identified problem. Highlight the unique features, benefits, and advantages it offers. Use visuals, demonstrations, or case studies to showcase its effectiveness.

In short, what makes your product or service so great?

If you use visuals, work with graphic artists to create eye-catching images that your audience will respond to. For example, if you offer marketing services to businesses, you’ll want to show them samples of graphics, written content, value propositions, and more. Consider this part of the solution your “portfolio,” showing your client just what you’re capable of.

When you use case studies, try to include those similar to that of the client, so it feels relatable. You want your audience hungry for what you, and only you, can give them.

The solution section of your outline should include a slide that highlights each feature or benefit and relates it to the client’s pain point. You’ll also have slides for each of your visuals.

Competitive Advantage

That’s right. Only you can solve this client’s problem in a way that makes sense.

Clearly outline what sets your product or service apart from competitors. Highlight any distinctive features, superior quality, or cost-effectiveness that differentiate your offering.

Don’t be afraid to really dig into this section.

When planning your outline, you can create slides for an Us vs. Them section that sets you apart from your competitors. A great business knows not only what it can offer the client but also exactly what the competitor can offer. That way, you’ll be prepared to outbid them.

You can also bring this back to case studies and testimonials if you have any that highlight the differences between you and your competitors.

For example, if you have other clients who have left the competition and are now working with you, showcase their growth and success since working with you.

You can expect to include three or four slides in this section.

Value Proposition

Now that you’ve got your client hooked, lay out your brand for your client. You should already have a value proposition for your company. Make space for two or three slides that spell out what makes your company as a whole a great one to work with.

Include a value statement, which is a single sentence that encapsulates your brand, and a value proposition, which highlights where your company falls in your market, and how that benefits your customers.

Finally, show your client a slide with your company’s mission and vision. These will let your client know that you’re not only good for them, but that you’re also a good company to work with in general.

Corporate social responsibility has become more and more important to clients across the board. Give them a reason to love you.

Objection Handling

Address common objections or concerns that your audience may have. Anticipate potential questions and proactively provide answers and reassurance. This step builds credibility and instills confidence in your offering.

You’ll want to open this part of your presentation up to your audience so they can ask questions, but the savvy thing to do here is to preemptively answer them before they get the chance to ask.

In the outline, create a slide that asks those tough questions.

Have a title on each slide that asks questions like, “Why is your service so much more expensive than the competitor’s?” Or “How will I be able to track my success with your company?”

Remember, the best offense is a great defense, so be ready to defend, defend, defend, and have a slide for each defense.

Call to Action

Now it’s time for the ask

Far too many businesses don’t take the time or make a point to ask for the business. Don’t make this mistake. Include the call to action in your outline, and start practicing it now.

Clearly state the next steps you want your audience to take, such as making a purchase, signing up for a trial, or scheduling a meeting.

Create a sense of urgency or incentivize action to encourage immediate response. You can do this by creating scarcity, which, in this case, means touching on your client’s pain points again.

With Qwilr your prospects can accept a proposal and make payment all within your sales presentation document

Closing and Summary

Recap the key points of your presentation and emphasize the value proposition once again. End your sales presentation on a positive note, reiterating the benefits and reemphasizing why your product or service is the best choice.

You’ve already created scarcity. Now, you want to end on a high. Remind your potential client of how good you can be together, and how much success you can share.

It’s also a good idea to close with another compelling story, preferably a funny or inspiring one. That way, the client will leave the meeting feeling good about it, and remember you as a business that both takes its client seriously and is relatable and cares about people.

Sales presentation template

Why start from scratch when you can use a fully customizable template? Qwilr’s sales presentation template includes all the important sections that you need to wow your prospects.

With Qwilr you can create on-brand presentations using the advanced content editor. But that’s just the first step. Get advanced document analytics on how prospects engaged with your presentation, real-time notifications, and integrated e-signature and payment features.

Grab our sales presentation template

Craft engaging, professional, and visually compelling presentations that showcase your value and resonate with your audience.

Get template

How to prep for and create a sales presentation outline

So, you’ve received an RFP, and you know you need to create a winning presentation, but you also know you should always start with a sales presentation outline. Where do you start? What will make it pop? Here are some tips for creating a sale presentation outline that will stand out:

Spend time getting to know your prospects and their needs

The most important thing you can do as you start preparing your outline is research. Get to know your client as if you are the client. Learn the brand story, mission, vision, and values of the company.

Find out what the origin story is and how the company has grown over time. Getting to know the potential client inside and out will help you prepare to speak directly to them when the time comes. It will also help you build a strong outline.

Do your homework on potential objections and questions

Your job in any presentation is to know both sides of the story. Of course, you know what’s great about your company and why you can solve this client’s problems. But what’s not so great?

Be prepared for all the pushback, and don’t go easy on yourself. The better you get at understanding why a client wouldn’t choose you, the better prepared you’ll be to overcome those objections.

Determine the flow of the presentation to ensure a logical progression

As you’re building the structure of your outline, visualize how it’s going to go. What are your transition points from one segment to the next? Creating a seamless outline will help you present seamlessly when you’re standing in front of the audience.

You might want to move segments around a bit, so pay attention to how the logical flow works as you move from one to the other. Each time you think you’ve got your structure down, practice it again and see if it works. If not, move things around again.

High-quality sales presentation software can be really helpful for this step.

Practice delivering the outline to ensure smooth transitions between sections

As you move things around in your sales presentation outline, practice delivering it. You won’t have the full presentation ready yet, but like with any writing or creative process, you should have an idea of the beginnings and endings of each segment.

Stand up and move through the outline, starting and transitioning through each “chapter” in your outline.

If certain transitions feel awkward or unclear, focus on refining them until they flow naturally and connect seamlessly. Once you’ve got those down, you can start filling them out and creating the actual presentation.

Gather data, case studies, and testimonials relevant to the prospect

Finally, if you haven’t yet, make sure you’ve got all your data, statistics, case studies, and testimonials lined up and ready to be plugged into their appropriate segments. You’ll want to fully understand how each element is related to your client, either the problem or the solutions, and line them up in the right spots.

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