Sales Deck Design: The Formula For Winning Deals And Investment
Pitch, investor, and sales presentation decks need to do more than say what you do. They need to engage your audience and create confidence from the outset. If you show potential clients why they should work with you, it makes it easier for them to say yes. If you are focusing on the wrong things, your sales desk design is probably the reason your presentations are not converting.
Pitch, investor, and sales decks are often confused. Most companies have a tendency to try to cover all the bases – and fail to create decks that really do what they are intended for. A sales deck should sell the full experience, and this is where many companies are falling short. They tell potential customers the essential information, but not a lot more. Your sales deck slides should support the story you’re telling, reinforce trust, and guide the audience towards the outcome you want.
What is the difference between pitch, investor, and sales decks?
These three decks are not the same thing. They are, as their names suggest, intended for different audiences and different outcomes.
Pitch decks are part of the wider pitching process
A pitch-deck presentation can be between 50-500 slides. A client will supply a brief and your pitch deck should strategically tell the story of how you will approach and solve their current problem. A strategist is generally needed to create a cohesive presentation from the input of many people.
Investor decks are designed to secure funds
An investor-deck presentation is typically 10-50 slides. You want potential investors to believe in your product. There should be reference to the client’s problem and your solution, and a company’s unique selling proposition, or USP. The focus should be on what your product does better than others. You would expect to see survey results, financial projections, and investment models in investor decks.
What a sales deck is – and what it isn’t
Sales decks are even more tailored than investor decks and tend to be 10-25 slides. At this point, you’ve secured the funds to go to market with your product and now you need to sell it. A typical sales deck would be 10-25 slides. With a sales deck you’re supporting a buying decision and showcasing your product with videos, live demos, case studies, and the cost to the potential client.
You are not overloading your presentation with information
You are not creating a rehash of your pitch or investor deck
It should not replace the presenter – it should support them
Your sales deck should build confidence, reinforce trust, and guide the conversation.
Why many sales decks fail to convert
The impact of a poor sales-deck design can be huge. You can have the best product in the world, but if you fail to communicate all the advantages effectively, you could lose the sale. These are common mistakes that can lead to your presentation not converting:
Information overload
Too much text and too many ideas on one slide is overwhelming. Slides should not be used as scripts – they should serve as prompts for the presenter and the audience.
Lack of focus
Slides with no narrative flow or visual hierarchy are hard to follow.
Slides that talk at you rather than guiding the audience through
Too many words on a slide can mean the audience is reading ahead (and getting bored) rather than engaging.
Weak or inconsistent visuals
No clear visual language, with competing fonts, layouts, or imagery means the design can distract instead of guiding the viewer. One visual language should be carried throughout a sales deck.
No pacing or progression
A presentation should be structured strategically to ensure it’s well paced and takes the viewer on a journey. Simple animations can reveal information intentionally at the desired time.
How to create a sales-deck design framework for presentations that convert
Build trust
You need to give your audience a reason to trust you. There are ways to build trust, and these include showcasing your clear positioning and the outcomes you want to achieve. Make sure you include case studies, refer to experiences existing clients have had, and use testimonials and reviews. If you already have proven results, talk about them. Confident visual design is key, and for this you will need a professional designer.
Make the problem and solution obvious
The problem and solution might be obvious to you – but that doesn’t mean it will be to your anyone else. Clearly state the problem and how you are going to solve it. Failing to do this can create confusion early on in a presentation and you will quickly lose your audience. Framing the presentation in this way sets a clear framework and a professional designer can help you create a visual journey.
Convert your audience
Make your offering or ask crystal clear. For example, if you are seeking £1.5 million from investors to fund your idea, you need to showcase what the investor will get from this investment. Make sure they understand what their money will mean for your product and what the expected returns for them are.
Maintain the energy
Reinforce your confidence in your presentation. Never end the presentation with an open ended Q&A session: it drains the energy that has been building from the opening slide.
Presentation design as a strategic resource
A good presentation designer can help create clean, consistent slides that tell a story both visually and with words. They declutter and reduce the noise, leaving the key message to speak for itself. Intentional design builds trust. Your story feels easier to understand and offers more value.
Good design can create a mindset shift. In sales deck design, that exactly what you are trying to create.
Are your presentations keeping you from achieving something bigger?
If your current sales deck is overrun with bullet points, lacks a clear call to action, or is generally lacking focus, you are probably being rejected before you have even got a foot in the door. Rethinking your approach to your sales deck design and putting it in the hands of a professional designer can literally change your fortunes.
If you would like to discuss how I have helped other clients achieve success with their sales decks – and how it could work for you - why not get in touch?