Ever wonder why, even with bulletproof data and stats, you don’t hear back about your proposal? Surely you were wondering what happened. Here some tips for making your next sales presentation ‘wow’ your recipients and get you the result you’re looking for.
Make it Visual
Make Keynote your ally
Get the right first impression. No matter how much time you spend on the information, if you neglect the visual aspect of your presentation, your amazing numbers could fall flat. If you are not the artistic type, why not ask your company’s design team for a template? Or just grab this one free here 👇.
Slides Structure works for you as well
Bear in mind the structure of your slides. How visuals and text sit together can make such a difference when presenting your ideas. Play with the layout and bring attention to those parts you want them to remember. Need inspiration? Make use of magazine layouts, Behance, Dribble.
Follow the branding guidelines
Font size, color palette, spacing, logo specifications. These guides help to keep consistency in all communication. The result will always be much more professional and aligned to your company.
Right font size?
If you don’t have these specifications, remember that the size of the fonts should not be smaller than 10px. Sans-serif fonts are modern and often more readable than Serif ones. Reserve Serif fonts for Titles and CTAs. Check out some great font pairings here Fontpair.co, Typ.io, Fontjoy.
Keep Contrast, and half of the work is done
Especially when placing text over an image, make sure it is legible. One quick, easy trick is to insert a black or white layer with transparency over the image and then add the text in white.
Images
Visuals contextualize the information exposed. Use high-resolution images and avoid those that look poor. In those pics with people, make sure that the important info is in the direction of the sight of the person. Find royalty free images here: Unsplash, Shutterstock, Giphy and recently this new resource from Canva.
Icons
Spice up a list and replace bullet points with icons. Make sure all icons follow the same style and avoid strange color combinations on the same slide. Free icons packs can be found here, etc…. Graphic Burger, Icon Finder, The Noun Project. The latest version of Keynote also includes free icons for use anywhere.
Content
What is the acceptable number of slides?
Up to 20 in NY, however, it varies from city to city.
Never more than 50 slides! Go straight to the key points and avoid non-necessary information. ‘Calls to action’ in every couple of slides will encourage people to ask in case of doubt (e.g., Any questions?). If you are presenting, propose a round of questions at the end.
Limit the amount of text you have on slides if you are presenting
People should be paying attention to you, not reading the slide which is inevitably a repeat of what you are saying. Use the slides as a backdrop for the idea you are conveying.
One idea for slide
Don’t saturate your audience with million ideas in one slide.
Information Structure
When presenting information, the beginning and the end of the presentation are the essential parts. Divide the deck into in three and use the first and last thirds wisely.
Focus your pitch on the decision makers, not to the whole audience
Identify them and if you know them previously, try to understand their decision process. Ask some questions such as: Is s/he goal oriented? Are they data-driven? Should I provide previous similar case studies? Or are they more interested in external references? Should I cover all possible scenarios? Are they gut-instinct types or do they make their decisions based on quantitative data?
Last Slide = Business Card
The last slide should always include where they can reach you. Email, Web, and Linkedin are essentials.
and don’t forget to
Choose the right time
Is the recipient having a hectic week? Maybe you should schedule it for another time. If you are sending your presentation by email, check their time zone and send early morning or after lunch – and not on a Monday!
