Pitch Perfect: Sales Presentation Skills That Win Deals

Ever felt the room go cold during a sales presentation? That moment when your prospect’s eyes drift to their phone, or worse – the clock?

We’ve all been there.

Presenting effectively is a critical skill for sales success, whether in person or online. It’s not just about delivering information but about connecting with your audience, conveying confidence and leaving a lasting positive impact.

However, presenting isn’t a skill that comes naturally to everyone, which is why we asked two experts to share their tips and actionable insights in our Ethical Sales Academy. Emma Henderson is a former airline pilot turned speaker who specialises in teaching effective leadership. Gavin Scott is a professional speaker, facilitator and trainer who helps people create exceptional customer experiences.

Read on if you want to learn how to turn every presentation into a conversation that grabs attention, builds trust and closes deals.

Using ‘grounded leadership’ to improve presentation skills

Grounded leadership is a method that emphasises humanity, humility and humour – all traits that have their roots in the word ‘humus’, which is Latin for ‘ground’. It’s also a method that salespeople can use as a structure for presentations.

Starting with humanity, remember that your audience aren’t robots and they won’t take in 45 minutes of being bombarded with information. Break down your presentation into key messages – three is always a good rule of thumb – and make them as simple to understand as possible.
“You need to explain things ‘in crayon’. I can fly an Airbus but I learned all the systems for the Airbus by literally drawing them in crayon. People are taking in as much information as they can, so make it as simple as possible.” Emma Henderson

Humility is also key to being relatable. It’s easy to stand there and boast of your achievements or how wonderful your product is, but it won’t endear you to the audience. Instead, frame things in terms of how your experience or information can help people.

Finally, humour is crucial in presentations – as it is to most elements of life! It makes them more engaging and will create a warm connection with your audience, helping to retain their interest.

How to structure a memorable presentation

The way a presentation is structured is crucial to its effectiveness, whether it’s a talk you’re giving to an audience or a direct sales pitch.

Knowing about the primacy and recency effect is useful when writing your presentation. This is a psychological tendency that humans have to remember the first and the last things we hear. So use the first five seconds to grab your audience’s attention, then bookend your presentation by finishing on a high with something memorable or personal. 

Telling great stories is also key. Studies have shown that people are more likely to remember information that’s presented in a story than just in a list, because they’re instantly engaging and memorable. A story doesn’t have to be lengthy – it can be just a simple sentence – but it will automatically make your pitch more interesting. Stories also evoke emotions, which can help to increase how well the audience knows, likes and trusts you. 

We learn visually so slides can be very helpful, but make them memorable and relevant. Don’t overload them with information – again, remember the rule of three – and use them to complement what you’re saying, rather than making them the whole presentation.

When writing a presentation, Gavin’s acronym FLORA is a great way to remember what you need to make it memorable.

• First: start strong to get attention.
• Last: end on a high to bookend the presentation.
• Outstanding: what can you do to make sure you stand out in people’s minds? Pepper your presentation with key bits of ‘wow’ to keep attention, as well as stories.
• Repeated: people remember things that are repeated, so think about what you want your audience to take away and make sure you say it more than once.
• Associated/association: if you create a positive connection with your audience and they like you, they’ll be more receptive to your pitch or ideas.

“Spread on the flora during your interactions and do it with a trowel!” Gavin Scott

Seven ways to feel more confident about giving presentations

1. Don’t sabotage yourself. If you’ve been asked to give a presentation it’s because you’re the best person to share that information. Reframe any dislike you may have around selling yourself into the idea of not being selfish about sharing your light with other people.
2. Read your presentation out loud before you give it to make sure you can pronounce all the words and you understand how it flows.
3. Know what it looks like to be on stage presenting to people – practice in front of a mirror to help with this. Don’t sway, mumble or look down, as these can be distracting. 
4. Strike a pose! Before getting on stage or starting the call, stand in front of the mirror and make a power pose to give yourself a confidence boost.
5. The audience doesn’t know what it doesn’t know, so if you miss something it won’t matter.
6. Don’t read off a script – this will really hinder how you connect with the audience. Use cards with bullet points to help prompt instead.
7. Eye contact helps your audience feel they’ve had a direct conversation with you. Make eye contact for around three seconds and try to do it with every person in the room. This is especially important if you don’t know who the key stakeholder is in a pitch situation. If you’re presenting online, make sure you’re looking directly into the camera as it creates a connection between you and the attendees.

Good luck with your next pitch or presentation. We’d love to know if what we’ve shared here helps you bring in a new client or hit a target – get in touch to share your story!