If your sales presentations feel more like bedtime stories (the boring kind), you’re not alone. Most decks are crammed with text, ugly charts, and forgettable slides that do nothing to help close a deal. If you’re ready to actually engage people and make your message stick, this guide’s for you. We’ll break down how to design sales presentations that work—using Venngage as your main tool—but you’ll find these tips useful no matter what software you use.
1. Start With a Clear Goal (Don’t Skip This)
Before you touch a template or pick a color, get clear on what you want your audience to do after your presentation. Are you trying to book a meeting, get a contract signed, or just introduce your company? If you’re not sure, neither will your audience be.
Pro tip: Write your main goal in a sentence at the top of your planning doc. If you can’t explain it in plain English, you’re not ready to design slides.
What to ignore: Don’t try to do everything in one presentation. More is not better—focus on one outcome.
2. Know Your Audience (Yes, Really)
It’s easy to skip this and use the same deck for everyone, but that’s the fastest way to lose people. Spend 10 minutes thinking about who you’re talking to.
- Are they decision-makers or gatekeepers?
- Do they care about ROI, product details, or just not wasting time?
- What problems are they actually trying to solve?
What works: Tailor your examples, testimonials, and even your visuals to what matters to them.
What doesn’t: Generic, one-size-fits-all decks. Buyers can spot these a mile away.
3. Pick a Template That Doesn’t Suck
Venngage comes with a ton of templates, but not all are created equal. The best ones are simple, clean, and easy to customize.
- Look for: Plenty of white space, big headings, and room for visuals.
- Avoid: Templates that cram in too much text or look like 2010 PowerPoint throwbacks.
You can always tweak colors and logos later. Start with structure.
Pro tip: Don’t get hung up on matching your brand colors perfectly at first. Focus on clarity, then adjust the palette.
4. Ditch the Wall of Text
Nobody wants to read slides. Your job is to make your main points scannable.
- Break up text into bullets—think headlines, not paragraphs.
- Use plain language. If you wouldn’t say it out loud, don’t write it.
- Cut jargon unless you’re sure the audience uses it daily.
What works: Each slide should have one key idea, backed by a visual or example.
What doesn’t: Slides that look like a Word document. If you need to explain something in detail, talk it out—don’t write it out.
5. Use Visuals That Actually Help
Charts, icons, and images can make a point faster than words—if you use them right.
- Choose visuals that clarify: If the graphic doesn’t make your point clearer, skip it.
- Data visualization: Use Venngage’s chart tools for simple bar graphs, pie charts, or timelines. Don’t get fancy—clarity beats style.
- Icons: These are great for breaking up text or highlighting steps, but don’t overdo it.
What works: Real product screenshots, before/after visuals, or diagrams that tell a story.
What to ignore: Stock photos of smiling people in suits. Everyone knows they’re fake.
6. Keep Branding Simple and Consistent
Yes, you want your presentation to look like it comes from your company, but you don’t need to slap your logo on every slide.
- Stick to 1-2 brand colors and 1-2 fonts.
- Use your logo on the first and last slide—maybe one in the middle if you must.
- Make sure all visuals have the same style (flat icons with flat icons, photos with photos).
Pro tip: Venngage lets you save custom color palettes and templates. Spend 5 minutes setting this up and you’ll save hours later.
7. Tell a Story, Not Just Features
The best sales presentations don’t list specs—they show how you solve a real problem.
- Start with the pain point (what’s broken or frustrating).
- Show how you fix it (your product/service).
- End with what life looks like after (results, savings, wins).
What works: Use customer stories, mini case studies, or quick “imagine this” scenarios.
What doesn’t: Slide after slide of product features or company history. Nobody cares as much as you do.
8. Design for Real Attention Spans
Even the best-looking deck won’t hold attention if it drags on.
- Aim for 10-12 slides max for a standard sales pitch.
- No slide should take more than 1 minute to talk through.
- Use section dividers or title slides to break up longer presentations.
Pro tip: Practice with a timer. If you’re racing through slides or running long, you’ve got too much content.
9. Make Your Call to Action Obvious
Don’t assume people know what to do next. Spell it out.
- End with a single, clear ask: “Schedule a call,” “Start a free trial,” “Request a quote.”
- Put your contact info (real, direct, not just a generic form) on the last slide.
- If you’re sending the deck as a PDF, add clickable links.
What works: One CTA per presentation. More than that, and people do nothing.
10. Test and Iterate—Don’t Aim for Perfect
Your first draft won’t be your best. The good news: Venngage makes it easy to tweak your design, swap out visuals, and duplicate slides for A/B testing.
- Share your deck with a colleague or friendly customer. Ask what’s confusing or boring.
- Watch where prospects glaze over or ask questions you thought you’d answered—then fix those slides.
- Don’t obsess over tiny design details. Get feedback, improve, and move on.
What to ignore: Fancy transitions or animations. Most add nothing and can break when exporting to PDF or using different devices.
Quick Recap: Keep It Simple, Stay Human
Sales presentations aren’t about showing off your design chops—they’re about getting your message across and making it easy for people to say yes. Stick to clear goals, real visuals, and honest stories. Don’t let the search for “perfect” stop you from shipping a good, clear deck. Start simple, test what works, and tweak as you go. That’s how you build presentations that actually close deals.