If you’re part of a remote sales team, you know the drill: endless decks, scattered feedback, and no idea if your prospects are even looking at your slides. This guide is for sales managers, reps, or anyone who needs to wrangle sales presentations in a remote-friendly way using Clearslide. I’ll walk you through what actually works, what doesn’t, and how to avoid the usual time-wasters.
1. Get Your Clearslide House in Order
First, let’s be honest: Clearslide is a tool, not magic. If your content is a mess, Clearslide won’t fix it for you. Before you even log in:
- Centralize your assets. Gather your best sales decks, one-pagers, and product demos in one spot—ideally, one cloud folder.
- Decide who owns what. Figure out who’s responsible for keeping decks up to date. If it’s everyone’s job, it’ll be no one’s job.
- Ditch the fluff. That 27-slide “Our Mission” section? Nobody cares. Focus on what helps close deals.
Now, let’s get into the nuts and bolts.
2. Upload and Organize Content in Clearslide
Clearslide makes it easy to store and share sales content, but only if you keep it tidy.
Uploading Your First Deck
- Log in to Clearslide. If you don’t have access, ask your admin. No shame in that.
- Go to the “Content” tab.
- Click “Upload” and choose your files. PDFs and PowerPoints work best. Avoid uploading videos or huge files unless you have a killer reason—they can be slow for remote teams (and clients).
Organizing for Remote Teams
- Folders are your friends. Set up folders by product line, region, or sales stage. Don’t get fancy—just make it easy to find stuff.
- Naming matters. “2024_Q2_Pitch_Deck_vFINAL” is better than “Final2-UseThisOne.”
- Archive old stuff. If it’s outdated, move it out of sight. Less clutter = less confusion.
Pro Tip: If you’re managing a big team, have one person do a quarterly cleanup. It’s boring but saves headaches.
3. Build a Sales Presentation That Actually Works
A killer sales deck isn’t about fancy animations—it’s about clarity and flow. Here’s how to build one in Clearslide:
Step-by-Step: Creating a Deck
- Start with a template. Use your best-performing deck as a starting point. Don’t reinvent the wheel.
- Drag and drop slides to rearrange. Clearslide’s editor is straightforward—no need to overthink it.
- Add or remove slides. Cut anything that doesn’t move the deal forward.
- Insert multimedia (if you must). Short product demo videos are fine, but keep them tight. Most people won’t watch more than a minute.
- Save and name clearly. “Acme_Intro_Call_2024” beats “Draft3.”
What to Skip
- Don’t bother with slide transitions or embedded audio. Most clients view these decks in a browser, and extra bells and whistles can break.
- Avoid uploading raw Keynote files—they don’t always render right.
4. Share Presentations the Smart Way
This is where Clearslide shines for remote sales. You can send a link and see exactly what’s happening with your deck.
Sending a Presentation
- Click “Share” on your deck.
- Choose “Email Link” or “Copy Link.” Emailing from within Clearslide tracks opens and engagement; copying the link is faster but less trackable.
- Set permissions. Decide if the recipient can download or just view. Stick to “view only” unless there’s a good reason.
Tracking Engagement
Clearslide will show you:
- Who viewed your deck
- Which slides they spent time on (and which they skipped)
- Whether they forwarded it
This is gold for follow-ups. If a prospect spent 6 minutes on your pricing slide, that’s a clue. If they didn’t open it at all—don’t waste time chasing them.
Pro Tip: Don’t obsess over every stat. Use the data for context, not as gospel.
5. Run Live Remote Meetings (Without the Fumbles)
Presenting live over video? Clearslide lets you run a meeting where everyone sees the same slide, no matter where they are.
How to Start a Live Meeting
- Open your deck in Clearslide.
- Click “Start Meeting.” You’ll get a unique link to send to your attendees.
- Share your screen, or let Clearslide show the slides. The built-in slide viewer is smoother than most screen-shares, especially for remote clients with spotty Wi-Fi.
What Works (and What Doesn’t)
- Works: Real-time slide tracking. You’ll see when someone joins or drops off.
- Works: Annotation tools. You can circle or highlight key points live.
- Doesn’t Work: Two-way video. Clearslide’s video is basic—use Zoom or Teams for face time and Clearslide for slides.
- Doesn’t Work: Relying on Clearslide for polished video demos. Play those from your desktop if you need full quality.
Pro Tip: Always send the deck link after the call. Prospects can review at their own pace, and you get more engagement data.
6. Collaborate With Your Team (Without Losing Your Mind)
Remote teams can’t pop over to someone’s desk to review a deck. Clearslide has ways to keep everyone in sync, if you use them right.
Sharing Internally
- Use team folders. Share drafts in a “Team Review” folder before going live.
- Set clear permissions. Decide who can edit, who can view, and who just needs the final version.
- Comment, don’t email. Use Clearslide’s comments for feedback. It keeps the conversation attached to the deck.
Version Control: Keep It Simple
- Limit the number of “editors” on a deck. Too many cooks spoil the soup.
- When a deck is final, move it to a “Client Ready” folder. No more “Is this the right version?” drama.
Pro Tip: If you need heavy editing, do it in PowerPoint or Google Slides first. Then upload the final version to Clearslide.
7. Reporting and Analytics — What’s Actually Useful
Clearslide spits out a ton of analytics, but most of it is noise. Here’s what’s worth your time:
- Deck opens and time spent. Tells you if prospects are paying attention.
- Slide-level engagement. Shows which slides resonate (or flop).
- Team usage stats. Handy for managers to see who’s actually using the tool.
Ignore vanity metrics like “Top Content by Clicks.” Focus on what helps you sell.
8. Common Pitfalls (And How to Avoid Them)
- Overcomplicating folders. You don’t need a subfolder for every rep. Keep the structure flat and simple.
- Uploading too many versions. Archive or delete old decks. Otherwise, you’ll never find what you need.
- Assuming everyone will use Clearslide the same way. Set team standards and stick to them. Otherwise, chaos.
Wrap-Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Clearslide can make remote sales presentations smoother, but only if you keep your process clean and your content tight. Don’t chase every feature. Start with organized folders, clear naming, and a simple workflow. Get feedback, tweak, and improve. Sales is hard enough—your tools shouldn’t make it harder.