If you’ve ever sat through a sales presentation that felt like a hostage situation—endless slides, no room for questions, and zero energy—you know we can do better. B2B buyers expect more. They want to interact, ask questions, and see solutions in action. That’s where interactive presentations come in.
This guide is for B2B sales teams who want to use Decktopus to build sales decks that spark conversations, not snores. I’ll walk you through the steps, point out real pitfalls, and tell you what’s actually worth your time.
1. Figure Out What “Interactive” Actually Means For Your Team
Before you start dragging widgets onto slides, pause and ask: What’s the goal here? Not every team needs a full-blown choose-your-own-adventure experience.
“Interactive” can mean: - Letting prospects ask questions live or via forms - Embedding polls or quizzes to check understanding or gather feedback - Linking to demos, calculators, or product tours - Allowing viewers to skip to the sections that matter most to them
What doesn’t work: Cramming in every interactive feature Decktopus offers. More buttons don’t equal more engagement.
Pro tip: Talk to your sales reps before you build anything. What do prospects ask for? Where do calls go stale? Build around those moments.
2. Map Out Your Presentation Flow First—Don’t Just Start Clicking
Interactive decks need a plan. If you wing it, you’ll end up with a messy “Frankenstein” deck that’s hard to follow.
Here’s what to do: - Sketch your flow on paper or in a doc. Think about key decision points: Where might prospects want to dig deeper or skip ahead? - Decide on the must-have interactions. Is it a pricing calculator? An embedded product tour? A simple Q&A form? - Keep it simple. Each interaction should have a clear purpose—don’t add stuff just because it’s possible.
What to ignore: Complex branching logic unless you’re selling something super technical. Most buyers just want to steer the conversation, not solve a maze.
3. Get Set Up in Decktopus: The Basics
Once you know your plan, open up Decktopus and create a new presentation. If you’ve never used it, here’s the honest rundown:
- Templates: Decktopus has a good range, but a lot of them look pretty similar. Don’t stress about finding the “perfect” one—pick something clean and tweak as you go.
- Branding: Upload your logo and set your brand colors early. It’s a pain to fix later.
- Navigation: Decktopus is mostly drag-and-drop. If you can use PowerPoint, you’ll pick it up fast.
Heads up: Decktopus is built for speed, not pixel-perfect design. If you want total design control, you’ll hit some limits. For most sales teams, though, it’s fast and good enough.
4. Add Interactive Elements That Actually Help Sales
Here’s where Decktopus stands out: it makes adding interactive stuff easy—but that doesn’t mean you should use everything.
Useful interactive features in Decktopus:
- Forms: Add a form slide to collect questions, feedback, or specific info (like budget or timeline).
- Polls/Quizzes: Great for quick check-ins (“Which feature matters most to your team?”). Don’t overuse—one or two max.
- Clickable links and buttons: Direct prospects to a demo, case study, pricing page, or Calendly.
- Custom navigation: Let viewers jump to different sections (“Pick what you want to see next”).
How to add them:
- Click “+ Add Slide” and pick the interactive element you want.
- Customize the prompt or question. Keep it short and clear.
- Test the interaction—Decktopus previews aren’t always perfect, so double-check.
What to avoid: - Overloading your deck with “fun” quizzes or polls. It gets old fast. - Forms that ask for too much. Stick to one or two fields max.
Pro tip: Every interactive element should move the sale forward or answer a real question. If it doesn’t, cut it.
5. Make Your Presentation Self-Service (If It Makes Sense)
More B2B buyers want to explore on their own before talking to sales. Decktopus lets you share presentations as a link—buyers can click around at their pace.
To make a self-service deck:
- Add a simple navigation menu (“Jump to: Overview / Pricing / Case Studies / Next Steps”).
- Use clear calls to action (CTAs): “Book a Demo,” “See Pricing,” “Download PDF.”
- Add a contact form at the end for buyers who want to talk.
Where this shines: For mid-funnel prospects who want info but aren’t ready for a call.
When to skip: If you’re dealing with highly complex sales or need to guide every conversation personally.
6. Collaborate With Your Team (and Don’t Rely on Decktopus Alone)
Decktopus has basic team features—sharing decks, leaving comments, and setting editing rights. It’s fine for small teams, but don’t expect deep workflow integrations.
- Commenting: You can leave notes for teammates, but it’s not as slick as Google Slides.
- Version control: Decktopus saves automatically, but there’s no robust version history. Make copies before big changes.
- Export options: You can export to PDF or share a live link. PDF exports lose interactivity—use the live link for full effect.
Pro tip: Use Decktopus for the deck, but keep feedback and discussion in Slack, Teams, or wherever your team actually talks.
7. Test Your Deck—and Watch a Real Prospect Use It
The biggest mistake? Assuming interactive features work just because they work for you.
- Send your deck to a teammate (or, better, a friendly customer). Watch how they click around. Do they get stuck? Ignore your fancy poll? Miss the navigation?
- Check the analytics in Decktopus. See which slides people spend time on and which they skip. Don’t obsess over metrics, but do look for clear drop-off points.
- Be ready to cut features. If nobody uses the embedded calculator, maybe you don’t need it.
What to ignore: Vanity metrics (like total views). Focus on what actually helps close deals.
8. Keep Updating—But Don’t Let “Interactive” Become a Distraction
Interactive presentations are easy to tweak, but it’s tempting to tinker endlessly. Don’t.
- Set a review schedule—quarterly is usually enough. Update pricing, swap in new case studies, and check that links still work.
- Resist the urge to add new features just because Decktopus rolls them out. Only use what solves a real problem for your sales team or buyer.
Summary: Keep It Simple and Iterate
Interactive sales decks aren’t magic. They can make presentations more engaging, but only if you use the right features for your audience. Start simple, test with real prospects, and cut what doesn’t work. Don’t get lost chasing shiny new widgets—focus on what actually helps your team sell. The best decks get better with time, not more complicated.