If you're reading this, you're probably tired of boring sales decks that fizzle out before you even hit slide three. This guide is for sales teams, founders, and anyone who needs to pitch an idea without putting people to sleep. We'll walk through building a sales presentation in Pitch—a presentation tool that's actually built for teams—not just another jazzed-up version of PowerPoint.
Here's how to do it without wasting time, falling for trendy features you don't need, or making a deck that's all sizzle and no steak.
Step 1: Get Your Story Straight Before You Open Pitch
Don't touch Pitch yet. Seriously. Most sales decks go wrong before anyone even opens the presentation tool. You need a clear story first.
- What are you really selling? (It's not just features. It's not just benefits. It's a solution to a pain your audience actually feels.)
- Who are you talking to? (If your deck tries to work for everyone, it'll connect with no one.)
- What's the one thing you want them to remember? (If you have five main messages, you have none.)
Pro tip: Jot your answers down in a doc or even on paper. It’ll save you from “just adding another slide” later.
Step 2: Set Up Your Workspace in Pitch
Now you can log into Pitch. The good news: Pitch is built for collaboration and speed, so you won’t get bogged down by endless formatting.
- Create a new workspace or pick the right team folder. Keep it organized. You’ll thank yourself later.
- Start a new presentation. Use a descriptive name—avoid “Sales Deck Final V2 (use this one).”
- Invite your team, if you have one. Pitch makes real-time collaboration easy, but only if everyone’s on board. Set permissions so you don’t get unwanted “improvements” at 2 AM.
Step 3: Pick a Template—But Don’t Let It Dictate Your Story
Pitch has a lot of templates. Some look flashy, but most buyers care more about clarity than clever animations.
- Browse the sales or pitch deck categories. Find one that’s clean and straightforward.
- Don’t cram your story to fit the template. It should work the other way around.
- Customize the colors and fonts to match your brand, but don’t overthink it. Your product (and how you solve the customer’s problem) is the star.
What to skip: Fancy transitions, slide gimmicks, and anything that feels like a distraction. You can always add polish later.
Step 4: Outline Your Slides — Less Is More
You’re not writing a novel. You’re creating a conversation starter.
A strong sales deck usually covers: 1. A short intro (Who you are and why you're here) 2. The customer's pain (Make it real, not generic) 3. Your solution (How you solve that exact pain) 4. Proof it works (Case studies, testimonials, or hard numbers) 5. How it works (Quick overview—not a product manual) 6. Next steps or a call to action
Tips: - One idea per slide. If you have to squint, it's too much. - Use images, not walls of text. - Don’t overload with data. One great chart beats five mediocre ones.
What doesn’t work: Slides packed with tiny text, laundry lists of features, or “About Us” sections that go on forever.
Step 5: Add Content and Keep It Human
Now it’s time to fill in your slides. In Pitch, editing is pretty intuitive—drag, drop, resize, and tweak.
- Write like a person, not a brochure. If you wouldn’t say it out loud, don’t put it on a slide.
- Use visuals that actually help. Product screenshots, customer logos, or a simple diagram beat stock photos of handshakes.
- Keep text big and readable. If you’re not sure, preview in full-screen mode.
Pro tip: Pitch lets you add video snippets and embeds. Use them sparingly. A quick demo or founder intro can be powerful, but nobody wants to watch a five-minute video in a sales meeting.
Step 6: Collaborate and Get Feedback (But Don’t Lose the Plot)
The real strength of Pitch is real-time collaboration. But groupthink can turn a sharp deck into a bland mess.
- Share your draft with a small, trusted group.
- Ask direct questions: “Is anything unclear?” or “What would you cut?”
- Don’t take every suggestion. You’re not designing by committee.
What to ignore: Well-meaning feedback that adds fluff, dilutes your message, or tries to please everyone.
Step 7: Polish the Deck—But Don’t Obsess
It’s tempting to keep tweaking forever. At some point, you need to call it done.
- Check for typos and obvious formatting issues.
- Make sure your message is crystal clear.
- Run through it once, out loud, as if you’re presenting. (You’ll spot awkward phrases and confusing slides fast.)
If you’re using Pitch’s analytics, you can even see which slides people spend time on—which is handy, but don’t chase stats at the expense of clarity.
Step 8: Share and Present
Pitch lets you share your deck with a link, control access, and even present live.
- Send a view-only link to prospects. No need to attach massive files.
- Present online or in-person. Pitch works in the browser, so you’re not hostage to someone else’s laptop.
- Export to PDF if you must, but expect some formatting oddities. Pitch is best when used as, well, Pitch.
Step 9: Iterate Based on Real Reactions
The first version of your deck won’t be perfect. That’s normal.
- Watch how people react. Where do they perk up? Where do they zone out?
- Tweak slides that don’t land. You’ll learn more from one real pitch than ten rounds of internal feedback.
- Don’t chase perfection. Aim for “clear and compelling,” not “fancy and forgettable.”
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple, Keep Improving
A winning sales presentation in Pitch isn’t about cramming in every feature or using every tool. It’s about being clear, memorable, and focused on your customer’s real problems. Start with a strong story, use the features that help (and skip the ones that don’t), and keep iterating based on real conversations—not what you think looks cool.
You’ll get better with every pitch. And if you keep it simple, you’ll actually want to use your own deck—which is more than most teams can say.