Creating Scripts for Sales Presentations

I've pitched in various roles for about a decade now. Here's my best tips to win more pitches. 1. Pitch only when you can win. 2. Evaluate each prospect on budget, strategic fit, creative potential, and culture. Pass if two of the four fail. 3. Open with the client's problem, not your show‑reel. About us goes in the appendix and gets no more than two slides, one of which should be your team. Give the first 90 percent of the deck to their challenges, market, and goals. 4. One person from your agency should introduce everyone. Do not go around the room. It should sound like, "This is Zachary Carpenter, he's responsible for X, and in just a moment, he'll tell you the interesting things he found about your consumer that informed our creative." Tie every introduction to the pitch. 5. Frame the pitch as one clear story. Ruthlessly cut anything that doesn't respond to it. This is not the time to pile on. Do that in a leave behind. Draft a two sentence narrative that states the tension and the future state. Use that line to police every slide, visual, and transition. 6. Prove you understand them before day one. Mystery shop their product, scrape reviews, speak with past agency partners, and walk their stores or site. 7. Open the meeting with a finding they have likely never heard before. 8. Win on chemistry. Be a friend before you are a salesperson. Friends are far more likely to listen. 9. Bring only the core team who will work on the business. 10. Rehearse until the talk track feels like muscle memory. Schedule three full run throughs on camera. Time each section, trim five percent, and fix every stumble the same day. 11. Design slides for three second comprehension. One idea per slide, no more than eight words in any text block, 60 point minimum font, full bleed images whenever possible. Slides should be visual aides, not drivers of the presentation. 12. Offer a bold point of view. Ask yourself if it's actually bold. State a provocative insight or strategic bet in the first five minutes, then back it with one killer stat and one case example. 13. Close with the next steps, not questions. End with a simple chart showing timeline, decision gates, fee structure, and kickoff date. 14. Leave a more comprehensive leave-behind that includes anything you cut from the pitch and loved. 15. Run a post mortem every time. Within 24 hours gather the team, list three wins and three misses, capture client feedback verbatim, and update the pitch playbook before the memory fades.

I’ve spent years helping B2B companies build and standardize sales messaging. Here’s my model, in five acts. 1️⃣ Define the problem Your prospect called because they have a problem to solve. Help them tell you. ▶ Reflect domain knowledge about the big issues that trigger buying cycles ▶ Land on a clear, simple, mutually agreed statement getting to the heart of the problem 2️⃣ Frame the decision You’re talking to someone trying to understand their options and choose the right one. Help them make sense of what’s in front of them. ▶ Offer your expert perspective on their options, what makes them different, and where your product sits ▶ Be honest about the advantages and disadvantages 3️⃣ Share your unique value Your company or product solves your buyer’s problem in a certain way, which unlocks value that’s hard to get anywhere else. ▶ Tell them what the unique value is ▶ Make it short, sharp, and simple 4️⃣ Break down product capabilities What new abilities do buyers gain from your product? ▶ Tell them what they will do with it that they couldn’t before ▶ It will probably come down to 3-5 short present-tense action statements ▶ Then, reinforce this narrative with your demo 5️⃣ De-risk the decision Prospects are looking for reasons to say no. Take them off the table. This means speaking directly to things like: ▶ Your bona fides ▶ Relevant case studies  ▶ Value relative to cost (i.e., the price and the business case) ▶ How you support the implementation ▶ How you stand by your product ▶ Support after the sale And anything else you need to say to diffuse concerns. After that, you’ll have your obligatory call-to-action/next steps section. But you know all about that already because you’re smart. That’s pretty much it. PS: I am sharing this as a highly distilled, foundational mental model, not a template. You can use it as a framework for writing a deck, developing a sales elevator pitch, or as a jumping-off point for deeper sales messaging and assets. This framework can support a big, lofty narrative as well or a nitty gritty, in-the-weeds approach. Treat it as a springboard, not a Mad Libs exercise.

I helped a client implement April Dunford's "Sales Pitch" framework in their deck last week. After their first two pitches, they said: "This is completely changing our conversations!" I read April's book when it first came out and have tested the framework with multiple clients since then. It works incredibly well. Here's the framework breakdown (and why each step is so valuable): 1. 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 (𝗣𝗢𝗩): Start with what your experience reveals about the customer's situation and problems you can help solve. This positions you as a trusted expert and frames the conversation around your unique value. 2. 𝗔𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀: Discuss common solutions customers typically use with honest pros and cons. This builds credibility and helps uncover what they value most in potential solutions. 3. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱: Paint the picture of an ideal solution by summarizing the pros of all alternatives. This creates alignment––if they agree with your perfect world description, they're likely a fit. If not, they probably aren't. 4. 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Now introduce your solution and category. This works because you've established the perfect context before revealing your offering. 5. 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲: Focus your demo exclusively on your differentiated features. Don't overwhelm with every feature. Instead, highlight what truly sets you apart and creates unique value. 6. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳: Provide evidence that you deliver on your promises through testimonials, case studies, and results. This validates your claims and builds trust at a critical moment. 7. 𝗢𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Come prepared with answers to common questions. This demonstrates you understand their concerns and have thought ahead about potential roadblocks. 8. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝗸: Close with a clear next step. A good pitch always includes a straightforward call to action appropriate for where they are in their journey. The beauty of this framework is by the time you reach that final ask, it feels completely natural for both sides. What sales framework has worked best for you? #positioning

Our sales team closed over $30mm ARR, and there’s one document that we required on every complex deal. The deals we lost all had something in common: Our champion went into a room without us, and they didn’t have the words. They believed in the product and the wanted the deal to happen. But when the CFO asked “why this vendor?” or the CEO asked “why now?” They couldn’t give a great answer. Because they are not prefessionas at selling our product, and they don’t have much practice getting approval to buy software. The best thing I ever did for our close rate was accept the fact that the decision gets made in meetings you’re not invited to. Your champion has to sell for you. They have to explain why this problem matters, why your solution is the right one, why the timing is right, and why the price is fair. If you don’t give them those words, they’ll make something up. Or worse, they’ll say nothing. That’s why we built every complex deal around one document: the Executive Summary. This is a script for your champion. Here’s what it included: 1. Summary of the Partnership: What we’re doing together and why it matters 2. Key Stakeholders: Who’s involved and who needs to approve 3. Current Challenges: The pain the business is facing today 4. Desired Outcomes: What success looks like 5. Why Us: Why we’re the best fit to solve this 6. Expected ROI: The business case in real numbers 7. Commercial Terms: Price, timeline, next steps Don’t wait until last stage of the sales cycle to build this with your champ. Start it after the first discovery call and refine it throughout the deal. By the time our champion walked into that room, they were prepared. And they closed for us. Want the template we used? Drop “champion” in the comments or DM me. I’ll send it over.

Technical founders - here are the dos and don't of demoing so you lose less deals: -THE BIGGEST MISTAKE I see founders make with demos: The demo is about them, NOT YOU. Remember this. You are showing THEM how to solve THEIR problems. You need to bring your tech into their world. If you’re showing them what you think is cool or useful, then the demo is about you. You’ll need to rewrite your script. -DON’T show everything. Your job in sales is to understand and solve their pains. You do not need to show every detail and every feature if it’s not relevant to them. You’ll likely cause more confusion this way. -Start at the end, then work your way towards how to achieve the end state. -Make them imagine using your software in their business. -A demo is not a walkthrough or a training call. This is where I see most founders fail in their demo. They’re teaching the prospect how to use the software instead of showing how the software solves their problem. A demo is structured. Think of the demo as a movie trailer designed to get bums in seats. You’re not showing the whole movie - or even worse - how the movie was made. Use the framework below to structure your demo: Start with your sales story so it explains your positioning. Then go into your demo, in chapters. Each chapter should be a unique use case/pain you solve. The formula is Context>Problem>Capabilities>Show>Ask Context: Explain the current way of doing things Problem: Explain how this way is painful or problematic Capabilities: Explain what you gain from the new workflow Show: Show the set of features/workflows that solve the pain Ask: Use a conversation-provoking question that makes them think about using your solution (e.g. "How does this compare to what you're doing now?" Repeat 3-5 times. This structure will help put your features in the context of the prospect's pain. Which will naturally lead to better next steps, and more deals closed. If you got value from this post, I write about sales tactics like this in my newsletter every Friday (today was about demos). Sign up link in my profile. Please share with founders who need help with sales.

Here’s how I write sales proposals that close deals. [it's not some complicated playbook - you can do it] You've done your discovery. You know how you can be helpful. What do you do next? Don't give them a “here’s what we offer” or “here’s everything we can throw at it.” But instead show them: “here’s how we solve your exact problem.” It is not the time to pitch. Now is when you reflect on the discovery. So the buyer sees their own words in the solution. Here’s how: 1. I restate the problem in their words. - “You said your team is great at relationships, but inconsistent with follow-up.” - “You said you're getting leads, but they aren’t converting.” I want them nodding before they even hit page 2. 2. I clarify what success looks like to THEM, not me. - “You said if you could fix this, you’d see X% more close rate and get your weekends back.” That goes right into the intro. This isn’t about what I offer, it’s about what THEY want. 3. I keep the offer tight and tailored. - 2–3 specific things I’d do. That’s it. - Each one maps back to the exact problem they named. 4. I include pricing options + a next step. - “Based on what we discussed, here are 3 levels of support I can offer." - “Let’s hop on a quick call, just to align and confirm the scope, then we can get started!” No long-winded, bullet-pointed slides. (this kills me) No menu of options and asking them to pick. Just confidence you can help & next steps. TL;DR Here's my Hot Tip: --> Start by making it more about the buyer and what THEY need than about your business and "what you offer."

I've given 100s of presentations over the years. The biggest attention killer: lack of planning. The quality of your slides doesn't matter if you're not prepared. Whether you're in the boardroom or on stage, people can tell when you're winging it. That's why you need frameworks that actually work. Here's how to deliver presentations that win clients and opportunities: Before you present: ☐ Research your audience. Who's in the room and what do they care about?  ☐ Define your one takeaway. If they remember nothing else, what should it be? ☐ Prepare 3 stories or examples that prove your point ☐ Rehearse out loud at least 3 times ☐ Test your tech and have a backup plan ☐ Arrive early to read the room Use the STAR Framework for storytelling: S - Situation: Set the scene. What was the problem? T - Task: What needed to be done? A - Action: What specific steps did you take? R - Result: What happened? Use numbers or proof. This works for client case studies, personal stories, or explaining your process. Follow the Rule of Three: People remember information in groups of three. For client pitches: Problem, solution, outcome. For public speaking: Hook, teaching point, call to action. For product demos: Pain point, how it works, what changes. Use the 10-20-30 Rule (Guy Kawasaki): 10 slides, 20 minutes, 30-point font minimum. If you need more time or a smaller font, your message isn't clear. Open with a hook that grabs attention: - Bold statement: "Companies waste 60% of their budget on the wrong channels." - Personal story: "Three years ago, I lost a $500K client because of one mistake..." - Question: "What would change if you could cut acquisition cost in half?" - Stat: "87% of B2B buyers say they'll pay more to companies they trust." - Scenario: "Picture this: You close deals in 30 days instead of 6 months." Close with a clear ask: 1. Summarize your one point in one sentence 2. Connect it back to their specific problem 3. Give them a clear next step For clients: "Let's schedule 30 minutes next week to map this out." For speaking: "Download the framework and try it this week." For pitches: "Can we move forward with a pilot starting next month?" Great presentations should create momentum. And when you master your preparation, every presentation becomes an opportunity. What's your top presentation tip? Drop it in the comments. For more frameworks for building relationships and businesses that scale,  My weekly newsletter, Network to Net Worth, breaks it all down. Subscribe here 👇 https://lnkd.in/gFp5bEbt ♻️ Repost to help your network deliver better presentations. And follow me, Rohan Sheth for more on growth and strategy.

💡 Why my cold call script works (and how you can steal the framework): When I pick up the phone, I know I have just a few seconds to keep someone from hanging up. That’s why every single line in my script has a psychological reason behind it: 👉 “Does this impact you directly?” People are wired to pay attention when they think something affects them. It creates curiosity,they want to know what exactly it is. 👉 “Stop me if I’m wrong.” This gives the other person permission to interrupt me anytime. Instead of feeling trapped in a sales pitch, they feel in control and ironically, they usually let me keep talking. 👉 Peer credibility. I’ll name-drop some of their industry peers who already work with us. It’s a subtle way of saying: “You’re not alone, others like you already trust us.” That builds instant credibility. 👉 Straight to the pain & solution. No fluff. I clearly spell out the problem (time wasted, inconsistent estimates, inaccurate costing) and then position our solution, an end-to-end cost estimating software that solves exactly that. (Benchmark Estimating is actually the best out there…) 👉 Sell the meeting, not the product. The goal isn’t to close them on the spot. Instead, I position the meeting as valuable no matter what. Even if we’re not a fit, at least they’ll walk away knowing whether their current way of doing things is the most efficient. That’s how I take a cold interruption… and turn it into a welcomed conversation. 🔑 Remember: the best cold call scripts don’t force someone to listen, they make the person want to.