The best sales presentation isn’t really a presentation. It is a great conversation that converts a prospect to a customer. When prepping for your next great sales opportunity, figure out how to create a genuine connection with the prospect, engage through storytelling, and ultimately problem solve on their behalf—in just a few minutes. It’s an art form supported by real data. And it works.

How to stop presenting and start connecting

Presenting is a one-way street, and your audience knows it. Presentations allow your audience to daydream, check email…or do anything except focus on what you’re saying.

When creating a compelling presentation designed to inspire a productive conversation, you need to make it relevant to your audience. The same content does not work for every prospect and needs to be customized. Do your research, plan how to guide the conversation to draw out specific pain points, and identify where they need help. This will determine how you present the solution to their problem.

The magic number of PowerPoint slides for a sales presentation

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PowerPoint has received a bad rep over the years, but it’s still a great tool when used correctly. The words and images on the slides should support what you are saying, but keep in mind you are not reading aloud to kindergarteners. People can read slides, but you are there to draw them in with an engaging story. Plus, you need to stay agile, and slides with a lot of detail are too constricting.

Guy Kawasaki, creator of the 10 20 30 Rule for PowerPoint