---
name: sales-deck
description: "Creates sales presentation decks with discovery integration, ROI slides, and competitive positioning. Use when you need a persuasive slide deck for sales meetings."
allowed-tools: Read Write Glob
metadata:
  author: matthewhitcham
  version: "1.0"
---

# Sales Deck

## When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:
- Create a sales presentation deck for prospect meetings
- Build slide-by-slide content with talking points and visual direction
- Design a deck structure that integrates discovery insights with your pitch
- Include ROI calculations, competitive positioning, and case studies

**DO NOT** use this skill for investor pitch decks, internal presentations, or marketing overview decks. This is for sales presentations delivered to prospects to close deals.

---

## Core Principle

A SALES DECK IS A CONVERSATION GUIDE, NOT A TELEPROMPTER — THE BEST DECKS HAVE FEWER WORDS AND MORE IMPACT, LETTING THE PRESENTER TELL THE STORY WHILE SLIDES REINFORCE KEY POINTS.

---

## Phase 1: Brief

### Required Inputs

| Input | What to Ask | Default |
|-------|------------|---------|
| **Product/service** | "What are you selling?" | No default — must be provided |
| **Target audience** | "Who will be in the room?" | Decision-makers and stakeholders |
| **Presentation context** | "Is this a first meeting, follow-up, or final pitch?" | Follow-up after discovery call |
| **Time limit** | "How long is the presentation?" | 20-30 minutes |
| **Key objections** | "What pushback do you typically get?" | Price, timing, internal buy-in |
| **Case studies available** | "Do you have customer success stories to include?" | 1-2 available |

**GATE: Confirm before building the deck structure.**

---

## Phase 2: Deck Architecture

### Slide Structure (15-20 slides for 20-30 min)

```
## Sales Deck Outline

**Slide 1: Title Slide**
Company name, presenter name, date

**Slide 2: Agenda**
What you'll cover in the meeting (sets expectations)

**Slide 3-4: Discovery Recap**
"Based on our conversation, here's what we heard..."
[Mirrors their specific pain points and goals]

**Slide 5-6: The Problem**
Industry-level problem with data/stats
Their specific version of the problem

**Slide 7: The Cost of Inaction**
What happens if they don't solve this (ROI framing)

**Slide 8-9: The Solution**
Your product/service overview
How it specifically addresses their problems

**Slide 10-12: How It Works**
Key features mapped to their needs (3-4 slides max)
Each slide: Feature → Benefit → Their specific use case

**Slide 13-14: Case Studies**
1-2 customer stories with specific results
Similar company profile to the prospect

**Slide 15: Competitive Differentiation**
Why you vs. alternatives (without trash-talking)

**Slide 16: ROI / Business Case**
Numbers: cost, expected return, payback period

**Slide 17: Investment**
Pricing options and what's included

**Slide 18: Implementation / Timeline**
What getting started looks like

**Slide 19: Next Steps**
Clear ask with specific action items

**Slide 20: Q&A**
Contact information and resources
```

**GATE: Approve the deck structure before writing content.**

---

## Phase 3: Write Slide Content

### Per-Slide Deliverables

For each slide, provide:
1. **Slide title** — short, benefit-oriented
2. **Visual content** — what appears on the slide (bullets, chart, image description)
3. **Talking points** — what the presenter says (not on the slide)
4. **Design notes** — layout suggestions for visual impact

### Content Rules

- Maximum 6 words per bullet point on slides
- Maximum 3 bullet points per slide
- One idea per slide — if you need to say "and also," it's two slides
- Data slides: one stat per slide, large font, visual chart
- Case study slides: photo + quote + metric
- No paragraphs on slides — ever

### Discovery Integration

The most important slides are 3-4 (Discovery Recap). These prove you listened:
```
Slide 3: "What We Heard"
- You're currently struggling with [specific pain from call]
- Your goal for this year is [specific goal they stated]
- The biggest blocker is [obstacle they mentioned]

Talking points: "During our last conversation, you mentioned that [specific detail]. I want to make sure we address that directly today..."
```

### ROI Slide

```
Slide 16: "The Business Case"

Current cost of the problem: $[X]/year
Investment in [Solution]: $[Y]/year
Expected return: $[Z]/year
Payback period: [X] months
3-year ROI: [X]%

Talking points: "Based on the numbers you shared, here's what the math looks like..."
```

---

## Phase 4: Polish

### 1. Presenter Notes

Complete talking points for every slide with timing suggestions.

### 2. Objection Slides (Hidden)

Build 3-5 hidden backup slides for common objections:
- Price justification
- Implementation timeline
- Competitor comparison detail
- Additional case studies
- Technical specifications

### 3. Follow-Up Materials

- One-page summary PDF to leave behind
- Email template for post-meeting follow-up
- Proposal template that mirrors the deck structure

---

## Anti-Patterns

- **Reading slides aloud** — if you're reading the slides, you're a teleprompter, not a presenter. Slides reinforce; you tell the story.
- **40+ slide decks** — more slides does not mean more persuasion. 15-20 slides is the maximum for a 30-minute meeting.
- **Generic decks** — the same deck for every prospect signals you didn't listen. Customize slides 3-4 and the ROI calculation.
- **Feature tours** — walking through every feature bores decision-makers. Show 3-4 features mapped to their specific needs.
- **No clear next step** — ending with "Any questions?" instead of a specific ask wastes the meeting's momentum.
- **Dense text slides** — a slide with a paragraph is a document. Use visual slides with presenter talking points.

---

## Recovery

- **No discovery call happened:** Add 5 minutes of live discovery at the start. Replace slides 3-4 with open questions and adjust the rest of the deck on the fly.
- **No case studies:** Use industry data, personal results, or a "typical client journey" narrative instead.
- **Prospect wants the deck sent in advance:** Create a "leave-behind" version with more text and context. The presentation version stays minimal.
- **Multiple decision-makers with different priorities:** Build one slide per stakeholder concern and flag which talking points address which person.
