Sales Pitch Planning Checklist

Giving a sales pitch can be a difficult and stressful experience. A sale where you're pitching to a large room is potentially a very large sale. Delivering successful sales pitches consistently is a matter of good planning and practice, and the end result is conversions. 

We've developed this Sales Pitch Planning Template to help guide you through each step of the way.

Use the form fields below to record the details of the pitch.

It's important to be aware of your audience's expectations. Is this a formal presentation in your best suit and tie, or are you pitching to a room of startups where an open collar would mirror the relaxed atmosphere? 

Are you presenting to a conference or to a small team from a single company? Is this corporate level sales or are you prospecting? Determine the buyer persona before you approach the pitch.

A Buyers' Insight study by Forrester found that only 13% of executive buyers believe a salesperson can understand their business needs and articulate a coherent solution.

You want to be part of that 13%. Understand your audience before you arrive to present.

Think about the fundamentals of your product. Who is your key demographic? What market are you most suited for?

Tesla, for instance, could market their product on the grounds of being eco-friendly, on their high-tech premium product, or on the fun high-acceleration of their Roadster model, depending on the audience. 

These are questions you should know the answer to from formulating your Product/Market fit.

Finding product/market fit a process you may undertake when conceptualizing your product and honing it. This process should allow you to understand your market in depth, plus the problems your product solves. This analysis over time should give you the knowledge to present the most important information about your product or service to your audience.

You can read more about determining product/market fit here.

Here's a short video of a startup struggling to find their product/market fit:

Use the form field to upload your presentation.

Your first step is to make sure you're working with a well-designed template. You can employ a designer to deliver branding materials for your company including PowerPoint presentation templates along with the normal letterhead, font, and logo. 

If you don't wish to employ a designer, you can use one of the many templates available on the internet or built into your PowerPoint or Google Sheets software package. Or, if you are more tech savvy, you could create your own custom designs using Photoshop, Gimp, or a free online tool like Canva.

You can find some sample slides at the links below:
Demand Metric - Sales Presentation Template
SlideGeeks - Sales Presentations

There are a number of approaches to constructing presentations, though Salesforce recommend placing the audience at the center of the presentation and using them as your focal point. You can use the audience to build a narrative making the presentation stronger and more engaging. You can read more about Salesforce's recommendations here:
Salesforce - A Simple Model for Sales Presentations

For a more in-depth guide, Use our Sales Presentation Template to help you craft your pitchdeck.

You don't want to arrive without your laptop having emailed your presentation over in advance, only to find there is no computer in the room you're pitching in. This might be an easily overcome problem, but it can appear unprofessional and could delay your presentation.

Ensure you contact the company or venue in advance in order to understand exactly what you will need to bring or what may already be available. If applicable, send them a copy of your presentation in advance as a backup copy.

You can use our email widget below to reach out.

Start off by practicing your presentation through over and over again. Have flashcards to help you if you need to. You want to reach a stage where you know the material and you feel comfortable delivering it. 

It can also help to practice into a mirror. This helps you manage your body language and performance. 

Read through these articles from the University of Wisconsin and the University of Manchester for further performance tips:

If possible, have a colleague or multiple colleagues present for a practice run through. This will help you assess performance and allow you to gather feedback.

Depending on the presentation, there might be a lot of travel involved. If you need to, check trains, planes, and taxis are booked and ready. Check all dates are correct and you have tickets for yourself and anyone else who may need to accompany you.

We hope you've had a good night sleep and you're feeling well rested. Before you venture out the door toward the waiting taxi ensure you have all the things you need:

Further travel tips. 

Scale My Business - Detailed 16 Step Guide to an Irresistible Sales Pitch

Forbes - 10 Steps for Giving a Convincing Sales Pitch

Salesforce - How to Make a Good Sales Pitch in 7 Steps

Effective Meetings - Presenting, Delivering an Effective Sales Pitch

How to Write a Winning Sales Pitch in 10 Minutes

Salesnet - 5 Tips for Delivering a Great Sales Pitch

• Sales training process checklist
• Weekly sales prospecting checklist
• Cold calling checklist
• BANT sales qualification call process
• Sales presentation template
• Closing the sale checklist
• Order processing checklist
• Monthly sales report