As a B2B sales pro or account executive, you know how important it is to make a good first impression with a potential client. However, in today’s competitive business environment when buyers are experiencing Zoom fatigue and information overload, making a good first impression and standing out from the competition is no easy feat.
Endless pitch decks that focus more on the seller’s desire to land the deal than the needs of the customer are disengaging and tiresome for buyers who are overwhelmed with options. Set your company apart from the rest by keeping your prospect’s needs front-and-center in a well thought-out capabilities presentation that is more about the client than your desire to sell to them.
Capabilities Presentation
The purpose of a capabilities presentation is to demonstrate your organization’s ability to meet the customer’s needs, or to support the customer in solving a business-related problem.
Capabilities presentations usually aren’t necessary for low-value or direct-to-consumer deals. However, for those selling services within an agency model, or B2B, a thorough presentation on the specific ways your company can provide value for the potential customer can create a sense of demand, encouraging them to sign with you.
When delivered properly, a capabilities presentation can provide a valuable competitive advantage. When not done correctly, a capabilities presentation can feel like a long, drawn out sales pitch that is easy to ignore.
Here’s how to create a winning capabilities presentation to win over your ideal clients.
Free Presentation & Public Speaking Kit
Everything you need to become more comfortable and effective during your next presentation, including:
- Free Guide on Best Practices
- PowerPoint Presentation Templates
- Video Examples of Great Speakers
- And More!
Capabilities Deck
Having a solid capabilities deck is a must. While you will be presenting the information, the quality of the visuals along with their ability to support the verbal statements you make during the presentation can make all the difference in winning over a new client or account.
Here are the elements you’ll want to include in your capabilities deck to make a stellar first impression.
1. A (very) brief agency or company overview.
The keyword here is brief. Many companies start their capabilities neck on an uninspiring note by making the presentation all about them. But the presentation should actually be all about the customer.
Provide a brief introduction of who you are, and what services your agency provides to begin building necessary rapport. Don’t make yourself or your agency the sole focus of the presentation. Give the potential client just enough information to understand who you are and what you are about.
2. A clear understanding of the client’s business and current challenge.
Once your potential client has a basic understanding of who you are and what your agency offers at a high level, begin shifting your focus to the needs of the client.
If you are already familiar with the client’s challenge, reiterate your understanding and engage in dialogue with them to ask follow-up questions about their current state and ideal future state. If you are not familiar with the client’s challenge, use this time for an open discussion. Ask the potential client what their pain points are, and what kind of support they are looking for.
Use active listening skills to demonstrate your interest in helping the client solve their problem, and to confirm your understanding of what they need help with.
3. Why your company can deliver the ideal solution to the client’s challenge.
Now that you have heard the client explain their challenge in their own words, convey why your agency is capable of helping them solve their problem.
Again, make sure you focus on why your agency is well-equipped to help your client solve the problem previously shared with you. Avoid making this part of the conversation all about your agency. Instead, make sure the potential client understands what your agency can do for them.
4. Case studies showing results for the bottom-line.
While you are sharing why your company is the best fit for meeting the client’s needs, provide testimonials and case studies from former clients who had similar needs. Share clear, easy-to-understand data that demonstrates your value to your former client’s bottom line.
The goal here is to communicate the results your company can provide, positioning your partnership as a worthwhile investment for the potential client. Providing data demonstrating the results you’ve accomplished also helps build trust with your new contact.
5. What support from your company entails.
If you haven’t already, outline what your agency’s support and service practices look like. Detail what the client can expect once they sign with you, and use this time to answer any additional questions they have regarding what level of support your agency is able to provide.
6. Time and space to engage.
The entire presentation should feel conversational, not like the potential client is receiving a never-ending pitch. Throughout the deck, make sure you leave ample time and space for the potential client to ask questions, give feedback, and share their experiences.
Doing so will keep them engaged, help them feel heard and understood, and will provide valuable insight into how you can better support them if they choose to work with you.
7. Next steps for working together.
Finally, share what the next steps are for working together. This can include providing necessary details of your onboarding process, or outlining what the decision-making process looks like on their end. Make sure everyone involved in the meeting is clear on what the next steps are to keep the deal moving, and create an actionable timeline for all stakeholders.
Free Presentation & Public Speaking Kit
Everything you need to become more comfortable and effective during your next presentation, including:
- Free Guide on Best Practices
- PowerPoint Presentation Templates
- Video Examples of Great Speakers
- And More!
Capabilities Presentation Examples
Now that you know what your capabilities deck should entail, let’s review a few examples of strong capabilities presentations.
Oktopost
In this capabilities deck, Oktopost keeps their services and offerings that would likely excite potential clients front and center. While going through this presentation, the potential client can learn exactly why using this tool would make their life easier, which should be the goal of the presentation.
Malik Media Agency
Creative agency Malik Media shares valuable case studies and demonstrated results from past projects in this capabilities deck. Doing so can help build confidence in your business for the potential client.
Capabilities Presentation Templates
No need to recreate the wheel while creating your capabilities presentation. Use one of these templates to get you started.
1. Agency Deck Template
This pitch deck template from Sprout Social is a solid option for agency partners who are pitching their services to new accounts. The template is fully customizable in Google Slides, and has over 80 slides that can be tailored to your needs.
2. Content-Focused Pitch Deck
If your agency focuses on content marketing or other strategic support, this client marketing pitch deck could be a good fit. It’s visual, easy to customize, and can help you speak to the needs of your potential client.
3. Classic Pitch Deck
This clean, well-designed presentation template from Creative Market has everything you need to craft a winning pitch. It features over 113 slides that you can suit to your unique talking points, and is compatible with both PowerPoint and Google Slides for easy access.
When you engage with your potential clients in a way that puts their needs at the forefront, they are more likely to trust and want to work with you. For more advice on creating a winning pitch for potential clients and customers, check out this post.
Free Presentation & Public Speaking Kit
Everything you need to become more comfortable and effective during your next presentation, including:
- Free Guide on Best Practices
- PowerPoint Presentation Templates
- Video Examples of Great Speakers
- And More!
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