What are your thoughts on best practices for an enterprise software first call deck?

When building it, of course lean heavily on sales feedback, including how the best sellers pitch. Ask to see any custom decks they use. Do not forget the goal of FM deck is mostly do discovery/qualification + generate enough interest to get to second meeting (not close a deal!). So easy on the slide count and heavy on conversation and demo. Load up the appendix with slides, but not the main body. For a 30 min first meeting, 5 slides max is good.Make sure prospect talks at least a third of the ti ...Read More

Let's start with best practices, then get into an outline I like to use!Best Practices: Keep the presentation concise and focused. Don't try to fit everything in at once. Reps typically have 30 minutes or less for a first call. I try to keep it to 5-7 slides--10 slides MAX. Focus on the problem, not your product: Understand your audience's challenges and tailor your message to address their pain points. Start with a bang: Grab attention with a powerful opening like a thought-provoking question, ...Read More

The best deck is no deck. I would have just backup slides to use if the questions come: company, customers, product 1 pager, case studies. The first call should be mainly about them, the problem, and the opportunity. So you're just asking questions. Don't waste time talking about you or your product. But you should talk about the problem - they trust you if you respect them and your knowledge. The way to avoid feeling like an interrogation is to comment and talk about similar experiences you kno ...Read More

Preparation: DON’T: Join the first call without any preparation. DO: Conduct thorough research on the company's recent results, key initiatives, strategies, and potential pain points. Be well-versed in their business landscape to drive meaningful conversation. Humility and Openness: DON’T: Assume that you are right and know everything. DO: Ask open-ended questions and seek validation. Encourage the prospect to share additional insights and perspectives. This approach builds a collaborative envir ...Read More