We all know the experience of leaving the grocery store to see someone standing out front with a clipboard, waiting to catch our attention. No matter how charity-minded you may be or how wonderful a cause our clipboard-wielding friend may represent, your immediate reaction is probably similar to mine: How do I avoid having to talk to this person?
To be fair to the people with the clipboards, their job is incredibly difficult. They have to grab the attention of people they know nothing about, people who are on their way elsewhere, and convince them in an incredibly short amount of time to take an action they had no interest in taking moments before. I have a lot of compassion for these people. They’re still annoying.
Fortunately, professional salespeople have a lot of advantages over the guy standing in front of the Kroger’s. Chief among these advantages are knowledge and time — sellers generally know who they’re going to be talking to and have the time to learn who they are, what they need, and what they might respond to. So why, then, are so many sales pitches just as generic as the prewritten scripts recited by the clipboard brigade?
Personalization is the key to sales pitch differentiation. If you want to close more deals, you’ll need to understand your audience and use the tools at your disposal to customize sales decks and presentations tailored directly to them. You need to show them you’re not a distraction getting in their way, but a partner who can help them reach their destination. Otherwise, you risk coming across as just another annoying obstacle that’s preventing them from getting out of the parking lot.
Why personalization is the key to sales success
Anyone in sales can tell you that having a good product will only get you so far. If you want to close deals, you can’t rely on the product to do it for you. You need a great pitch. And few things are more impactful to a buyer than the feeling that you have taken the time to get to know them.
When you tailor your message to address the specific needs and challenges of your prospect, you start from a place of trust and credibility. It shows you’ve done your research, which will be even more critical if they become your client. This approach positions you as a trusted advisor rather than just another salesperson.
When prospects feel seen, they’re more likely to listen to what you have to say. The Journal of Interactive Advertising found that customizing communication by using a person’s name or including personal details can make someone up to 35% more susceptible to a message than if the message is generic. We’re all human at the end of the day, and we all want to be understood, respected, and appreciated.
Additional research confirms that personalization can have a big impact on sales:
- Companies that excel at personalization generate 40% more revenue than average players. (McKinsey & Company)
- 83% of companies that exceed their revenue goals have a dedicated budget for personalization. (Forbes)
- Personalization can reduce customer acquisition costs by as much as 50%. (McKinsey & Company)
Understanding your audience – the foundation of a personal pitch
Knowing your prospect’s name is a great start, but you’re going to have to know a lot more than that if you want your pitch to feel truly personal. If you haven’t put in the effort to understand your audience, they’re not going to buy whatever you’re selling. What challenges are they facing? What goals are they striving to achieve? The more you know about their specific needs, the more relevant and compelling your pitch will be. Start by:
Researching your buyer personas
While all buyers are individuals, a general understanding of what others in their role do and need is a good place to start. Buyer persona-based selling is a way of targeting prospects based on common characteristics of the people in certain roles. Researching things like demographics, job responsibilities, and industry trends will help you know what topics will resonate with your buyer.
Leveraging data & past interactions
Review their company’s recent news, check their LinkedIn activity, and analyze past interactions they’ve had with your business. CRM tools, social listening, and direct conversations can all provide valuable information.
Identifying key pain points and objectives
Align your solutions with the specific challenges and goals of your prospects. When you understand their unique pain points, you can position your offering as a unique solution.
Beyond research, empathy plays a crucial role in personalization. Try to see things from your prospect’s perspective — what keeps them up at night? What obstacles are preventing them from reaching their objectives? When you acknowledge their unique challenges and frame your solution in a way that speaks to their specific concerns, it shows you care about them. A personal pitch should feel like a conversation, not a sales script, and that starts with genuine understanding.
5 ways to make your sales presentations more personal
1. Start with a hook that speaks to your audience
First impressions matter, and the opening of your sales presentation sets the tone for the entire conversation. Instead of diving straight into a product pitch, start with something that grabs your prospect’s attention — something that speaks directly to them. Leverage insights from past interactions, reference a recent challenge they’ve faced, or ask a thought-provoking question that gets them thinking. A compelling hook will let them know immediately that this isn’t a rote sales pitch; it’s a conversation tailored directly to their needs and goals.
2. Tailor the content to their industry & role
Knowing how to tailor sales pitches to your prospect’s audience and role is critical. Speak your prospect’s language by incorporating industry-specific trends, pain points, and success stories. If you’re pitching to an executive, focus on high-level business impact and ROI. If your audience includes technical stakeholders, highlight product capabilities and integration details. The more aligned your content is with their world, the more relevant and persuasive your message will be.
3. Use visual storytelling instead of just slides
Once upon a time, the idea of having to watch a slideshow of someone’s family vacation photos was shorthand for “boring.” Today, corporate slideshows are filling in similar role. Why give a boring, old, static presentation when you can bring your story to life with visual storytelling techniques? Interactive visuals and live whiteboarding using a collaborative visual platform like Mural can turn a passive pitch into an engaging discussion. By visually mapping out ideas, processes, and solutions in real time, you create a dynamic experience that keeps your prospect involved and invested.
Related: Learn how to engage participants with immersive storytelling
4. Make the prospect the hero of the story
Listen, we wouldn’t be human if we didn’t have egos, and I, for one, am going to listen to any story about myself with both ears open. Instead of centering the conversation on your company or product, position your prospect as the main character. Frame your pitch around their challenges and how your solution can empower them to overcome obstacles and become the hero of their company. Use relevant case studies and success stories that mirror their situation, helping them visualize the real-world impact of your offering. When they can see themselves in the narrative, they’re far more likely to buy in.
5. Encourage real-time collaboration during the pitch
One-way presentations are much less effective than two-way conversations. Instead of talking at your prospect, talk with them and shape the solution together. Tools like Mural allow sales teams and prospects to brainstorm, map out strategies, and co-create solutions in real time. By making the pitch a collaborative process rather than a monologue, you foster deeper engagement and make the conversation feel more like a partnership than a sales pitch. It’s hard to overestimate the value of building rapport in sales, especially when you want to turn your prospects into longterm customers.
Want more tips? Check out more sales presentation best practices here.
Tools & templates to make your sales presentations stand out
What would an article about pitching be without a pitch? As you might suspect, we at Mural are big fans of our own platform, especially when it comes to sales. Mural’s infinite canvas is the perfect space for building visually-dynamic, collaborative sales presentations that blow slide decks out of the water. Using diagramming features, facilitation features, and sticky notes, reps can collaborate with prospects to visually map out solutions tailored to the customer’s specific needs. And Mural’s powerful AI tools can help surface insights in real-time to make the pitch even more customized, even while it’s happening. Whether it’s sketching workflows, illustrating pain points, or co-developing an implementation plan, Mural turns a pitch into a conversation — one where prospects feel actively involved in shaping their own solutions.
Need help getting started? Try these templates for presentations that pack a punch:
- Agenda slides template
- Craft a powerful presentation template
- Simple sales presentation template
- Workshop toolkit template
Measuring success – how to know if your sales pitch is resonating
Even the most well-crafted sales pitch is only as good as its impact. Metrics like time spent on your presentation, follow-up questions, and how much the prospect participated in the interactive elements can provide valuable insight into how engaged your audience is. If a prospect actively contributes to a collaborative Mural session, revisits shared materials, or requests additional information, these are strong indicators that your pitch resonated.
Beyond engagement data, pay attention to qualitative signals that suggest a successful presentation. Is your prospect asking thoughtful, forward-looking questions? Are they involving other decision-makers in the conversation? Do they seem excited about the possibilities you’re presenting? A strong sales pitch should spark curiosity and open the door to deeper discussions. Conversely, if you notice disengagement — such as short responses, multitasking, or a lack of enthusiasm — it may be a sign to pivot your approach and reframe the conversation.
Optimization is an ongoing process, and the best sales teams continuously refine their approach based on feedback. Analyzing recorded sales calls, reviewing prospect interactions with shared materials, and gathering input from colleagues can help identify areas for improvement. Mural’s AI-powered insights can also provide valuable recommendations for tweaking messaging, visuals, and engagement strategies in real time. By treating every pitch as a learning opportunity, sales professionals can sharpen their storytelling and increase their chances of closing deals.
Conclusion – stand out by selling differently
The era of one-size-fits-all sales pitches is over. Today’s buyers expect personalized, dynamic experiences that speak directly to their needs and challenges. Sales teams that embrace adaptive storytelling — where pitches evolve based on real-time insights and interactive discussions — gain a lasting competitive advantage. By moving beyond static presentations and engaging prospects in meaningful, collaborative conversations, sellers can set themselves apart in a profession that can too-often feel impersonal and by-the-book.
Personalization isn’t just a short-term tactic; it’s a long-term strategy that builds trust, credibility, and stronger customer relationships. A sales pitch should never feel like a script—it should feel like a dialogue, where both sides contribute to shaping the best possible solution. In other words, if you want to win more prospects and close more deals, do yourself a favor and leave the clipboard at home.
Contact us for a demo and to learn more about how Mural can help your sales team make personalized pitches that convert prospects and close more deals.
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