How to Begin Your Sales Presentation [11 Unique Ideas]
- Ink Narrates | The Presentation Design Agency
- Aug 8
- 6 min read
A few weeks ago, our client Michael asked us a question while we were working on his sales pitch deck.
“How do I actually start the sales presentation so people listen?”
Our Creative Director didn’t miss a beat. She said,
“You begin where your audience already is, not where you wish they were.”
That hit home.
As a presentation design agency, we work on many sales presentations throughout the year. And if there’s one thing we consistently notice, it’s this: the opening slide is rarely the problem. It’s what people choose to say first that throws everything off.
So in this blog, we’ll talk about how to begin your sales presentation in a way that gets your audience to sit up, pay attention, and want to hear the rest.
In case you didn't know, we specialize in only one thing: making presentations. We can help you by designing your slides and writing your content too.
Why Starting a Sales Presentation Is a Make-or-Break Moment
You get one shot. Not to impress — but to not lose them.
Most people think the big moment in a sales presentation comes halfway through, when they finally reveal the offer. It doesn’t. The real moment is the first two minutes. That’s when your audience silently decides: “Is this worth my attention, or should I just check my email under the table?”
We’ve worked on enough sales decks to see the pattern. When the beginning is strong, the rest flows. Questions come naturally. Doubts get addressed. People engage. But when the opener is weak — even if the solution is solid — the room stays cold. That’s a hard battle to recover from.
And no, starting with your company’s history or a slide full of logos won’t do the trick. Those things might be reassuring later, but in the beginning, they’re just noise.
What you say first tells people whether you understand their world. Whether you’re worth listening to. Whether this is going to be another “sales pitch,” or an actual conversation that leads to something useful.
Get that part right, and everything else becomes easier.
How to Begin Your Sales Presentation: 11 Unique Ideas
Let’s get something out of the way: starting strong isn’t about gimmicks. It’s about relevance.
You’re not here to “hook” the audience like a YouTuber desperate for watch time. You’re here to show that you understand the person in front of you better than the next five vendors on their calendar.
That’s what earns attention. Everything else is decoration.
Here are 11 ways we’ve seen work — real openings, based on real sales presentations we’ve helped design.
1. Lead with a cold, undeniable truth
Most people walk into a sales presentation expecting a pitch. Flip that expectation. Open with a statement that’s obviously true — but also uncomfortable.
Example: "Most enterprise teams say they’re data-driven. But when we ask them to show the last decision they made with real data, the room goes quiet."
Why it works: You’re not selling. You’re starting with reality. It shows you’ve done your homework, and it puts you on the same side of the table as the client — facing the problem together.
2. Tell a story from their office, not yours
Skip your origin story. No one cares. Instead, tell a short, believable story that could’ve happened in their meeting room last week.
Example: "Last month, a regional sales manager walked into the Monday check-in with a win. But he couldn’t explain why it closed — and the rest of the team couldn’t replicate it. That’s the real cost of not having a clear sales narrative."
Why it works: It makes your audience feel seen. And when people feel seen, they listen.
3. Challenge something they assume is true
Every industry runs on a set of assumptions. Challenge one of them.
Example: "Everyone thinks a longer pipeline means better forecasting. That’s not always true. In fact, we’ve seen long pipelines hurt conversion."
Why it works: People remember the person who showed them something they hadn’t considered — especially if it challenges how they’ve been operating.
4. Ask a question they can’t immediately answer
Not “What keeps you up at night?” Something better. A question they should know the answer to — but probably don’t.
Example: "Do you know how many of your current leads are stuck because of internal confusion — not customer objections?"
Why it works: You’re not looking for a literal answer. You’re creating a tension that only your solution can relieve.
5. Put up a quote — but make it sting
Quotes can work if you use them with purpose. Don’t reach for a generic Steve Jobs line. Use something that puts pressure on the room.
Example:
“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” – Albert EinsteinThen follow with:"Now think about your onboarding process."
Why it works: It’s familiar, but suddenly it’s personal. And it sets the stage for what comes next.
6. Use a metric — but only if it hurts
Opening with numbers can fall flat if they’re self-serving. But if it’s a stat that points to a problem rather than your own greatness, now we’re talking.
Example:"82% of enterprise buyers say the presentations they sit through each month feel ‘interchangeable.’"
Then:"We think that’s a brand problem. And a story problem. Let’s fix both."
Why it works: A sharp stat proves you're not winging it. And using it to highlight a problem (not your product) earns trust.
7. Share a real failure — preferably yours
Most sales decks are filled with best-case scenarios. Show you’re human by sharing what didn’t work.
Example: "When we started working with enterprise clients, our first onboarding system failed completely. We assumed they’d have internal support. They didn’t. That forced us to rethink how we deliver value from week one."
Why it works: It builds credibility. You’ve been in the trenches. You’ve learned. You’re not guessing.
8. Describe the before state like you’ve lived it
Don’t jump to the solution. Start by painting a picture of the problem in all its messy detail.
Example: "Here’s what usually happens: someone pulls a report, sends it to three departments, everyone adds notes, and by the end of the week, no one agrees on the numbers. That’s what ‘alignment’ looks like in most companies."
Why it works: If your audience is nodding, you’ve already won half the battle. You’ve shown empathy without saying the word “empathy.”
9. Show a screenshot — of the wrong way
Visual proof always wins. Instead of starting with polished mockups, start with something that’s broken.
Example: A slide showing a cluttered dashboard, or a confusing email thread. Then say: "This is how most teams are still managing their workflows. It’s not sustainable."
Why it works: People recognize chaos when they see it. Especially if they’re currently living in it.
10. Start with the “What if…” scenario
A good “what if” opening paints a future that’s just out of reach — and then promises to help make it real.
Example: "What if your next board presentation didn’t take two weeks to prepare? What if the data was already clean, the narrative was clear, and all you had to do was show up?"
Why it works: You’re selling relief. A vision of ease. And most buyers don’t want more features — they want less stress.
11. Use silence after your first line
This one isn’t what you say — it’s what you don’t say. Say your first line, then pause. Don’t rush into the next slide.
Example: "There’s a reason your last three vendor partnerships stalled after onboarding." Pause. Let it hang in the air. Then continue.
Why it works: Silence shows confidence. It gives your words weight. Most people are too uncomfortable to use it. That’s why it works.
All 11 of these are different but they follow the same principle: begin with them, not you.
And no, you don’t need to use all of these. Just pick one that fits your style, your message, and most importantly — your audience.
Because how you begin your sales presentation will quietly dictate how the rest of it goes.
Why Hire Us to Build your Presentation?
If you're reading this, you're probably working on a presentation right now. You could do it all yourself. But the reality is - that’s not going to give you the high-impact presentation you need. It’s a lot of guesswork, a lot of trial and error. And at the end of the day, you’ll be left with a presentation that’s “good enough,” not one that gets results. On the other hand, we’ve spent years crafting thousands of presentations, mastering both storytelling and design. Let us handle this for you, so you can focus on what you do best.