10 Tips for a Killer Presentation Deck


How to create a killer presentation deck

So you’ve just secured a meeting with a group of realtors, financial professionals, or even older homeowners. Great! So what are you going to show them? Likely it’s a presentation deck, or what we used to call ‘my PowerPoint’.

Before you begin, here are a few guidelines to help you make simple and impactful slides for your audience.

  1. Outline what it is you want to say. What’s the flow of your information? When will you stop for Q&A or audience feedback? Map it out! 
  2. Keep it simple– don’t overcomplicate your message. Hit the most important points. 
  3. Consider using a template to create your deck. Google Slides has a handful of templates you can use. Even better is Canva which with a paid subscription gives you some snazzy eye-catching designs! 
  4. Lead with a headline. Begin with a big bold statement, or even better tell a short story that’s relevant to your topic. 
  5. Don’t make slides with a bunch of bullet points. Most people find these boring and if all the bullets are presented at the same time your audience may be reading instead of listening to you! 
  6. Go for fewer slides and less text. Showing an image that evokes emotion is powerful as your audience will keep looking at the image while you reinforce the message. Think of a strong headline and a powerful visual on the slide, that’s it! 
  7. Get to the meat early on. The longer you go the less attentive an audience becomes. 
  8. Don’t speak TO THE SLIDES but instead SPEAK TO THE AUDIENCE! 9- Don’t wing it. Once your deck is complete practice what you’ll say and how you’ll transition from each point. 
  9. Play of the slide but never ever just read it word for word. 
  10. Know when to not use a deck. If you’re meeting with a professional or homeowner you may not need to use a presentation deck. Instead, consider sitting side-by-side when possible and just having a conversation while you elicit questions.

Who’s in charge here?


Rigorous habits for a successful life

Seneca said, “The body should be treated more rigorously that it may not be disobedient to the mind.”

As I get older that’s definitely my mission so I can hopefully be here for my wife, children, and grandchildren for many years to come.  Is our mind in charge of our body, our actions, and how we interact with others? What about how we work? How we work in a challenging market will be determined by the habits we’ve formed when things were good.

As salespeople and reverse mortgage professionals it’s easy to coast when we have a full pipeline and loans are funding. The danger of coasting is we lose the muscle memory of good disciplined sales habits that will bear us through the tough times.

Speaking of muscle memory, how many outbound sales calls do you make in a day, a week, or month? Are you time-blocking your sales activities? Are you capturing all of your potential borrower’s information in a CRM, like Reverse Focus’ Sales Engine, so you can capture, nurture and close more loans?

The good news is if we develop good habits and practices in hard times we will be stronger. Your hardships will build confidence because you’ve been there and done that. Then you’ll know who’s in charge.

Keep the faith, embrace the reality of a changing market, and work like you’re the third lion trying to get on the Ark.

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6 Ways to Avoid the Holiday Sales Slump

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6 ways to avoid a costly holiday sales slump

The big slump. That’s often what the holidays are for sales professionals. That may even include even reverse mortgage originators (gasp).

Years ago when working in financial services fellow agents would often ‘go dark’ in December. This was before the age of social media so no ‘proof of life’ photos were available online to soothe my fears that perhaps they had been placed into witness protection or worse.

The truth is too often many believe that no one will be available or wants to hear from them during the holiday. Okay, certainly you could say that on Christmas eve or Christmas day. Beyond that, the need and interest in the reverse mortgage may be heightened as expenses mount, and bank balances dwindle. Perhaps the cash stuck in the bricks and mortar in their home just became that much more important.

A slump in sales in December would certainly be felt in February. With that in mind here are some practical strategies to have optimal engagement with potential borrowers:

  1. Send a holiday greetings email to those who’ve closed a loan, those who didn’t, and especially to those who are sitting on the fence. Don’t ask for a sale- just include a short and heartfelt message.
  2. Mail a Christmas card to your top referring professionals. Attorneys, CPAs, and realtors still maintain the tradition of sending holiday cards and are accustomed to receiving them as well. Address your envelopes in your own hand. (See #6)
  3. Host an open house event. It may be too late to squeeze a date before Christmas, but you can certainly host a New Year’s themed event. Remember the purpose of your open house is not to make sales but to express your gratitude and stay top of mind.
  4. Email gift ideas for several age groups. While few will admit it, often we find ourselves stumped to find the perfect gift for that special someone.
  5. Schedule appointments for the new year. If all else fails, schedule a meeting in January after the holiday frenzy has settled. Be sure to make a note in your CRM or calendar to remind them 5 days before your meeting.
  6. (BONUS): Send a New Years’ card. For the new year? Indeed. You will stand out head and shoulders above the glut of Christmas cards sent by other businesses.

These are just a few ways to beat the holiday sales slump. What strategies would you add to this list? Leave your ideas in the comment section below.