CLOSING THE DEAL – REFINING
YOUR SALES PRESENTATION &
BRAND IDENTITY
WEEK 10
BY VALEN TUFONO
WEEK OVERVIEW:
This week, we focus on closing the deal—transforming a strong design into a compelling,
client-ready pitch. Students will critically analyze their sales presentations, ensuring they
effectively communicate value, align with client expectations, and reinforce brand identity.
We will explore how to refine visual storytelling, enhance persuasive communication,
and perfect presentation delivery—essential skills for securing client buy-in.
How This Week’s Work Connects to Real-World Interior Design Practice:
• Client Buy-In: The ability to confidently present and justify design choices is key to
winning projects.
• Persuasive Communication: Strong presentations should anticipate client concerns
and address them proactively.
• Branding & Professionalism: A refined, cohesive presentation builds trust and
reinforces the designer’s credibility.
• Handling Objections & Negotiation: Learning to navigate client hesitations and
highlight the value of a design is essential.
◦ Ensuring the presentation layout is clear, engaging, and easy to follow.
◦ Maintaining a balance between visuals and text—less is more!
◦ Utilizing high-quality imagery and a consistent brand aesthetic.
◦ Checking alignment, spacing, and typography for a polished look.
VISUAL COHESION &
PRESENTATION FORMATTING
Keep this in mind as you continue to generate your final presentation to your “clients,” our
presentations is the catalyst for the client’s project to take off. That is why, I; and many other
designers, invest so much time in making our presentations looks “pretty.”
The inability to form mental images of
objects that are not present is a real
disadvantage for clients, but
advantageous for us as designers
because this allows us; quite literally, to
paint the picture for them. In this case,
when presenting to someone who might
have this disadvantage, it is better to be
more detailed with your presentation.
So, when you focusing on your presentation every bit of detail MATTERS! Cohesion of course is
warranted but FORMATTING is everything. When you continue to generate your presentation,
think about placement of words, images, and the presentation as a whole; asking your self, is
there a slide in my presentation that is unnecessary? Is there the text too much, to little, to
distracting? Etc.
Below are some key ideas to keep in mind as you create your final:
This is LUMAE INTERIORS, my friends studio in New York. I would love for you all to take a look at her website because she
is amazing at creating high-end visuals/aesthetics and overall an amazing designer. In the following slide, you will see
a snip out of her page.
◦ Framing the design as the ideal solution to the client’s needs.
◦ Emphasizing the project’s value, return on investment, and emotional impact.
◦ Using persuasive language to guide the client toward approval and action.
◦ Handling objections with confidence and providing solutions to hesitations.
◦ The psychology behind decision-making and how to influence client confidence.
◦ The final call to action—how to ask for the client’s commitment without hesitation.
THE ART OF PERSUASION
& CLOSING THE DEAL
Much like Visuals and Cohesion, the art of persuasion and closing the deal is important. You are again, “painting a picture” for
your client. Essentially, what you are trying to express to your client, is WHY your option is the BEST OPTION.
Although your trying to persuade your clients that your option is the best option, you dont want to persuade them on the sole
fact that you want the commission; YES, the money is important but at the time of your proposal you aren’t in it for the money, in
that moment you are in it to SELL you ideas FIRST AND FOREMOST.
So the persuasion comes from you research of products, achieving the clients desires in their project, and making sure that your
knowledge on the product is up to date or current.
Think of it this way, you are in a court room, you are a lawyer giving you closing remarks to the jury, your goal is to capture the
jury; in this case your clients, with the facts and evidence to win your case.
Here you can use, storytelling to capture your clients, touch on practical ideas like what kind of investment this project will
produce, etc.
Below are som key ideas to keep in mind as you generate your final:
Below is a couple of ideas, which we just covered above, for you to keep in mind when you are referencing the client’s wants
and needs for the space/presentation that you are designing, here they are: Tailoring language and tone to reflect
professionalism and empathy.
◦ Anticipating common client concerns and preparing clear responses.
◦ Active listening techniques to ensure clients feel heard and understood.
◦ Creating a concise yet impactful verbal walkthrough of your design.
CLIENT • CENTERED
COMMUNICATION
THIS PROCESS IS ALL ABOUT THE CLIENT!
It’s easy to get distracted or to easily say that your option is the best option BUT most times your client will choose what
they believe to be the best option the you present. When we talk to our clients we gear the conversation to only them by
asking questions like “What do YOU think? How does it make YOU feel? Tell me what YOUR concerns are? What would YOU
like to see/do?” ONLY when they ask you what YOU think then you respond with your opinions and thoughts.
There are instances; much like our aphantasia client, where we could DRIVE the entire meeting or the entire project with
very little; to no, opinions from the client. This is nice because it allows us free range to design the space; of course, with
their ideas in mind, if any.
Additionally, client want to feel understood; as I have said many times before, being very observant, being a well
researched designer, and always seeking more knowledge/inspiration/ideas is key to be able to center the
communication around the client.
◦ Making sure presentations reflect a unique, professional aesthetic.
◦ Consistency in design choices, fonts, and color palettes.
◦ Refining your personal introduction and bio to align with your brand.
◦ Crafting a closing statement that reinforces why the client should move forward.
BRAND IDENTITY &
PERSONAL STYLE
FIRST, I WANT TO SAY GREAT JOB ON ALL OF YOU BRAND PROPOSALS!!! I
CANNOT EXPRESS ENOUGH HOW ELATED I AM TO SEE SUCH AMAZING WORK!
SUPER EXCITE TO SEE WHAT YOU GUYS COME UP WITH AT THE END OF THE
SEMESTER!!!
With such a saturated market; specifically in Interior Design here in Sacramento, being unique and bold all the
while professional will attract clients. We also have to consider our demographic in the area that we generating
leads, for instance in Roseville, California the demographic are mainly the elderly (retired) or individuals with a
higher income, so this would be a good market to tackle for anyone whose brand is more traditional or Mid
Century Modern.
Again, harping on the idea of being well rounded researcher will come in handy.
TIP:
When I go on site visits, before even going to the clients house for an initial design consultation, I go on Zillow to
scope out the neighborhood to get a feel for what the design aesthetic was and could possibly be. This also
gives me an idea of cost/budget for the project, so lets say a home is on the market for 500k, I know that the
client’s budget or projected cost is going to start around 35k for a kitchen remodel at its basic form.
With that said, your brand/personal style is what drew your clients to you in the first place, that’s why I am so
adamant about REFINING your brand and making small tweaks here and there will get you to your final BRAND and
look. The demographic portion and being a well research is part of your brand as these nuances promote to your
clients how professional you are and how knowledgable you are.
Below are some key concepts to integrate into your final presentation:
From here on out fine tuning is your presentation is what you will be focusing on, but not only in your presentation
just in general. Even to this dayI fine tune my designs, my presentation, my website, my business cards, the way I
present my self in public versus a professional setting. This all ties in to who you are as a designer, essentially your
brand as a designer. There isn’t much to talk about here because you are already doing this by being here in
class, you are fine tuning your skills as beginner, intermediate, or professional designer.
As designers, we are not creatures of complacency, were ebb and flow as design does, we constantly move
things around in our home to find the perfect space, and this bleeds in to who you are as a designer. YOU change
through the times as well… one day you like purple and then the following year your into terra cotta orange.
FINE TUNING
TECHNICAL DETAILS
◦ Double-checking measurements, pricing breakdowns, and product selections.
◦ Reviewing FF&E lists for clarity and completeness.
◦ Ensuring all elements of the project meet client expectations and industry standards.
◦ Practicing smooth transitions to ensure a seamless presentation experience.
Below are some concepts that repeatedly get fine tuned, consider these as you generate your presentation:
Assignments:
1. ON GOING DISCUSSION PART I: Presentation Peer-Assessment & Refinement
◦ Students will peer-evaluate each others sales presentation focused on refining, persuasion, clarity, and
branding, and everything overall.
◦ I will pair you up in a DISCUSSION module, you will see your names on the discussion module, and this is where
you will meet and discuss.
◦ INSTRUCTOR FEEDBACK:
◦ I will also be a part of these discussions, I will be popping in once in a while during the week to see if you
have interacted. I will focus on:
▪ Strength of persuasive language and closing techniques.
▪ Professionalism and visual presentation.
▪ Effectiveness in addressing client concerns and finalizing the deal.
◦ This means you must have something to present during this assignment. You should at least, by now, have:
◦ A Welcome Page, an introduction, and possibly and agenda slide for your presentation
◦ If not then you will have to summarize your work; to your peer.
◦ I would also like to add, if you do not have anything ready before next class lecture, then compile
references, images, etc. to help share your ideas with you peer.
2. Based on your peer evaluation, students will make at least three key revisions and submit a brief summary of their
updates in the M10: ASSIGNMENT ONE module.
◦ Consider the following:
▪ Does your presentation clearly communicate why your design is the best solution?
▪ Have you preemptively addressed potential objections?
▪ Is your closing statement strong and compelling?
3. Finalized Presentation Submission: DUE before the date on your final presentation, via Zoom with me
◦ By the end of the semester students will upload their fully refined, final version of their sales presentation to
Canvas.
◦ This version should be polished, client-ready, and designed to secure approval by the “client”
◦ Ensure:
▪ High-quality images and materials.
▪ Consistent and clean formatting.
▪ A strong conclusion that confidently asks for the client’s buy-in.
Looking Ahead:
Next week, students will perfect their delivery, focusing on confidence, clarity, and adaptability in
real-time client interactions. We will conduct mock client meetings to simulate final presentations
and ensure students are prepared to close deals with professionalism and conviction.
This week is all about polishing, refining, and preparing to seal the deal. By the end of this module,
students should feel ready to present their work with confidence, handle client objections, and
successfully close the project.
