Great Salespeople Never Pitch for More Than 9 Minutes — Here’s Why
The 9-Minute Rule of Winning Sales Decks
The above story is a legend. I didn’t witness it myself. Here at Gong.io, we wanted to know if that sales legend stood up under real scrutiny. We recorded the audio and video of 121,828 web-based sales meetings and analyzed them with AI. The audio of these meetings was recorded on web conferencing platforms like Zoom, transcribed from speech to text, speaker separated, and analyzed. A single call dissected by AI looks like this:


Winning sales decks stick to the 9-minute rule.
Need inspiration? Try this sales pitch template to frame your offer using language that is proven to resonate with buyers.The 9-Minute Rule: Rooted in Neuroscience
Brains get bored fast. Neuroscientists have proven that our brains have a built-in stopwatch that stops around 9-10 minutes.
- A new speaker
- A video or demo
- A dramatic story
Split Your Sales Calls Into 9 Minute Chapters
Here’s how to apply these insights to win more customers as a sales professional.First, gut your sales deck.
Make sure it follows the 9-minute rule. Don’t give your customer a chance to become bored. Excess length robs even the most influential message of its persuasive power. It’s like adding water to your favorite scotch. A few drops bring out the flavor and make a great fireside drink. But pouring 25% too much water creates a glass full of disappointment.Second, plan the transition you’ll make at 9 minutes.
Once you’re finished with your deck, you have to “reset” your customer’s internal 9-minute stopwatch. If you have a second team member on the call (like a sales engineer), now is a great time for them to take over. Bouncing between multiple voices keeps your customer’s brain on high alert. The same effect can be achieved by showing a short demo or telling a compelling customer story, full of ups and downs.Third, keep each “chapter” of your sales call to 9 minutes
Whatever you transition to from your deck, keep that next chapter to 9 minutes or less. If it’s a product demo, keep it short, sweet, and punchy. Repeat this process of re-engaging your customer’s brain for the duration of the sales call.9 Tips for Building Sales Decks That Sell
So far, I haven’t addressed the content aspect of sales decks. What do you say and show in those 9 minutes to compel your customer? I have 9 tips you can start using today. Download them here: