How to Leverage a Deck Sales Letter (DSL) Strategy for Higher Conversions, Cheaper Leads, and Better Show Rates

Earnings Disclaimer: You have a .1% probability of hitting million dollar months according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. As stated by law, we can not and do not make any guarantees about your own ability to get results or earn any money with our ideas, information, programs or strategies. We don’t know you and, besides, your results in life are up to you. We’re here to help by giving you our greatest strategies to move you forward, faster. However, nothing on this page or any of our websites or emails is a promise or guarantee of future earnings. Any financial numbers referenced here, or on any of our sites or emails, are simply estimates or projections or past results, and should not be considered exact, actual or as a promise of potential earnings – all numbers are illustrative only.

Key Takeaways

1. The DSL (Deck Sales Letter) is a direct response funnel strategy that transforms a traditional video sales letter (VSL) into a slide-based presentation embedded on a webpage.
2. Play rates on many VSL funnels have declined, which means fewer people press “play.” A deck format removes that barrier, resulting in higher consumption rates.
3. Whether you offer high-ticket coaching, consulting, or other premium services, the DSL can lower your cost per qualified call and increase show rates with the right optimization.
4. When embedding a Google Slides deck, ensure your iframe code is optimized for responsiveness. Proper formatting ensures your deck is centered and readable across all devices.
5. A properly executed DSL can achieve 70%+ consumption of the first five slides—often double the completion rates you’d see on a VSL.
6. Incorporate important details of your offer in the first five slides (like an executive summary) so the majority of visitors see your core points immediately.
7. Your standard Call Funnel practices (headline, embedded application, and scheduler on the same page) remain the same—only the VSL is replaced by an embedded deck.
8. Split testing a completely different conversion mechanism (such as swapping a VSL with a DSL) can deliver bigger breakthroughs than just tweaking headlines or button colors.
9. Disclaimers and transparency matter. There’s a statistically low probability of hitting million-dollar months, so do your own research, stay realistic, and accept that not everyone will reach top-tier revenue.

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Background: Why the DSL Was Created

Every marketer striving to scale their offers—especially in high-ticket sales—has questioned why fewer prospects watch their entire video sales letters these days. For a while, standard VSL-based funnels could reliably convert at a rate high enough to generate qualified sales calls. But as consumer attention spans wavered, the raw play rate began to erode. That downward trend in play rates prompted a new approach.

This is why my co-creator, Josh Troy, and I took a strategy we’d tested in frustration—because we wanted more people to consume important information—and turned it into a full-blown DSL (Deck Sales Letter) framework.

Our original desire was simple: get people to consume the content necessary to warm them up before speaking to our sales teams. Instead of letting them skip around or bail on a VSL, we decided to condense the message into an embeddable slide deck. That shift boosted engagement almost immediately, and before we knew it, we had a consistent method to rescue the diminishing results of many standard VSL funnels.

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Earnings Disclaimer & Probability of Million-Dollar Months

Before we go any deeper, I want to address an important reality. My background includes working with many business owners who eventually crossed the million-dollar-a-month revenue threshold. We’ve helped 40 different businesses reach that elusive seven-figure monthly milestone over the years. However—and this is extremely important to note—the US Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the probability of any business surpassing $10 million per year is about 0.1%. This is a stark reminder that not everyone will hit these enormous numbers.

If you’re serious about scaling, do your own research, weigh the facts, and understand that:

• We do not guarantee income claims.
• Your results will vary based on your product, offer, marketing skill set, team, and a host of intangibles.
• The vast majority of businesses never see million-dollar months.

Our insights are purely for informational purposes, sharing patterns and proven approaches used by those top 0.1%. It’s ultimately up to you to make it happen. The deck sales letter is one such strategy that can help, but by no means is it a magic bullet that guarantees you’ll be raking in seven figures every month.

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The Decline of Traditional VSL Play Rates

The entire concept behind the DSL originally stemmed from the idea that standard VSL funnels suffer from a single critical bottleneck: the “play” button. We had deals—from the five-figure monthly scale up to consistent million-dollar months—whose VSL funnels started to experience:

• Single-digit play rates.
• Loss of prospect attention even for those who did click “play.”
• Complaints from sales teams that leads weren’t properly pre-framed.

It became harder and harder to rely on VSLs as the only way to educate prospects. Some of that may have been cyclical—marketing strategies go in and out of vogue like a “pendulum” (a concept drawn from the book Pendulum, which describes how the effectiveness of certain tactics shifts over time). Webinars had their heyday, then went cold, and are now resurging. We saw parallels with the typical 10–20-minute VSL approach.

When faced with that diminishing engagement, we asked: “How can we preserve the crucial parts of a VSL without losing a chunk of the audience right at the start?” Enter the deck approach.

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The DSL: Origins, Co-Creator, and Proof of Originality

In a space full of folks who copy-paste strategies, it’s important to clarify that Josh Troy and I developed the DSL method from scratch. We tested it across our clients, capturing data on page engagement, slide consumption, and final sales metrics to confirm its impact.

We coined the term “Deck Sales Letter” because it does exactly that: it replaces the video with a slide deck that effectively conveys the same info (sometimes more succinctly) while giving viewers control over how fast or slow they progress.

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How the Deck Sales Letter Works

The idea is simple:

1. Transcribe or restructure the content from your existing VSL or mini webinar.
2. Turn that transcript into a deck via Google Slides (or your preferred presentation software).
3. Embed that deck in place of the VSL on your funnel page.
4. Include an “executive summary” in the first five slides with your most critical points—because around 70% of visitors get that far before bouncing.
5. Offer the remaining slides as the deep dive for those wanting complete details.
6. Keep the rest of your funnel flow (application + scheduler) exactly where they normally go.

Here’s why it works:

• Easy to skim: Instead of having to watch a 10+ minute VSL, visitors can move through slides at their own pace.
• Improved consumption: We found 70% of visitors viewed at least five slides, and that’s a big leap over the typical “play rate” on a VSL.
• Better pre-framing: More info consumed means stronger leads. Sales teams reported people coming in with a clearer grasp of the offer.

Remember: Many marketing strategies revolve around how you deliver the core content. The DSL is just another method, but it’s an exceptionally useful one if you’ve found your VSL conversions or attention metrics dropping off.

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Embedding the DSL: Best Practices

Page Layout

• Headline on top: Think big, bold promise or main transformation.
• Slides beneath the headline: Insert the embedded deck code where the video used to be.
• Application + Scheduler below: Do not rely on an extra button that says “Apply Now” or “Next Step.” Embed your actual Typeform (or your choice of form) plus Calendly or another scheduler directly on the page. Buttons create friction and can inflate cost per application.

Why Typeform + Calendly?

• Through years of real testing across many of my Inner Circle members, Typeform + Calendly typically outperforms any integrated funnel builder or alternate scheduling combination. We’ve tried to prove it wrong again and again, yet the dynamic duo usually wins.
• Less friction = more qualified calls.

Responsive Slides

• Google Slides provides an iframe embed code under “Publish to Web.”
• They only give you fixed sizes (Small, Medium, Large). Often, these can cut off slides if someone is on a smaller screen or show large white borders if on a big screen.
• Pro tip: Ask an AI tool or a competent developer to make the iframe responsive and centered so it always fits the device screen. That’s the difference between a deck that’s professional and legible versus one that’s half-broken and off the page.

Highlight Navigation

• Since people aren’t used to flipping through slides online, place a small note or image that points to the arrows (or navigation buttons) on the embedded deck. Make it obvious they can “click” to see the next slide.

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Tracking User Engagement on Slides

It’s easy to see your funnel stats (cost per click, cost per application, show rate, etc.), but tracking how far visitors get into the deck can be slightly trickier. Nonetheless, it’s well worth it because it helps refine your deck’s content.

1. Google Analytics Integration: Google Slides can pass certain engagement data if you’ve integrated it correctly.
2. Heatmap or Session Recording Tools: Tools like Hotjar or FullStory can record user sessions, letting you see if they actually flip through slides.
3. Analytics Queries to AI: If you or your developer find the embed code confusing, you can approach an AI to ask: “How do we track which slide a user reaches in a Google Slides embed?” The AI can often provide a workable solution or script snippet (but do keep that behind the scenes, as we’re not showcasing open code here).

Remember: If you’re the business owner, you might not be the one personally implementing these solutions, but your marketing team or developers can handle it. Just ensure everyone knows the DSL is intended to be measured so you can keep optimizing.

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Real-World Results and Key Performance Indicators

Implementation is critical. Once you embed the DSL and direct your traffic there, you’ll see changes in:

1. Cost Per Qualified Call (CPQC) – Often goes down because leads are better informed and more likely to fill out the application.
2. Show Rate – We’ve noted a big jump here, sometimes from mid-60% to 70%+ simply because prospects feel more confident about what they’re booking.
3. Close Rate – This isn’t guaranteed to skyrocket, but some clients see a small lift of 1–3%. The main driver of higher revenue is the improvement in the lead flow and show rates.

Here’s an example scenario:

• Previous VSL funnel might deliver a cost-per-acquisition (CPA) of $3,200 for a $25,000 product.
• DSL funnel can shave a chunk off that CPA by increasing the portion of visitors who get properly educated on the offer. Possibly, you see show rates climb, leading to more calls on the calendar. That synergy results in more closes with the same ad spend.

We once helped a client seeking to cut their CPA in half or, alternatively, double their ad spend to double leads. When a client says, “Which is more feasible?” I often say, “There’s no single silver bullet, but switching from a standard VSL to a DSL is a strong pivot.” Iterations of the same funnel rarely slash CPAs by 50%, but an entirely new conversion mechanism might.

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Additional Tips and Variations (Mini Webinar, Mini Webinar 2.0, Etc.)

Remember, the DSL can be built off more than a standard 10–20-minute VSL script. If you already use mini webinars—which are typically shorter, 5–15 minute “webinar-style” presentations—then you can embed that transcript into your deck. Some approaches we’ve tested:

• Mini Webinar 1.0 – For broad offers (coaching, marketing services, etc.). It’s a straightforward template.
• Mini Webinar 2.0 – Tailored to “make money” or ROI-driven offers where an investment leads to a financial return.

Pro tip: Structure your deck’s first five slides like the “executive summary” of a whitepaper. The gist:

1. Introduce your big premise or promise.
2. Lay out critical proof or credibility.
3. Highlight the key benefits.
4. Offer the next step (application).
5. Provide a short but impactful reason to keep scrolling through the deck.

We’ve seen up to 70% of visitors reach slide five. This ensures that even if they stop there, they still get your most pressing points.

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Addressing the “Pendulum” Effect in Marketing

A big part of why the DSL works now is marketing trends come in waves—that “pendulum” effect. At one point, live webinars reigned supreme. Then folks started ignoring 2-hour events. Now, ironically, challenges and live webinars are resurging. Similarly, VSLs had a period of sky-high conversions, then hit a trough for some business verticals.

If you’re suspecting that your VSL funnel has moved into a “diminishing returns” stage, it might be the perfect time to test a DSL. In a year or two, the pendulum may swing back, and a polished VSL might outperform a deck again. Marketing success is about staying flexible—adapting when consumer attention moves from one favored format to another.

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Cutting Your Cost per Acquisition or Doubling Your Ad Spend

Most entrepreneurs aiming to scale eventually ask: “Should we spend more, or reduce acquisition costs and keep the budget the same?” There’s no universal right or wrong. Generally:

• Spending more while staying profitable is never a bad thing. If you’re at a $3,200 CPA for a $25,000 sale, as long as your margins look good, doubling ad spend can double the pipeline.
• Halving your CPA yields the same pipeline volume with half the ad spend or double the pipeline with the same ad spend.

But halving a CPA at scale usually demands a major shift, not just headline tweaks. That’s what the DSL can provide. An entirely new consumption experience for your prospects might break your old cost benchmarks. Plus, if you add supplemental retargeting or “omnipresence” tactics like the Venus Fly Trap or Hammer Them approaches, you can reinforce your brand message and drive even more prospects back to consume the DSL.

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Final Thoughts on Using the DSL

The Deck Sales Letter is not just a novelty approach. It’s a proven alternative that many top-tier marketing agencies and entrepreneurs turn to when VSL fatigue sets in. When done correctly—with a well-formatted embedded presentation, an immediate “executive summary,” and an embedded application plus scheduler on the same page—it can drastically reshape your funnel metrics.

However, a few final reminders:

1. Present the DSL in a neat, user-friendly layout. Don’t let a poorly aligned or off-centered deck sabotage the entire strategy.
2. Keep disclaimers honest and visible for any ROI-based offer or business opportunity.
3. Test multiple variations of the deck. Nothing is perfect on version one. Tweak, refine, reorder slides, run heatmaps, and gather feedback from your sales team.
4. Don’t assume it’s a silver bullet that guarantees million-dollar months. Aim for realistic, incremental improvement in cost per qualified call and show rate. Let volume and consistent conversions do the rest.

When you see unscrupulous marketers copying or plagiarizing funnel methodologies, remember: people who just copy rarely understand the finer details that drive real success. If you want to outcompete them, master these DSL fundamentals, embed them with precision, and keep iterating until your funnel is unstoppable.

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You’ve just consumed an in-depth explanation of the Deck Sales Letter (DSL) strategy and how to integrate it into your funnel to drive better conversions. If you methodically implement these steps, paying attention to each detail—from disclaimers to slide embeddings to dynamic formatting—you’ll be far ahead of most who only experiment shallowly with funnel tactics.

Don’t let old, underperforming VSLs or stale webinar funnels hold you back. Adapt to the pendulum shift, embrace a deck-based approach, and watch your cost per qualified call, show rate, and overall profitability take a leap forward.

Now, it’s your turn to decide how you’ll deploy it. Will you simply paste an iframe code and hope for the best, or methodically structure your deck to highlight your best ideas in those crucial first slides? The choice is yours—but I strongly recommend the latter. Make the most of the DSL, and keep pushing until you find that sweet spot of lead quality, appointment volume, and closing ratio.

Stay persistent, remain data-driven, and keep evolving your strategies in response to market signals. If you do, you’ll stand a far better chance of being among that 0.1% who crack the code on profitable, large-scale growth—and perhaps even capturing your own million-dollar months along the journey.