, the IPO-bound Silicon Valley company that sells a SaaS platform for subscription billing. If you pay for anything on a recurring basis (e.g. enterprise software), there’s a good chance that Zuora facilitates those transactions.

I had received the deck from an ex-Zuora salesperson, who said it helped him close the biggest deals of his career. (I have no connection to Zuora, and no relationship with anyone who currently works there. UPDATE: Some current Zuora employees have connected with me after reading this.) Abandoning his naan in a puddle of curried goat, Tim grabbed pen and paper and took notes as we ran through what made the Zuora deck so effective.

Specifically, we noted how brilliantly the deck led prospects through the following five elements, in precisely this order:

#1. Name a Big, Relevant Change in the World

#2. Show There’ll Be Winners and Losers

#3. Tease the Promised Land

#4. Introduce Features as “Magic Gifts” for Overcoming Obstacles to the Promised Land

#5. Present Evidence that You Can Make the Story Come True

[See article for deep dive]