The deck presented by Julissa Machado is a personal 'pitch' designed to secure a role at Verkada, an enterprise software company. Rather than a standard resume, the 7-slide presentation follows a narrative arc similar to a seed-stage startup deck: identifying the 'product' (the candidate), showcasing 'traction' (past career wins), and demonstrating 'market fit' (alignment with Verkada). The deck is notable for its use of hard metrics, such as a $3M contract value and a 92% NPS score, to validate performance. By treating a job application as a sales pitch, Machado demonstrates the exact skills…
Key takeaways
- The candidate uses a professional headshot and clear title of 'Business Development Manager' to establish immediate authority on slide 3.
- Specific technology proficiency is listed on slide 3, including Salesforce, HubSpot, and MailChimp, signaling immediate technical readiness.
- Slide 5 provides quantitative 'Big Wins,' including scaling a business to 400 clients and securing $3M in annual contracts.
- The deck highlights a 92% Net Promoter Score (NPS) on slide 5, using customer satisfaction as a proxy for sales quality.
- A crowdfunding achievement of nearly $500,000 in just 8 months is cited on slide 5 to demonstrate marketing and pitching capabilities.
- Slide 6 explicitly maps the candidate's skills to Verkada's specific corporate goals, such as lead generation and revenue growth.
- The presentation omits a traditional resume format in favor of a narrative timeline of accomplishments from 2020 to 2024 on slide 5.
- The deck utilizes Verkada's own branding and logo on every slide, demonstrating high attention to detail and brand alignment.
The Personal Pitch: Selling Yourself as the Product
This 7-slide deck is a non-traditional application used by Julissa Machado to secure a role at Verkada. Reported by Business Insider as a successful tool for landing a Sales Development Representative position, the deck functions as a personal branding document. It replaces the static nature of a resume with a dynamic, results-oriented narrative. In the context of enterprise software, where the ability to communicate value is paramount, this deck serves as both a biography and a direct demonstration of the candidate's professional capabilities.
Slide 1: Title Slide
The opening slide is minimalist, featuring the candidate's name, 'Julissa Machado,' in a bold, sans-serif typeface. A sub-header reads 'FOR VERKADA,' immediately personalizing the presentation for the target audience. The Verkada logo is placed in the top left corner, a design choice that persists throughout the deck to maintain brand consistency. This slide establishes the deck not as a general broadcast, but as a bespoke proposal for a specific organization.
Slide 2: The Philosophy
Slide 2 features a quote from Arnold H. Glasow: "Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire." This slide serves as a psychological primer. In sales roles, internal drive and 'grit' are often prioritized over specific technical backgrounds. By leading with this quote, the candidate signals a high-intensity work ethic and a proactive approach to business development. The vast white space keeps the focus entirely on the text, emphasizing the candidate's mindset before diving into their history.
Slide 3: Core Competencies
On Slide 3, Machado introduces herself as a 'Business Development Manager.' The slide is split between a professional headshot and a list of four core pillars: Sales Excellence , Business Development , Client Relationship Management , and Technology Proficiency . The 'Technology Proficiency' section is particularly important for an enterprise software role, as it explicitly mentions experience with Salesforce, HubSpot, and MailChimp . This tells the hiring manager that the candidate requires minimal training on the standard tech stack used for lead generation and pipeline management.
Slide 4: The 'About Me' Persona
Slide 4 transitions from hard skills to soft skills and personality traits. It uses six descriptors: Goal-Oriented Achiever, Eternally Optimistic, Eager Learner, Client-Focused, Collaborative Team Player, and Dedicated and Reliable. While these are standard professional descriptors, the slide provides short explanatory sentences for each. For example, under 'Goal-Oriented Achiever,' the candidate notes they are 'always pushing myself to exceed expectations.' This slide aims to humanize the candidate and provide a glimpse into how they would interact within a team environment.
Slide 5: The Traction Slide (Big Wins)
Slide 5 is the most critical slide in the deck, acting as the 'Traction' slide in a startup pitch. It outlines four major accomplishments between 2020 and 2024. In 2024, at Career Finesse , Machado co-founded a business serving 400 clients and secured 6 annual contracts valued at $3M . In 2023, at Rayven, Inc. , she led a marketing initiative that raised nearly $500,000 in just 8 months . In 2022, at MyTOD , she maintained a 100% client retention rate and a 92% NPS . Finally, in 2020, at Velocity Resource Group , she focused on candidate placement success. The use of specific dollar amounts and percentages provides the 'proof of work' necessary to validate the claims made on earlier slides.
Slide 6: Strategic Alignment
Slide 6 addresses the 'Why Verkada?' question. It features an image of the Verkada building and breaks down alignment into three categories: Building Relationships + Driving Growth , Commitment to Excellence , and Personal Fulfillment . The text explicitly links the candidate's past experience to Verkada’s specific needs, such as 'translating customer needs into actionable opportunities.' By using the company's own mission-driven language, the candidate demonstrates that they have researched the firm and understand its market position.
Slide 7: The Closing
The final slide is a simple 'Thank You' with the note 'FOR CONSIDERING ME FOR THIS ROLE.' It mirrors the title slide in design, bringing the presentation to a clean, professional close. It lacks a specific call to action (like a link to a portfolio or a calendar invite), but in the context of a job interview process, the deck itself serves as the call to action for the next round of conversations.
What Works in This Deck
The primary strength of this deck is its quantifiable data . In sales, results are the only true currency. By citing a $3M contract value and a 92% NPS, Machado moves beyond the vague 'responsible for sales' language found in most resumes. The deck also excels at visual branding . By using Verkada's logo and building imagery, the candidate creates a psychological link between herself and the company, making it easier for the recruiter to envision her in the role. Finally, the narrative structure is effective; it moves from 'who I am' to 'what I have done' to 'how I will help you,' which is the fundamental structure of any successful sales pitch.
What Is Missing
While the deck is highly effective for its purpose, it omits several traditional elements. There is no educational history ; while often secondary in sales, some enterprise firms still look for specific degrees or certifications. There is also no mention of specific territories or industries handled in previous roles, which could be relevant for a company like Verkada that sells physical security hardware to specific verticals. Additionally, the deck does not include references or testimonials . While the NPS score is a good proxy for customer satisfaction, a direct quote from a previous manager or client would have added another layer of social proof.
Founder and Job-Seeker Takeaways
Founders and job seekers alike can learn from the way this deck treats a person as a product . For a founder, this is a lesson in how to present team members to investors—focusing on their 'Big Wins' and specific 'Technology Proficiency' rather than just their titles. For a job seeker, this deck is a blueprint for standing out in a crowded market. By creating a 7-slide 'traction report' of your career, you demonstrate the very communication and presentation skills that high-growth startups are looking for. The key is to keep the text density low and the metric impact high, ensuring that the reader can grasp the value proposition in under two minutes.
Frequently asked questions
- Why did the candidate use a pitch deck instead of a resume?
- For a Business Development or Sales role, the ability to present and sell is a core competency. By creating a deck, Machado demonstrated her proficiency in Salesforce and HubSpot (Slide 3) and her ability to build a narrative. It serves as a work sample that proves she can handle the 'prospecting and qualifying' tasks mentioned on Slide 6.
- What are the most important metrics included in this deck?
- The most impactful metrics appear on Slide 5: securing 6 annual contracts valued at $3M, maintaining a 100% client retention rate, and achieving a 92% NPS. These figures provide objective proof of performance that a standard bulleted list on a resume often lacks, making the 'Big Wins' section the core of the pitch.
- How does the candidate demonstrate 'culture fit'?
- Culture fit is addressed on Slide 6 under 'Alignment.' Machado explicitly mentions Verkada’s 'high-performance culture' and 'emphasis on integrity.' By using the company's building imagery and logo, she visually signals that she already views herself as part of the team, reducing the perceived risk for the hiring manager.
- Is the quote on Slide 2 effective for a professional deck?
- In a sales context, the quote 'You must set yourself on fire' by Arnold H. Glasow signals high energy and self-motivation. While potentially aggressive for other departments, it aligns with the 'Goal-Oriented Achiever' persona described on Slide 4, which is highly valued in enterprise software sales environments.
- What is missing from this deck that a recruiter might want?
- The deck lacks specific educational credentials and a detailed breakdown of day-to-day responsibilities at previous firms. However, as a supplement to a LinkedIn profile or formal application, it prioritizes high-level outcomes (like the $500,000 crowdfunding win on Slide 5) over administrative details, which is effective for catching an executive's attention.
