November 2014

The Complete Pitch Deck Checklist

Posted on November 26, 2014May 3, 2023 by Rick E

Are you ready for your pitch? This pitch deck checklist will help you cover all the bases.

We often emphasize that the secret to a great pitch is sufficient preparation. As you know, the most compelling speakers won’t face an audience expecting they can “wing it”. What makes their pitches so memorable is the fact that they took the time to craft their message. Just take a look at Steve Jobs, who was known to have spent hours practicing and perfecting his keynotes.

Thought leader Michael Hyatt says it best:

“The reason I do a good job is because I prepare. I don’t believe in ‘winging it’.”

While it may take up much of your time, preparation is the best way to a successful outcome. It’s not enough to string together a bunch of slides. You need to dig deeper if you want to provide the audience with a complete and informative discussion. Here’s a pitch deck checklist to help with your preparation:

1. Identify the goal you want to achieve

Before you take on any other task, the first thing you need to do is identify the purpose of your pitch. What is the end goal? What would you consider a successful outcome? What’s the ultimate takeaway that you want your audience to remember? What is your core message? Answering these questions will give you a clear direction for your pitch deck.

2. Learn more about your audience

The audience is a crucial part of your pitch. This may seem pretty obvious, but some do tend to ignore the importance of their role. That’s why a lot of us have sat through pitches that seemed too long and tedious. If you want to give your audience an experience that’s totally different from the usual scenario, you need to learn more about where they’re coming from.

The people in your audience have the power to accept or dismiss the message you’re sharing. If you want to connect with them, you need to learn more about their point of view. Where are they coming from? What are their backgrounds? How much do they know about the topic you’re presenting? You can use this guide to make sure you answer all the important question about your audience.

Another thing you should consider is the event or conference you’re participating in. What type of event is it? Is it an industry event where you’re expected to address professionals? Is it a seminar for aspiring leaders looking for inspiration and motivation? By learning the culture of a particular event, you can better understand how to communicate with your audience.

3. Create an outline of your initial ideas

Having established context, you’ll find it easier to form some great ideas. Let your pitch deck take shape by using different brainstorming methods. Whatever you decide to use, make sure you keep writing down everything that comes to mind. Don’t attempt to edit anything out until you’ve exhausted all your ideas.

After brainstorming, you can take your initial ideas and turn them into a rough outline. Review what you’ve written and decide which points stand out the most. You can also rearrange what you’ve written to give your points a clear and logical flow. From there, you can eventually make a pitch deck storyboard.

4. Fine-tune your content

Once you have a rough outline for your pitch deck, it’s time to bolster your message with strong pitch content. You can’t just present your ideas through a series of bullet points. You need to present your message through content that tells a story.

As you write your content, always remember your core message. Make sure the goal you’ve established is clearly highlighted on all the points you make. Keep your content well-structured and make sure you don’t include an overwhelming amount of information. You’ll need to discern which of the information you have is the most important to your overall objective.

5. Design a compelling pitch deck

We’ve always emphasized how important visuals are to pitch decks. To keep your audience engaged, you’ll need to create a pitch deck that can emphasize your message while following the principles of design.

Generally, it’s important to keep pitch deck designs simple and concise. Use minimal text and high quality pictures. Everything in your design should cohere to the story you’re trying to tell. If you’re pitching sales prospects, make sure your brand is leveraged by your slides. If you really want the best of your story to stand out, consulting with a pitch deck expert will be a big help.

6. Plan your pitch wear

As we’ve written in the past, first impressions are crucial in pitching. The audience can quickly decide on your credibility based on how you present yourself. To avoid giving them a bad impression, you need to maintain a polished and professional look. A sloppy attire will make you lose the credibility you want to achieve.

Appropriate attire will depend on the context of your pitch deck, so take note of the information you have about the event. The easiest way to gauge what you should wear is by thinking about your audience. As a general rule, Forbes contributor Nick Morgan said that you should be dressed slightly better than your audience.

7. Internalize your entire pitch deck

With everything else prepared, it’s time to internalize every detail of your pitch deck. If you want to avoid committing mistakes, you need to rehearse your pitch as much as you can. Practice helps you become more familiar with your material. Review your speech, plan how you’ll incorporate your pitch deck, and think about how you’ll deliver everything on stage. Interruptions won’t phase you if you’re sure of what you need to do.

It’s important to prepare as much as you can for any pitch. If you want to deliver a message with noticeable impact, you can’t risk to miss any step. Use this pitch deck checklist as a guide to make sure you cover all the bases and accomplishing everything you need.

Featured Image: Chris Lott via Flickr

Illustration: Oliver Tacke via Flickr

A Quick Guide to Pitch Deck Handouts

Posted on November 25, 2014May 3, 2023 by Rick E

If you’re dealing with a topic that involves a dense amount of information, it’s ridiculous to assume that the audience will try to memorize every detail. As the presenter, it’s your job to do most of the heavy lifting. You need to craft your pitch deck carefully, taking time to simplify and illustrate complex details. It’s your job to give them an experience that stands out and is easy to remember.

This isn’t always an easy task, especially if you’re expected to share a lot of facts, data, and complicated concepts. Still, there’s one way you can make sure everyone can easily review the key points of your pitch deck. You can turn your core message into a concrete takeaway by creating pitch deck handouts.

Why are pitch deck handouts important?

Pitch deck handouts aren’t always ideal for every scenario. However, if yours is similar to what we’ve just described, handouts can be beneficial for both you and your audience.

For starters, you can make use of handouts to include additional details about the points in your pitch deck. Since pitch decks are meant to be simple and concise, you would have to cut a lot of the data out from your slides. Your handouts can then serve a similar function to end notes or an appendix page.

With pitch deck handouts, your audience is also more likely to listen to what you’re saying. Most of the time, a lot of people worry about taking down notes and missing out on something important. If you give them something they can review in the future, they will be more likely to sit back and just absorb your entire delivery.

After the pitch, your handouts can also serve as a great reference material for your audience. If the data or facts you provide are particularly important and informative, they can refer to you in their own reports and pitch decks.

One of the challenges to delivering pitch is making sure your audience remembers all the key details. By creating pitch deck handouts, you can provide them with something they can easily access and look over.

Useful tips for creating pitch deck handouts

All that said, there are a few things you should keep in mind when making handouts for your pitch. It’s not enough that you distribute a printed version of your slides. As we constantly point out in this blog, your pitch deck is a visuals aid, specifically created to make your pitch more engaging and dynamic. Your pitch deck handouts need to be more detailed and exhaustive than that.

Here are our quick tips for the best pitch deck handouts:

Keep it structured and well-organized

Aside from containing all the helpful information you had to cut out of your pitch deck, your handouts should also be properly structured and organized. Like you would with a pitch deck, organize everything into the main sections of your discussion. From there, you can expound on the details you had to condense. You can also add graphs and other illustrations you used to represent data.

Handle extra information with care

While you should provide the audience with additional info, keep in mind that too much can be overwhelming. Your job is to discuss a topic in an accessible way. Loading everyone with every piece of data you have will hurt this objective. Knowing your subject matter well, you can easily strike the balance between ‘too little’ and ‘too much’. Your pitch deck handouts should delve a bit deeper, but it shouldn’t feel like a cornucopia of information.

Don’t forget to cite references

It’s important to cite the references you used in your pitch deck. This shows the audience that you used credible and reliable sources. They can also check them out easily should they want more information. It will also be helpful if you can provide them with additional resources that might be helpful. Leave them with a list of websites, blogs, articles, and books that can provide them with additional insight on your discussion.

It might take an extra step, but creating pitch deck handouts can bring plenty of benefits. Give your audience something they can read and review long after your pitch. For a pitch that’s heavy with data and complex concepts, handouts can increase the impact you leave.

Featured Image: Joel Penner via Flickr

The Road to Delivering a Persuasive Pitch

Posted on November 24, 2014May 3, 2023 by Rick E

As we frequently point out, the success of your pitch is measured through the impact it makes on the audience. If you can move them to action and persuade them to consider new ideas, then you’ll know that you’ve done your job right. Whether you’re pitching to investors, selling a product, or sharing your thoughts as an expert in a conference, the main goal is to convince and connect with the audience. As the presenter, you need to show them that your viewpoint is valid and worth their interest. Delivering a persuasive pitch is the quickest route toward this outcome.

So what does it take to deliver a persuasive pitch? What do you need to do to enthrall and engage an audience? Here are 3 essential things you’ll need to keep in mind:

Start with a powerful hook

A persuasive pitch should always start with something that will capture the attention of your audience. According to some experts, presenters only have 60 seconds to make a positive impression on stage. If you can’t begin to engage the audience within that time, you might lose their attention quickly. That’s why it’s important to start with a hook. Whether or not you have longer than a few seconds, it’s important to begin with something that will make people sit up with curiosity.

The best way to do that is by creating a sense of familiarity and relatability. Try to approach your pitch from the point of view of the audience. Show them that your pitch deck is more than just a collection of facts and data. Let them see that your pitch is actually relevant to their experience.

This is where storytelling is particularly effective. A story is a great way to appeal to emotions. You can share something from your own experience or share a scenario that emphasizes the perspective of the audience. This is especially crucial if you’re delivering a sales pitch. Try to describe a vivid story that situates your audience as the protagonist, highlighting problems that you can solve.

Give your audience something to look forward to

At the heart of it, a persuasive pitch is all about being able to sell an idea. To do that, think about your own experience as a consumer. Why do you choose certain brands over others? Why are you compelled to try out new products? For both scenarios, it’s because you’re offered something you want or need. In other words, products make certain promises that interest you.

The same should be said about your pitch decks. In order to “sell” your own ideas, you have to make a promise that the audience can look forward to. Consider the 2007 Apple Keynote where Steve Jobs introduced the first iPhone. There, he repeatedly mentioned that their new product was going to “reinvent the phone“. Looking forward to this promise, 700,000 units were bought by consumers within the first weekend of its release.

While it’s important to make powerful statements, you should also keep them grounded with supporting facts and data. In his keynote, Steve Jobs provided quick demos, stats, and visuals to strengthen his message. The only promises you should be making are the ones you are sure you can keep. Offer the audience evidence to bolster the validity of your message. Aside from research data, you can also share some testimonials or demonstrations. Let them determine that your pitch deck is both powerful and reliable.

End with a call to action

When you reach the end of your pitch, it’s not enough to say thank you and quietly ask for questions. First, you’ll need to reiterate your main points, making sure that the main takeaway is clear for the audience to see. Next, you’ll need to urge them to take positive action.

Tailor a Call to Action statement that’s specific to the outcome you’re aiming for. After you’ve shared your ideas, it’s time to give the audience a particular goal or objective they can act on. What do you want to happen as a result of your pitch? Your answer to this question should be echoed to the audience in a strong and straightforward voice.

As we’ve mentioned in an earlier blog post, you need to be brief and straight to the point. Avoid using phrases that sound like you’re beating around the bush. Statements such as “if it interests you, maybe you can consider…” make it sound like you’re hedging. You need to show confidence in your pitch. If you’re confident about your pitch, the audience will surely feel the same way.
There are no shortcuts to a successful pitch, but the quickest route is through the art of persuasion. By delivering a persuasive pitch, you can move the audience to consider and affirm new ideas. Follow these 3 tips to drive your audience into action and achieve the outcome that you’re hoping for.

Featured Image: Corey Leopold via Flickr

The Secrets to a Successful Board Pitch

Posted on November 17, 2014May 3, 2023 by Rick E

As you know, delivering a pitch can be challenging. You have plenty to prepare and accomplish before facing the audience. You need to prepare your talking points and make sure your data is well represented through visual aids.

Since there’s a lot at stake, you might feel a lot of stress and pressure to achieve the best outcome. However, this feeling usually doubles when you’re expected to address a corporate board. For a lot of professionals, board pitches can be a fear-inducing event since there’s very little room for error.

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Board members have the power to make or break the ideas you put forward. If you’re successful, the decisions they make as a result of your pitch has the potential to propel your career forward. Despite the anxiety you feel because of it, board pitches are a wonderful opportunity. To make the most out of it, you need to prepare well-developed ideas backed up by hard facts and data.

As public speaking expert Lisa B. Marshall writes,

Members of boards are generally very smart, experienced, and successful professionals. …They usually grasp ideas and issues very quickly and ask penetrating questions. In addition, board members are often very busy and don’t like to waste time. They want and expect concise pitches as well as crisp and accurate responses to difficult and complex questions.

If you want to make sure that your ideas survive their scrutiny, you need to be in control of what you say and show them. Here are a few tips that might help you unlock the secret to a successful board pitch:

Craft your core message carefully

Board members aren’t very interested in long discussions. They want to see a pitch deck that’s well-structured and straight to the point. For that, you need to set a clear direction for your pitch. It’s important to identify and craft your core message. This will be the main idea behind your pitch deck. The anchor that will keep your pitch from floating wayward.

Ask yourself some key questions to make sure you’re on the right track. What are you trying to say? What are the members expecting from you? Why did they invite you to speak in the first place? Do they want to hear a status report? Are you requesting funds for a new project? The word “craft” suggests careful attention to details, so make sure you consider every information you may have available.

Keep your talking points short

Board members often have busy schedules, and you won’t have a lot of time to explain everything and go into detail. If you want to complete the pitch you planned, you need to make sure that you get straight to the point. Draft your report and include only the things that are pertinent for the members to know. Any detailed explanations can be written on an accompanying report or handout. According to Norbert Kubilus of Tatum CIO Partners, it’s wise to keep your pitch under the allotted time. Try to shoot for at least 3/4 of the schedule to give yourself plenty of time to address questions.

Create visuals that are clear and concise

The slides you present should highlight the message you’re delivering. Like your talking points, your visuals should be clear and straight to the point. Unless you want your audience to tune out, it never helps to dump all your information and data on a pitch deck presentation. One way you can keep your board pitches engaging is by investing time on creating visuals that are clear and concise. Use images and illustrations to bring life to your points. Translate your data into charts that are easy to comprehend. You can take a look at our portfolio for examples.

Give yourself time to rehearse

It never hurts to practice your board pitch, especially if you’re feeling pretty nervous about it. Rehearsals will help you feel more comfortable once you’re finally in front of the board members. After practicing the way you speak and present yourself, you’ll feel a lot more in control of the situation you’re in. Rehearsals are also good for memorizing your talking points. If you don’t want to bother with cue cards, practice as much as you can.

Aside from practicing your talking points, you should also consider how you’ll address possible questions. It’s common for board members to interrupt pitches to ask for more details. Try to identify which questions you’re most likely to get and start practicing how to answer them.

Be ready to improvise

With most pitch decks, your role as presenter is to address and inform the audience. The scenario is quite different when it comes to board pitch. As Stephanie Overby writes, “presenting to the board is less about you addressing an audience than it is about the audience addressing you”. Your role here is to present ideas that will be useful for the board. That means that you’ll have to address questions in the middle of your pitch, or that you might have to go back to a previous slide to provide details. Sometimes, you might also get a question you don’t have the answer for.

You can’t possibly prepare for everything that might happen, so stay alert and be ready to improvise. Make sure you know every aspect of your pitch well. Study the data you have, even if you can’t include everything in your slides. If you’re faced with a question you can’t answer, be honest about it. Acknowledge that you don’t have the answer and that you’ll follow up with them as soon as you can.

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While a board pitch can be nerve-racking, it’s also a great opportunity that can forward your career. Make the most out of it by preparing as much as you can. Follow these tips to fine-tune every aspect of your pitch. Careful planning can help you achieve the best outcome possible.

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Featured Image: reynermedia via Flickr

Pitch Deck Lesson: The Rule of Thirds in Slide Design

Posted on November 11, 2014May 3, 2023 by Rick E

It seems like 3 really is a magic number—particularly when it comes to pitch decks. First, there’s the rule of threes. If you remember, we previously talked about how Steve Jobs and Tim Cook would masterfully structure their Apple keynotes into 3 main parts, making their discussions easier to understand. And now, there’s the rule of thirds. This will help ensure that your slides are both captivating and well-balanced.

What is the rule of thirds?

The rule of thirds is a basic guideline used in visual composition, most commonly associated with the field of photography. Basically, it suggests that your canvas should be divided into thirds or 9 equal parts. The focal points of your design should then be placed along the lines or intersections that make up these parts.

rule of thirds picture sample — (Photo Source)

As you can see, the photo’s subject is perfectly aligned with the vertical line on the left side. The book and the hand that’s holding it in place are both on an intersection in the grid. (Quick fact—in technical terms, these intersections are referred to as “power points”!)

According to experts, using the rule of thirds will make your visual compositions a lot more interesting. David Peterson, a professional photographer, had this to say about why this technique works:

[If] your subject is in the middle of the image, it’s considered static. Your eye is drawn to it then has nowhere to go from there because the object is equal distance from all sides. Therefore when your subject is positioned closer to one of the edges, it forces your eye to follow it…to find it. This allows the viewer to linger on your image longer. It makes for a more captivating photo because it’s almost interactive. Like a conversation going on between the photo and you.

Of course, this isn’t only true for photography. The rule of thirds can also be a useful guide when designing pitch decks. As internationally acclaimed communication expert, Garr Reynolds puts it, “you will find that you can apply this guideline even to PowerPoint or Keynote visuals to give them a more symmetrical and professional look“.

Here are a few samples to illustrate:

You can see how the logo is placed in the upper left third of the slide, near an intersection. The main visual—picture of a tablet showcasing how the product works—is placed in the lower right third of the canvas, also near a “power point”.

In this slide, the focal point of this slide is placed in the left third of the canvas. Meanwhile, the accompanying text is in the lower right third.

Here, the logo is near the upper left “power point”. This is balanced by how the brief text is aligned to the right, near the lower horizontal line. The way the background is composed also follows the rule of thirds. Notice how the corner where the road turns is near the lower left intersection.

How to use the rule of thirds in pitch deck design

With all that said, here’s a quick tip that can help you apply the rule of thirds when working in pitch deck. Some designers might be able to imagine where each guide line should go. For beginners, you can enable drawing guides to divide your slides easily.

Right click on any area in the slide pane and choose Grids and Guides from the menu. When the dialogue box pops up, check the option for “Display drawing guides on screen”.

You’ll get two guidelines that intersect at the center of your slide. That means you’ll have to move them around to create 9 equal parts. Luckily, Gavin McMahon of makeapowerfulpoint.com already did the math. To create the guides, drag the horizontal line to 1.25 and the vertical line to 1.67. Repeat the step by holding down CTRL and dragging the lines to the opposite direction, placing them on the same coordinates. (For widescreen presentations, the horizontal guides should be placed on 0.92 for the 16:9 setting and 1.00 for 16:10.)

With these guide lines, you can easily see if your the layout and design of your slides are well-balanced and symmetrical. Try to play around with an old pitch deck and see how you can improve your designs with the rule of thirds.

Featured Image: From the pitchdeck.com portfolio

Why Your Pitch Decks Need Better Slide Headlines

Posted on November 4, 2014May 3, 2023 by Rick E

Pitch deck expert Nancy Duarte suggested a quick way to diagnose bad slides. To check your own work, step back and ask yourself, “will the audience get my point with just a quick glance?”