Craft your message

Strong opening

Gather data

Simple and easy-to-grasp text

Examples, facts and numbers

Edit

Whatever the design, your message comes first. So, figure out what you want to say from the beginning. To set out your intentions efficiently, use the points below.

Stick to a plan

1

2

3

4

5

Create an easy-to-follow structure

Create a strong opening to grab attention

Keep text simple and easy-to-grasp

Gather data to support your offer or idea

Two pitch decks: one to send and one to show

1

Create an easy-to-follow structure

When presenting your ideas, story is everything. What’s the difference between a story and a phrase? Framing. Every story has a plot, a beginning, and an end. A consistent and structured narrative is crucial for information delivery, regardless of the purpose behind your pitch deck.

Make a single point

Stick to a plan

Make a single point

To hold viewers’ attention is a tricky thing. One of the most effective tools you have is to make only a single significant statement at a time. There is an easy way to make sure your presentation isn’t trying to cover too much ground: the essence of everything you have to say can fit into one sentence without inconsistencies or contradictions.

Don’t bother your audience with things they already know. Keep content short and focused, entertaining but to the point.—Andreas Haase, Founder of Hello&Goodbye design studio

Stick to a plan

Even a weekly report can sound as fascinating as a Marvel movie when planned and structured well. Frame your information wisely, and make sure even your dog could understand why it starts and ends where it starts or ends. Deliver your message in the middle.

You might start by writing down all your key ideas in a text file. Group them by topic, begin with the most simple statement and build up to more complex ideas. Highlight important facts and get rid of what seems secondary. Your main points can eventually serve as subheadings, as they do here.

Take a closer look at templates for a pitch deck, annual report, design agency presentation and educational slide deck.

2

Create a strong opening

The first 5 minutes of a presentation is your chance to win an audience's attention by setting the mood or highlighting the most important aspects of the project. That is why your introduction should be explanatory, clear, catchy and even slightly entertaining. Here are some ready-made solutions for quick decisions:

State a fact

Make a joke

Ask a question

State a fact

Or make a clear statement / provide statistics. Making a solid point gives a super universal opening for any narrative, but works best for presenting project results in business-related presentations.

Make a joke

Both topic-related and hilarious jokes are brutal to find or come up with. But if you do, consider your presentation a success; you nailed it. Two small tips though. 1. You don’t have to be self-destructive to be funny. 2. Memes and GIFs can also go a long way.

Ask a question

It goes back to the ancient Greek principles of rhetoric. If you ask the right question about the information you are planning to share, everything that follows is just an answer to the question on the first slide.