Let’s get down to business: you need to create a pitch presentation, and you are either working with an existing PowerPoint template or are browsing through different templates to see which one is the best fit. Pitch presentations offer their own unique challenges because they are restricted by the content that needs to be expressed, must be extremely clear, and often lack the creative flexibility that general presentations can have.
All pitch presentations follow a similar structure. The show the problem, offer a solution, give a market overview (AKA answer “why now?), display the opportunity through financial terms, describe the competition, and then finish up with a call to action. There are, of course, a number of ways that you could rearrange or change this format to fit your own pitch presentation.
Now the real question: how many template slide layouts will you need to fulfill each part of a pitch structure?
Think of basic PowerPoint template slides like the primary colors in a painter’s palette. By themselves, they are pretty straight forward. But when combined, they can create an infinite number of shades. Here are the only 4 slides you’ll need to create a rainbow-hued pitch presentation using a PowerPoint template:
Team Slide
A team slide layout has only one purpose: to feature multiple photos and include a little credibility blurb for each. Because this layout is so singular, you’ll want to make sure that whichever PowerPoint template you download already has one built in. If not, you’re going to experience a lot of dragging, dropping, cropping, and formatting.
Minimal Header Slide
Unlike the single-use team slide, a minimal header slide can be used for so many different purposes throughout a pitch. If you want to ask a bold question to your audience, focus on a single word or concept, or simply say something “big,” you’ll need a minimal header slide to accomplish all of these different tasks. Make sure your PowerPoint template always has a slide that emphasizes a line of text, and a line of text only. No placeholders for photos or extra design is necessary.
Photo Features
Don’t think that full-slide photos should be in a pitch presentation? Think again! There is no better way to describe your problem, tell a story, or paint a beautiful vision of the future than through a photo. It’s how great presenters evoke emotion in their audience, by showing them what they mean rather than providing a lengthy explanation. A great photo feature with a line of text is the perfect tool to frame your pitch presentation.
Non-Linear Lists
We admit it: we’re not fans of a traditional bullet point list. If you need to display a grouping of text to share market information, important data points, or other information, then we recommend finding a PowerPoint template with non-linear layouts. It could be a circle of text with iconography or a waterfall-type slide with a clear order of importance. Either way, try and break free from what people expect, and provide something that will impress. Check out our article about bullet point design alternatives to see what we mean.
Using these four layouts in multiple combinations, you should have everything you need to create a pitch deck. For chart slides, all you need is to drag-and-drop your chart into the photo feature slide. For proof points and call-to-actions, alternating bold header slides and non-linear lists should be perfect.
Want to learn more about using PowerPoint templates to their full advantage? Check out these related articles:
3 Ways PowerPoint Templates Can Increase Content Marketing
