How to build amazing slides?
Quick question for all the slide building monsters out there, what are some general practices that you best recommended for building compelling slides? At a startup where we do not always have precedent materials and trying to assemble those materials from that start can be challenging. I'd love to hear about best slides practices / if anyone has knowledge of a good free slide template source (ideally the quality of banking / consulting) just to get ideas of frameworks to present certain data with.
Honestly, in the least dickish way possible, Google some board decks, pitch decks, really whatever you need. A lot of stuff can be found online.
Otherwise, I always try to make sure there is an appropriate amount of whitespace on the page, a guiding thought for each page (not paragraphs of text). If there is a chart, you should at least explain what people are looking at.
You should be able to rationalize each page in the presentation, if you're not sure why it's there, the audience definitely won't.
Just throw some stuff on the PPT and send it to a good outsource shop in India to clean it up. Google "presentation design agency". Note that they WILL fuck up the numbers, but they sure make the slides pretty, and it's your job as an Associate to obsess that the numbers come across well. You can do a couple of iterations with them, and it costs $25 bucks a slide. These guys are much better tenured than most A/ASs in making slides happen. They just don't know what the fuck the slides are about, sometimes with hilarious results.
Important distinction is CIMs/books and decks. These days, both products are created in PPT and PDF exported, so people tend to cross-use materials. Big mistake in my opinion, as the way they are presented to the client are very different.
CIMs are books. They used to be done in word document format. They should be information-rich, and minimize any FUD to move forward in the process. For those, the focus is on the flow of the book: The summary is the hook (should have strategic position that fits the acquisition strategy of the acquirer / financial parameters of the sponsors), and then the flow of information should eliminate to the extent possible any doubts that the acquirer would like to submit an IOI and meet the team.
Pitch / management presentation decks run as background to a presenter, the MD or the CEO/CFO. They should contain light information, large bullet points, and are an aid. (You can go bananas on the supplementary materials section and straight up lift entire parts of the CIM with updated info)
A few general tips:
Really depends on what it's for. I've always believed in not-crowded slides and personally have always been okay with slides which are just bullets or tables but obviously in banking that doesn't really fly. Just make sure you're getting the point of the slide across concisely in general. Obviously this may defer if you're drafting a CIP vs a pitch but the idea remains the same. Shading, smartart (sometimes it's good), and firm macros are the way to go. I never know how to start a slide often but depending on the content and messaging, the slide will take shape itself lol
Quasi eaque atque dolorum. Vero ut accusantium pariatur qui. Quas quia nam possimus at. Voluptates eius impedit mollitia sit. Qui perspiciatis vitae quis iusto.
Ab alias a velit. Delectus sequi repudiandae est suscipit libero. Similique ab vel recusandae ipsum deserunt quos voluptate. Optio temporibus eos vitae blanditiis. Modi consequatur voluptatibus fuga consequatur numquam.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...