How to Make a Client Presentation Deck [A Detailed Guide]

While we were working on a client presentation deck for Georgina, she paused mid-call and asked us,

"How do you make a presentation that doesn’t feel like it’s trying too hard, but still gets the client to say yes?"

Our Creative Director replied,

"You lead with clarity, not theatrics."

And honestly, that’s exactly what most decks miss.

As a presentation design agency, we work on many client presentation decks throughout the year. And here’s the one common challenge we keep noticing: people try to impress but forget to connect. The result? Fancy slides that say a lot but mean very little.

In this blog, we’ll walk you through how to make a client presentation deck that’s actually useful, not just impressive. So, if you’re tired of decks that look good but don’t land well, keep reading.

In case you didn't know, we specialize in only one thing: making presentations. We can help you by designing your slides and writing your content too.

Why Your Client Presentation Deck Actually Matters

Let’s get the obvious out of the way: first impressions still matter. And in the business world, they often come with a PowerPoint attached.

When a potential client opens your deck, they’re not just looking at slides. They’re evaluating how you think, how clearly you understand their problem, and whether or not they can trust you with their money. And all of that happens in the first few minutes.

Still think your deck is just “support material”? Think again.

According to a report by Forrester, 77% of B2B buyers say their last purchase was complex or difficult. In other words, people are overwhelmed. Your client presentation deck can either simplify the decision or make it worse.

Now let’s add this: a study by Stanford found that people remember only about 10% of what they hear but retain up to 65% when visuals are involved. That’s not a design statistic. That’s a communication one.

So, what happens when you load up a deck with too much text, vague value props, and five different fonts? You confuse your client. And confused clients don’t sign contracts. They delay. Or ghost you. Or worse, go with someone who said the same thing you did — but just made it easier to understand.

We’ve seen this pattern play out in real life. Great services wrapped in average decks tend to lose to average services wrapped in confident, well-structured decks. It’s not always fair, but it’s real.

So, if you're wondering whether it’s worth spending time on your deck, the answer is: absolutely. Because a well-thought-out client presentation isn’t a formality, it’s a decision-making tool. And if you treat it like one, you start winning more.

How to Make a Client Presentation Deck That Works

If you want a deck that works (meaning it gets your point across, earns trust, and helps you win) you need to think deeper. Below is a breakdown of how we approach it, after designing hundreds of decks for teams across industries. We’re not offering magic. We’re offering clarity that works in the real world.

1. Start with One Clear Goal. Not Three. Not Five. One.

What do you want the client to do after seeing this deck? Sign off on phase one? Schedule a follow-up? Approve a budget?

Pick one. Write it down. Stick to it.

A client presentation deck is not a place to show everything you do. It’s a place to show the right thing for the right moment. When teams try to show all their capabilities, case studies, values, awards, and office photos in one go, the message gets blurry. And blurry doesn’t convert.

We ask clients to answer one question before we even open PowerPoint: If the client only remembered one thing from this deck, what should it be?

Once that’s clear, the rest becomes easier to shape.

2. Structure It Like a Story, Not a Sales Sheet

Most decks follow a lazy format: About us → Our services → Why we’re great → Let’s talk.

That’s not a narrative. That’s a brochure.

You’re not giving out flyers at a tradeshow. You’re having a conversation with someone who has a problem. So structure the deck like a dialogue.

Here’s a structure that works far better:

• Slide 1: Title + A punchy one-liner that shows you understand their situation

• Slide 2: The problem they’re facing (from their POV)

• Slide 3: What this problem is costing them (time, money, market share, etc.)

• Slide 4: Your solution (how you solve it, simply explained)

• Slide 5–7: Proof (case studies, results, testimonials, relevant examples)

• Slide 8: Why you (your unique edge, explained clearly)

• Slide 9: The path forward (pricing, timelines, call to action)

  
  

Notice what’s happening here. You’re not talking at the client. You’re walking with them through the problem — and leading them to a solution.

That builds trust. And trust closes deals.

3. Visuals Aren’t Decoration. They’re Direction.

This is where a lot of people go wrong. They think design is just about looking good.

Design is communication. It’s your second voice.

Let’s take an example: Imagine you have a slide that says “We helped Client X grow revenue by 33% in 4 months.” You could write that as a sentence. Or you could turn it into a simple before-after chart, with the client’s logo, a visual timestamp, and a quote.

Which one do you think lands better?

Exactly.

Visual hierarchy, whitespace, color consistency, readable typography — they all exist to make sure the client sees what matters first. If your deck looks like a Christmas tree of elements fighting for attention, no one is going to read it.

Pro tip from our designers: Every slide should have one job. If it’s trying to do more than that, split it.

4. Tailor the Content. Don’t Copy-Paste from Your Last Pitch.

Your client presentation deck is not a reusable asset. It’s a response to a specific opportunity.

Yes, you can reuse your branding, layout system, iconography. But don’t make the mistake of duplicating your last pitch and just changing the name on the title slide.

Clients notice. And they read that as laziness.

We’ve had clients tell us, “We picked you because it felt like you actually understood our business, not just sold us a package.” That’s what personalization does.

So research their business. Use their terminology. Mirror their priorities back to them. If they talk about “subscriber churn,” don’t use “customer retention” in your deck. If they care about user experience, don’t spend three slides talking about backend development.

Mirror them — but with clarity.

5. Keep It Short, But Don’t Skip Context

This is a balancing act.

You want to keep the deck lean — under 12 slides, ideally — but that doesn’t mean you cut out context.

A lot of teams confuse “short” with “minimal” to the point where nothing makes sense unless you’re in the room explaining it. That defeats the purpose of a deck, especially if it needs to be emailed.

Every slide should answer the silent question: So what?

If you write “We offer scalable marketing automation,” your reader should immediately know what that means, why it matters, and how it helps them specifically. Otherwise, it’s just jargon on a nicely designed slide.

Our tip: Every time you make a slide, imagine the client reading it without you around. Will it still make sense? Will it still make a case?

If the answer is no, it needs a rework.

6. Use Data Wisely. Not to Impress, But to Convince.

We’ve all seen that slide.

"65% of companies say customer retention is more important than acquisition" — Harvard Business Review"

Companies lose $1.6 trillion annually due to poor customer experience" — Accenture

The data bomb. It’s there to wow. But is it helping?

Here’s what we’ve learned: clients aren’t looking for a lot of data. They’re looking for relevant data.

Instead of five generic stats, one focused stat that supports your solution is far more effective.

Let’s say you’re offering a new onboarding process. Show a stat from one of your past clients that onboarding time dropped by 30%. That’s gold. It’s personal, specific, and tied to action.

Data should be like seasoning: enough to enhance flavor, not so much it drowns the dish.

7. End With Clarity, Not “Let’s Connect”

You’ve made it to the last slide. Don’t blow it with a vague CTA.

“Let us know if you have questions” isn’t a CTA. It’s a polite fade-out.

Tell them what happens next. Be specific.

• “If this looks good, we’ll set up a 45-minute call next week to walk you through implementation.”

• “We’ve attached pricing options on the next slide. Just reply with your preference and we’ll send a formal proposal.”

• “Ready to move forward? Let’s lock a kickoff date by Thursday.”

  
  

You’re not being pushy. You’re being professional.

Clarity gives your client confidence. And confidence moves the deal forward.

8. Review, Don’t Rush

We’ve seen so many great decks get undermined by tiny errors.

Mismatched fonts. Cropped logos. Placeholder text. Pricing tables that don’t align. Spelling errors that somehow survive three review rounds.

Here’s our rule: no deck should go out without a review by someone who didn’t create it.

Fresh eyes catch mistakes. More importantly, fresh eyes can tell you if the story holds up when you’re not there explaining it.

Before we send out any deck, our creative and content team both do a “cold read.” That means they go through the deck without context, like a client would. If anything feels off, unclear, or pointless — it gets fixed.

It sounds like a small thing. But when you’re trying to land a six-figure deal, details aren’t small.

How to Present Your Client Presentation Deck

You’ve built the deck. Now don’t kill it with a boring delivery. Here’s how to present it in a way that keeps your client engaged and interested:

1. Set the Context First

Before diving into slide 1, give the client a 20-second overview of what they’re about to see. It sets expectations and shows you’re not just winging it. Say something like:

“We’ve focused this around the core challenges you mentioned. I’ll walk you through how we solve them, and then we can talk next steps.”

Simple. Clear. Grounded.

2. Don’t Read the Slide. Add to It

The worst thing you can do is narrate your slides. Use them as visual anchors. Speak to the why, the how, the backstory, not what’s already on screen.

Think of the deck as your backup singer. You’re the lead voice.

3. Watch Their Reactions, Not the Clock

Pay attention to body language, not just your timeline. If a client looks confused, pause. If they’re engaged, lean in.

Presentation is not a performance. It’s a conversation. The more you adapt to the room, the more trust you build.

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Why Hire Us to Build your Presentation?

If you're reading this, you're probably working on a presentation right now. You could do it all yourself. But the reality is - that’s not going to give you the high-impact presentation you need. It’s a lot of guesswork, a lot of trial and error. And at the end of the day, you’ll be left with a presentation that’s “good enough,” not one that gets results. On the other hand, we’ve spent years crafting thousands of presentations, mastering both storytelling and design. Let us handle this for you, so you can focus on what you do best.

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