How to Make an Investment Banking Presentation [Guide]
- Ink Narrates | The Presentation Design Agency
- 9 hours ago
- 9 min read
A few weeks ago, our client Lisa asked us an interesting question while we were designing her investment banking presentation. She said,
“What actually makes one pitch deck stand out when everyone’s presenting the same numbers?”
Our Creative Director smiled and replied,
“It’s never the numbers. It’s how you make people believe in them.”
As a presentation design agency, we work on many investment banking decks throughout the year, and there’s one challenge we keep seeing: they all look like spreadsheets pretending to be slides. Facts everywhere, story nowhere.
So, in this blog, we’ll talk about why investment bankers struggle with presentations & how you can create and build engaging investment banking presentations without losing professionalism.
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 Many (Not all) Investment Bankers Struggle with Presentations
Let’s start with this...Investment bankers are some of the sharpest professionals out there. They know valuations, deals, and markets inside out. But when it comes to presenting those insights, things often fall apart. We’ve seen it happen more times than we can count.
Here are the three biggest problems we notice.
1. They focus on data, not decisions
Most banking presentations are buried under an avalanche of numbers. Every page screams revenue multiples, EBITDA margins, and market comps, yet the story behind those numbers is missing.
The problem isn’t the data itself, it’s that no one knows what to do with it. The audience aren’t looking for a math lesson; they’re looking for direction. They want to know what this means for them and why it matters now.
When your audience has to dig through data to find meaning, you’ve already lost them. The goal isn’t to show everything you know; it’s to guide your audience to one clear decision.
2. They use slides as a safety net
Bankers often build slides like legal documents: packed, precise, and painful to read. Why? Because they fear missing something. So, every ratio, disclaimer, and backup note ends up on a single slide. It feels safe, but it kills attention.
What’s worse is that these decks end up being read rather than presented. You see presenters reading off the slides instead of owning the room. That’s not persuasion; that’s narration. And investors don’t invest in narrators.
3. They underestimate the emotional hook
Finance is a world obsessed with logic. But logic alone rarely sells. Behind every deal, there’s always an emotional driver (trust, ambition, or even fear of missing out). The best presentations balance both logic and emotion. They tell a story that feels real, backed by numbers that make it credible.
Yet, most banking presentations are built like term sheets, not stories. The result? Smart content, zero connection. The numbers make sense, but they don’t make anyone care. So how to fix that?
How to Write Engaging Slide Content for an Investment Banking Presentation
Let’s break down how to go from raw data to an engaging, story-driven deck that actually holds attention.
Step 1: Start with the raw information
Before you touch a slide, dump everything you know onto paper (or a document). Every data point, every deal highlight, every insight, get it all out. Don’t filter yet. You’re not building slides; you’re gathering ammunition.
Then ask one simple question: What’s the one thing I want my audience to take away from this presentation? That answer becomes your anchor. Every other piece of information must support it, or it doesn’t belong.
For example, if your core message is “This acquisition positions us as the market leader in renewable infrastructure,” then every data point, visual, and line of text should point toward proving that.
Step 2: Build a logical structure around your story
Think of your presentation like an argument. You’re persuading investors to agree with your viewpoint. To do that, your slides need to follow a logical flow.
Here’s a structure we often use when designing these decks:
The context: What’s happening in the market right now that makes this opportunity relevant?
The opportunity: What gap are you addressing or what potential are you unlocking?
The proof: How do the numbers, projections, or comps support your case?
The edge: Why you or your client are the right ones to execute this.
The outcome: What’s in it for the investors?
This structure works because it mirrors how humans make decisions — context first, logic next, payoff last.
Step 3: Remove the noise ruthlessly
Once you’ve laid everything out, start cutting. Anything that doesn’t directly support your message is clutter. The truth is, most investment banking presentations are 40% filler. It’s just lines, labels, and redundant headers trying to make the slides look busy.
Your job is to simplify without dumbing down. A good test is to look at every line and ask, Would the message lose meaning if I deleted this? If the answer is no, delete it.
The fewer words you use, the stronger each one becomes.
Step 4: Write slides for insight, not information
Here’s the golden rule: less content, more insight. Your slides should never repeat what’s already obvious in the numbers. Instead, they should interpret those numbers.
Don’t write, “Revenue grew by 15% in Q3.” Everyone can see that on the chart. Write, “Revenue growth driven by higher cross-border transactions.” That’s insight.
Think of yourself as the translator between data and meaning. Investors don’t want to read; they want to understand quickly.
Step 5: Leave space for you to talk
Slides aren’t meant to carry your entire pitch. They’re meant to support your voice. A common mistake bankers make is putting everything on the slide, thinking it makes them look thorough. In reality, it makes them look replaceable, because anyone could read the same deck and say the same thing.
Your slides should create curiosity, not close the loop. Each one should make the audience think, I want to hear more about that. That’s how you build attention and authority at the same time.
When you write less, you make space for dialogue. And that’s where persuasion happens: not in the slide, but in the conversation it sparks.
How to Design Your Investment Banking Presentation
Good design makes your audience trust you before you even start speaking. Poor design makes them doubt your attention to detail, your firm’s credibility, and sometimes even your numbers. We’ve seen this play out in boardrooms: two bankers with identical data, but one deck gets attention and the other gets polite silence.
So how do you make slides that look premium without losing the restraint a professional deck demands?
1. Start with clarity, not color
A clean slide beats a colorful one every time. Most investment banking presentations fail because they try to look “designed” instead of looking clear. They use fancy gradients, bright backgrounds, or stock icons that distract more than they add.
Your goal is clarity. Every design choice, whether it is font, color, or layout, should make the content easier to read and absorb.
Start with a simple, neutral color palette. A combination of deep navy, slate gray, and white is timeless. Use one accent color sparingly for emphasis, maybe a strong gold or blue to highlight key numbers or section headers.
The moment your design starts shouting, it is already losing credibility.
2. Build a visual rhythm
Design is rhythm. Your slides should guide the viewer’s eyes the way music guides a listener’s attention, calmly and purposefully.
This is where layout comes in. Don’t cram ten things into one slide. Break information into visual chapters. A good deck breathes. Every slide should have enough white space for the audience to pause, process, and reset.
We like to think in terms of pace:
Slide 1–3: The setup, clean visuals, minimal text
Slide 4–7: The data, simple charts, consistent labeling
Slide 8–10: The opportunity, strong visuals, short insights
Slide 11+: The close, focused call to action, one idea per slide
That rhythm keeps your deck from feeling heavy or repetitive.
3. Treat numbers like visuals
Bankers love numbers, but most forget that investors don’t see numbers the same way they do. The secret is to design your numbers.
Use visuals to make data effortless to grasp. Swap tables for simple, labeled charts. Use consistent color coding so trends are instantly visible. And don’t overload one chart with every data series you have. Each visual should have one purpose: to highlight an insight.
A messy graph might feel comprehensive, but it’s just confusing. The best charts look simple and smart at the same time.
4. Use typography like a pro
Fonts carry personality. Serif fonts such as Times or Georgia feel traditional; sans-serifs such as Helvetica or Inter feel modern. For investment banking decks, we recommend a clean sans-serif. It feels sharp and current without being loud.
Keep your text hierarchy consistent:
Titles: 24–28 pt
Subheads: 18–20 pt
Body: 14–16 pt
This subtle hierarchy keeps everything readable even from the back of the boardroom. And please avoid all caps and bolding every other word. Emphasis only works when it is rare.
5. Make visuals tell part of the story
Every visual element should have a reason to exist. A logo should build trust. A chart should explain a shift. A timeline should show progress.
If something doesn’t serve the narrative, it doesn’t belong. The most powerful slides are often the simplest ones, with one line of text, one visual, and one key takeaway.
And if you want your deck to feel “expensive,” stop using free stock images. Use high-quality, realistic visuals that align with your brand tone. Real photos of real industries, not handshakes or skyscrapers with sunlight flares.
6. Maintain consistency till the end
Professionalism is in the details. When font sizes shift across slides, logos are misaligned, or spacing jumps from one page to another, your presentation instantly looks rushed.
Set up a simple master layout with consistent margins, a fixed grid, and a unified style for charts and icons. Consistency builds subconscious trust. People may not notice perfect design, but they always notice inconsistency.
Font and Color Combinations We Recommend for Investment Banking Presentations
Fonts and colors are more than style choices. They signal credibility and professionalism. The wrong combination makes a premium pitch look amateur. The right one elevates your story.
Fonts
Primary Font: Clean sans-serif like Helvetica, Arial, or Inter for headers and body text. Readable and professional.
Secondary Font: Optional, for emphasis or quotes. Roboto Slab or Lora work well, but use sparingly.
Hierarchy: Titles 24–28 pt, subheads 18–20 pt, body 14–16 pt. Keep it consistent so investors can scan slides quickly.
Colors
Neutral Base: Deep navy, slate gray, or charcoal backgrounds with white or light gray text. Keeps focus on content.
Accent Colors: One or two colors for emphasis, like blue, gold, or green. Use sparingly.
Charts: Assign consistent colors to categories so trends are instantly recognizable.
Avoid Bright or Clashing Colors: Clarity beats flashy. Let design support the story, not compete with it.
Simple fonts and a clean palette make your deck look professional and trustworthy. Overcomplicating slides never impresses; clarity does.
Delivering an Investment Banking Presentation: What to Keep in Mind
You can have the cleanest slides, the most compelling story, and the sharpest numbers, but if your delivery falls flat, your deck won’t matter.
Presenting in investment banking is about authority, clarity, and connecting with your audience while guiding them to the decision you want.
1. Know your story inside out
Numbers are meaningless without context. Before stepping in front of investors, make sure you can explain every slide without reading it. Practice telling the story aloud. Investors can tell when a presenter is reciting text versus owning the narrative.
2. Keep your pace measured
It’s easy to rush when you’re nervous or excited. Speak clearly, pause for emphasis, and give your audience time to process charts and numbers. Silence isn’t awkward; it’s effective. Every pause gives your slides and insights space to breathe.
3. Emphasize insights, not numbers
Don’t point at every line or label on a chart. Highlight the key takeaway instead. Investors aren’t impressed by data density. They are impressed when you interpret the numbers for them, show why it matters, and connect it to your overall recommendation.
4. Make eye contact and engage
Even in virtual meetings, look at the camera, not your own slides. In person, make eye contact with key decision-makers. Your confidence communicates trustworthiness. Nod or ask small questions to keep engagement high.
5. Be ready for questions
Investment banking audiences will challenge your assumptions. Anticipate the questions and practice answers. If you don’t know something, admit it confidently and promise a follow-up. Nothing kills credibility faster than stumbling or bluffing.
6. Use slides as a support, not a script
Remember, slides are there to reinforce your story, not replace it. Avoid reading every bullet. Instead, let the slides point your audience to the insight while you narrate the reasoning behind it.
Delivering a pitch is part performance, part coaching. When you combine preparation, clarity, and confidence, your slides stop being just visuals and start driving decisions.
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.