The 5 Types of Pitch Decks [Choose the Right One]
- Ink Narrates | The Presentation Design Agency
- Jan 29
- 6 min read
Updated: Sep 24
Bruce, one of our clients, asked us an interesting question while we were building his pitch deck:
“Aren’t all pitch decks basically the same?”
Our Creative Director replied,
“Only if you enjoy being ignored.”
As a presentation design agency, we work on many types of pitch decks throughout the year. And in the process, we’ve noticed one common challenge: most people assume a pitch deck is just a pitch deck. Same format, same slides, same tone.
That assumption is where things start to go sideways.
In this blog, we’ll break down how to choose the right kind of pitch deck for your situation—because using the wrong one can quietly sabotage everything you're trying to achieve.
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 Choosing the Right Type of Pitch Deck Actually Matters
Here’s what nobody tells you: the different types of pitch decks exist for a reason.
Each one serves a specific purpose, speaks to a specific audience, and is built to achieve a very specific outcome. But most people treat them like one-size-fits-all templates—and that’s where good ideas go to die.
We've seen founders try to raise money with a product demo deck. We've seen sales teams pitch clients with investor slides. It doesn't land well. Not because the idea is bad, but because the story is wrong for the room.
You have one shot to make people care. And the structure of your pitch deck is what frames that shot. It's not just about having the right slides. It's about telling the right story through the right format.
Choosing the right type of pitch deck isn’t an extra step. It’s the step that decides whether your message gets a green light or a confused stare.
The 5 Types of Pitch Decks
Let’s walk through the five types of pitch decks we work on most often. These aren’t arbitrary categories. They’re based on what’s actually needed in the real world. Different goals, different rooms, different types of communication. You pick the wrong one, and even great ideas fall flat.
But pick the right one, and suddenly people lean in. They get it. They trust it. They move.
Here’s what to know.
1. The Fundraising Pitch Deck
Used for: VC meetings, angel investor pitches, early-stage funding rounds
This is the one most people think of first. The classic startup pitch deck. But here’s the thing—we’ve redesigned so many fundraising decks that crashed simply because they didn’t get the basics right.
Fundraising decks aren’t about dumping information. They’re about making investors believe. That belief comes from clarity, structure, and showing that you've done your homework—not from loading up on jargon and graphs.
Here’s what you need to do well:
Tell the story of the problem like it’s life-or-death. The more urgent and relatable it feels, the more hooked your investors are.
Position your solution like it’s inevitable. Not nice-to-have. Not “we’re working on it.” It should feel like, this has to exist.
Keep it visual and minimal. If your deck looks like a word doc, you've already lost.
Show traction. Even a little. Screenshots. Testimonials. Waitlists. People love momentum.
Know your numbers. And make them believable. Don’t forecast a billion-dollar ARR by year two unless you can back it up with something solid.
We often tell founders this: if an investor only saw your slides, with no voiceover, would they still get what you’re doing and why it matters? If the answer’s no, the deck isn’t ready.
2. The Sales Pitch Deck
Used for: Selling a product or service to potential clients
This is where most people mess up. They think a sales deck is just a product showcase. Nope. That’s a brochure. A proper sales pitch deck isn’t about what your product does—it’s about what your buyer cares about.
A good sales deck makes the buyer feel like you get their world. Their problems. Their priorities. It doesn't scream, “Look at us!” It says, “Here’s how we help you.”
What works in sales decks:
Start with their pain. Not your product. Set the stage. Speak their language.
Use real-life scenarios. “Here’s what your team probably deals with every week...” and then show how you remove the pain.
Keep benefits front and center. Not features. Outcomes. What changes when they work with you?
Use proof. Case studies, testimonials, metrics. Make it real.
End with a call to action. Don’t leave it open-ended. Tell them the next step.
We worked with a SaaS team that had amazing tech but couldn’t close enterprise deals. Their deck was a feature list. We rebuilt it around buyer challenges—and suddenly, the sales team had a tool that worked like a conversation, not a lecture.
That’s the point of a good sales deck. It earns trust.
3. The Product Pitch Deck
Used for: Internal product walkthroughs, stakeholder updates, or new launches
Product decks tend to be misunderstood. They’re not about selling the product to outsiders. They’re about explaining how something works to people who need to understand it at a deeper level—whether it’s your internal team, early adopters, or strategic partners.
The challenge here is clarity.
We’ve seen product teams use 60-slide decks to explain a single feature rollout. That’s not clarity.
That’s self-sabotage.
Here’s how to make it useful:
Focus on structure. Group content by logic. What’s the use case? How does the flow work? What problem does this feature solve?
Keep copy clean and intentional. Every word should earn its place.
Use diagrams and visuals liberally. People process visuals faster than text. Walkthroughs should feel intuitive, not technical.
Call out dependencies and integrations. Show how it fits into the bigger picture.
Include what’s next. Roadmap slides go a long way in building stakeholder confidence.
One of our clients used a product deck to get buy-in from a skeptical operations team. The reason it worked? It showed exactly how the product solved their problems and addressed edge cases they’d been burned by before. That’s what a good product pitch does—it connects the dots.
4. The Partnership Pitch Deck
Used for: Strategic alliances, co-marketing proposals, channel partner onboarding
This type of deck is where collaboration begins. It’s less about selling and more about aligning. You're showing someone that a partnership makes sense for both sides—and that you’ve thought it through beyond “Let’s work together.”
What makes a good partnership deck:
Show shared value. What’s in it for both parties? Why is now the right time?
Map the opportunity. Whether it’s market access, tech integration, joint campaigns—lay it out clearly.
Propose a win-win structure. If you're asking for something, be clear on what you’re offering.
Demonstrate credibility. Show your track record. Not to brag, but to build trust.
Include clear next steps. If there’s interest, what happens next?
A client of ours once tried to partner with a major industry player. Their first deck was all about their own product. No context, no joint opportunity. It was a dead-end. We rebuilt the deck to focus entirely on how the two companies could create something better together. That email got a response in 24 hours.
Partnerships move forward when people feel understood. Your deck needs to reflect that.
5. The Vision or Mission Pitch Deck
Used for: Internal all-hands, pre-launch investor teasers, early-stage team alignment
This one is powerful when done right—but it’s also the most abstract.
A vision deck isn’t about your product. It’s about your belief system. Why you exist. What you’re trying to change. The big idea behind all the moving parts.
We usually build these for founders who are just getting started, or for CEOs about to rally a team around a new direction. The deck is meant to inspire action, not explain details.
What this type of deck needs:
Strong opening narrative. Start with a world that feels broken. Then introduce your idea as the better path.
High-impact language. You’re not explaining here. You’re moving people.
Minimal slides, powerful visuals. Let the message breathe. Don’t crowd it.
Bold positioning. This is where you plant your flag.
Leave space for imagination. Invite people into the journey—not with instructions, but with belief.
One early-stage founder came to us with just an idea scribbled on a napkin. We helped turn it into a vision deck that got him his first three investors. Not because we loaded it with data, but because we distilled the idea to its most compelling truth—and presented it with absolute clarity.
That’s the job of a vision deck. To make people feel like they’re part of something bigger before there’s even a product.
Each of these types of pitch decks solves a different problem. And no, they’re not interchangeable. We’ve seen brilliant businesses fall flat because they brought the wrong deck into the room. And we’ve seen average ideas rise because the deck knew exactly how to hit the right nerve at the right time.
It’s not just about making something pretty. It’s about making something work.
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.