The Next Step
In summarising your pitch deck.
Despite the importance on summarising your pitch deck and how it would look in your presentation, the first step to it is to write out your complete script. Yup! You’re going to think that I am going in circles here. I assure you, I am not. I used to try to change as I write to shorten or lengthen what I am trying to say. Contrary to my own perception, it is easier to add on or summarise the points that I am trying to make after I have written in full. This works exceptionally well if you are trying to summarise. In this post, I am going to share why.
The Longest Form FIRST
Completing your script, presentation, or speech at its longest form is actually the best way (in my opinion) to creating a summary.
It makes sure nothing important is left out.
It creates a clear picture of what needs to be said.
It makes it easier in deciding what to cut out than having it in your thoughts.
Ranking Points’ Importance
During my investment advisory days, I came across a video of Warren Buffett’s advice, (ah yes, another investment guy quoting Warren Buffett; please bare with me) it talked about his 5/25 rule. I think this can be applicable to when you are trying to rank what points are important. Here’s what you need to do:
List out the top 25 points that you wish to cover in your whole pitch deck.
Rank all 25 points based on How important it is to your audience.
Choose only the Top Five to lead the slides.
This rule was originally meant for productivity or achieving your career’s goal, I am adapting its essence to help you decide which information should be in your pitch deck during the summary because, if you are like me, I would think everything is important and should be in the pitch deck. However, it deviates you from your original point without fully covering it. One of the key aspects to this method is that if your brain starts firing new ideas to you when preparing the slides, you have to say NO if (1) you have not completed the information for the top five or (2) if a distraction comes up and seemed like a better idea but it does not help you to achieving the top five.
I would highly recommend trying the two ways that I shared today if you are ever stuck with preparing your pitch. It has helped me to keep myself inline when ideas start firing while preparing the pitch and gave me a system to follow as I prepare pitch decks.