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How to Create a Pitch Deck for Your Clients - Everything You Need to Know as a Freelance Graphic Designer

Jun 17, 2023
(updated: Jun 19, 2023)
Max 5 min read

As a freelance graphic designer, creating pitch decks for your clients can be a lucrative and rewarding opportunity. A well-crafted pitch deck has the power to make all the difference, captivating potential investors and showcasing your client’s unique value proposition.

Here at Indy, we strive to make freelancing simple. We’ll guide you through the art of designing pitch decks for your client—from understanding their needs to delivering a polished final product. Let’s jump in!

1. Understand the client's goals and objectives

Before you begin designing a pitch deck, it's crucial to understand your client's goals and objectives. Schedule a meeting or call with your client to discuss their business, target audience, and key messages they want to convey. Ask questions to get a clear picture of what they hope to achieve with the pitch deck and any specific design preferences they may have. As a freelance graphic designer, it's essential to understand your client's goals and objectives before embarking on any design project. By scheduling a meeting with your client, you can gain valuable insights into their business, target audience, and the key messages they want to convey through the pitch deck. This information will help you create a design that not only aligns with their vision but also effectively communicates their unique value proposition to potential investors or partners.

2. Research the industry and competition

Conducting thorough research on the industry and competition is crucial to crafting a compelling narrative that sets your client apart. By familiarizing yourself with market trends, challenges, and competitors' strategies, you can identify opportunities for your client to stand out and showcase their unique value proposition. This in-depth understanding of the industry landscape will help you create a pitch deck that not only captures the attention of potential investors but also demonstrates your client's ability to navigate and succeed in their market. Spend time researching the market, trends, and competitive landscape to inform your design decisions.

3. Outline the content and structure

Before diving into the design, outline the content and structure of the pitch deck. Work with your client to determine the key sections, such as:

  • Introduction
  • Problem
  • Solution
  • Market opportunity
  • Business model
  • Traction
  • Team
  • Financials
  • Ask

Having a clear outline will help you stay organized and ensure that the pitch deck flows logically from one section to the next.

4. Design with clarity and consistency

In the realm of graphic design, especially for freelance graphic designers working on pitch decks, it's vital to prioritize clarity and consistency in your design. Your pitch deck should be easy to understand and visually appealing, ensuring that the audience can quickly grasp the key messages being conveyed. To achieve this, choose clean fonts, a harmonious color scheme, and maintain a consistent layout throughout the presentation. By sticking to these principles, you'll create a pitch deck that not only showcases your expertise in graphic design but also effectively communicates your client's vision and value proposition to potential investors. Use clean, easy-to-read fonts and choose a color scheme that complements the client's branding. Keep the design elements consistent throughout the deck to create a cohesive look and feel. This will help investors focus on the content and make the pitch deck more professional.

5. Use visuals to tell a story

Incorporating infographics, charts, graphs, images, and other visuals is a crucial aspect of designing a pitch deck that effectively tells your client's story. These visual elements can quickly convey complex information, making it easier for the audience to digest and understand the key points being presented. When designing a pitch deck, think about how you can strategically use visuals to support the narrative and enhance the overall impact of the presentation. By skillfully integrating these elements into your design, you'll create a more engaging and memorable pitch deck that not only captures the attention of potential investors but also showcases your expertise in crafting compelling visual stories. Be sure to use high-quality visuals that are relevant to the content and support the overall narrative.

6. Iterate and refine

The process of iterating and refining is an essential part of creating a successful pitch deck. This collaborative process involves incorporating your client's feedback and making necessary adjustments to the design. By scheduling meetings with your client to discuss their thoughts and suggestions, you can ensure that the final product aligns with their vision and expectations. Continuously refining the pitch deck based on your client's input not only strengthens the overall design but also fosters a strong working relationship, ultimately resulting in a pitch deck that effectively communicates your client's message to potential investors. Be prepared to iterate and refine the design based on their feedback. This collaborative process will help you deliver a final product that meets your client's needs and expectations.

7. Prepare for the presentation

Finally, help your client prepare for the presentation itself. Offer tips on how to present the pitch deck effectively, such as rehearsing the presentation, anticipating questions from investors, and maintaining a confident demeanor. This will set your client up for success when it's time to pitch their business.

How Indy Can Help You Pitch Clients

If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to pitch new clients, Indy’s Proposals makes it easy to create beautiful, professional proposals. Just like with pitch decks, proposals are your chance to persuade clients and showcase your unique value proposition. 

You can customize our templates with design elements, embed videos and music, and even craft a first draft in seconds with our AI-powered Digital Assistant.

Here’s how else Indy can help:

  • Contracts: Seal the deal with clients and protect your business with legally-vetted contract templates.
  • Tasks: Use Kanban boards and to-do lists to mangae the progress of your pitch deck.
  • Files: Store all of your files in one place. Clients can comment their feedback directly on your files so that you never have to worry about messages getting lost in your email inbox.

With Indy, you can manage all of your business tasks from beginning to end. Get started for free!

Conclusion

Creating a pitch deck for your clients as a freelance graphic designer requires understanding their goals, researching the industry, outlining the content, designing with clarity and consistency, using visuals to tell a story, iterating and refining, and preparing for the presentation. By following these steps, you can provide your clients with a compelling pitch deck that helps them achieve their objectives.

If you’re looking for an easy way to manage your freelance business, we recommend Indy. Not only do we have a robust free plan that has everything you need to take charge of projects, but we also have a Pro plan that lets you automate your work and connect Indy to your favorite apps. Get started today for free!

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