How to Conduct a Winning Pitch Deck Review

How do you evaluate a pitch deck? How can you conduct a pitch deck assessment? How can you review a pitch deck for effectiveness. An investor pitch deck audit is essential if you are trying to sell your business or raise money from investors.

Meet the Author: Benjamin Ball

Ben is the founder of Benjamin Ball Associates and leads the presentation coaching and pitch deck creation teams. Formerly a corporate financier in the City of London, for 20+ years he’s helped businesses win with better pitches and presentations, particularly investor pitches. He is a regular speaker and a guest lecturer at Columbia Business School and UCL London.  Follow Ben on LinkedIn or visit the contact page. 

Why You Need a Pitch Deck Assessment

If you have been writing your investor deck, you have probably been seeking advice from your colleagues. However, even the best entrepreneurs can miss critical details or fail to communicate their vision effectively.

That’s where a pitch deck audit comes in. A pitch deck review can help you refine your presentation, so that it resonates with investors and maximises your chances of securing funding.

A pitch deck audit examines your presentation thoroughly to identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. It’s a crucial step so that you can be certain your pitch will work with your target audience.

At Benjamin Ball Associates, we’ve been writing winning investor pitch decks for businesses and funds for over 15 years.  Most pitch deck projects start with a BBA Pitch Deck Audit.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to run an effective investor pitch deck audit. And if you still need help, one of our experts would be delighted to run a comprehensive  BBA Pitch Deck Audit for you. It costs just £499+VAT.

1. Understand the purpose of the pitch deck assessment

The goal of your pitch deck audit is to:

• Identify Weaknesses: Uncover areas that might be confusing, unclear, or unpersuasive to investors.
• Enhance Clarity: Make sure your investment proposition is concise and easy to understand.
• Maximise Impact: Stand out from the crowd and leave a lasting impression.
• Increase Your Chances of Success: A well-crafted pitch deck will improve your chances of securing funding, partnerships, or customers.

An audit will help you identify weaknesses, remove unnecessary content, so that your pitch deck meets investor expectations.

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2. Check first impressions

We humans make judgements quickly.  An investor will look at hundreds of pitch decks.  They know how to make fast decisions.  They will not read through your deck from end to end.  They will glance at the first few pages and flick through the rest of the deck.  If they are not convinced at that stage, your pitch deck will have failed.   In your audit, you should check:

• First few pages: Your investor should be nearly convinced within a few pages.
• Flick Test:  Have you made it easy for your investor to flick through your deck and understand your proposition
•  Final pages: Do they reinforce your story compellingly.

Our BBA Pitch Deck Audit will see whether an investor will reject your deck or if they will want to spend more time reading your pitch deck.  Find out more today.

3. Review the core messages

The core messages of your pitch deck should be clear, compelling, and concise. A thorough pitch deck audit will review your slides so that each one supports this message without deviating into irrelevant details. The audit will ask:

• Is the problem statement clear? Investors need to understand the pain point your business addresses.
• Is the solution compelling? Does your product or service offer a unique value proposition?
• Is the market opportunity well-defined? Are the market size, growth potential, and target audience clearly articulated?

If your core message is diluted or unclear, it’s time to simplify and re-assess your content.  Creating compelling core messages is probably the toughest part of writing compelling pitch decks.  We frequently use our Messaging Cracker Process to help businesses and fund refine their core investor messages.

Why Pick Benjamin Ball Associates for Your Pitch Deck Review

At Benjamin Ball Associates, we’ve been reviewing pitch decks for over 15 years.  Our work is fast and effective.  We work with individuals and with companies, one-to-one and in groups.  Call us today to learn more.

“I honestly thought it was the most valuable 3 hours I’ve spent with anyone in a long time.”

Mick May, CEO, Blue Sky

Our most popular training courses include:

• Presentation Coaching
• Public Speaking Coaching
• Investor Pitch Support and Coaching

Trusted by some of the most successful companies globally

Speak to Louise on +44 20 7018 0922 or email info@benjaminball.com to transform your speeches, pitches and presentations.

Speak to an expert. Get a free consultation

4. Evaluate the storytelling flow

Your pitch deck should tell a compelling story that guides investors through your business journey. Evaluate the flow by asking:

• Does each slide transition logically to the next? The narrative should be easy to follow, with each slide building on the previous one.
• Is there a balance between data and storytelling? While numbers and metrics are crucial, the best pitch decks weave in the human element – the story of how your business came to be, the passion behind it, and why it matters.
• Is the equity story compelling? Is it easy for someone to understand your equity story and how it makes your opportunity a must have.

A strong narrative will make your pitch more relatable and memorable.

5. Test your business model

Your business model is how you make money and how you run your business.  The audit will review this and see whether you are being clear and realistic.  Who is paying for your product? Why are they paying? What value do they get?  The audit will also look for your KPIs to better understand how you run your business and drive its success. For example, key questions in the audit include:

• How do you reach your customers? What is your route to market?
• What is each customer worth? How much will it cost to acquire new customers? How long will they remain customers?
• How good are you at retaining customers? Do your customers buy from you again and again?

6. Review the market opportunity

Are you clear and realistic about the real opportunity of the business?  Blandly saying “this is a $100bn global opportunity and we only need to get a .01% market share to be successful” is not enough.  (I’ve seen many pitches saying that!) You need to identify:

• Who are your customers?  Why are they buying?
• How big is your core market? Is there a clearly identifiable group of customers? What’s special about them?
• Which other markets might be accessible? Your plans for extending the reach of your business.

7. Examine the competitive analysis

Your pitch deck should include a slide that addresses your competition. In your pitch deck review, be sure that:

• Competitors are accurately identified: Investors want to know that you understand the competitive landscape.
• Your differentiation is clear: Highlight what sets your business apart from the competition.
• The analysis is honest: Acknowledge the strengths of your competitors and clearly explain how you plan to outperform them.

This slide should give your investors confidence that your business can thrive in a competitive market.

8. Check if your growth plans are compelling

Your pitch deck assessment will review your growth plans to make sure nothing will leave an investor questioning your ability to take your business to the next level. 

• How are you building your business? 
• What will drive that success? 
• Where will you invest? What will be your challenges?  Are you clear on your priorities?

Having attractive and compelling growth plans with a clear plan for execution will be essential to convince investors.

9. Showcase your team

As well as just listing who’s in your team, the audit will check whether you are clear on demonstrating the role each person plays in your team.  The pitch deck audit will check:

• Is your team complete? Do you have the people you need?
• Are their backgrounds appropriate?  Outline their prior experience and how it clearly relate the value they add to the team
• Is the team broad enough? Do you have the skills to take the business to the next level?

10. Test the clarity of the ask

Your pitch deck should conclude with a clear “ask” – the amount of funding you’re seeking and what you plan to do with it. Audit this slide so that:

• The amount is justified: Be clear about why you need the amount you’re asking for and how it will be allocated.
• The milestones are clear: Explain what key milestones or goals you expect to achieve with the funding.
• The exit strategy is outlined: Although not always necessary for early-stage startups, having a potential exit strategy can be reassuring to investors.

Investors need to feel confident that their money will be used effectively and that you are giving them clear potential for an attractive return on investment.

11. Check for visual consistency and design quality

A well-designed pitch deck is easier to follow and more engaging. During your audit, pay attention to:

• Consistency: Check that fonts, colours, and styles are consistent across all slides. Inconsistent design can be distracting.
• Visual Appeal: Use visuals, such as graphs, charts, and images, to convey information quickly and effectively. However, avoid cluttering slides with too many graphics.
• Readability: Text should be easy to read, with a font size that’s legible even from a distance. Avoid overwhelming investors with text-heavy slides.

Consider working with a graphic designer if you’re not confident in your design skills. A professional touch can make a real difference. The graphic designers at BBA have been improving investor pitch decks for 15+ years. 

How to make sure your pitch deck is successful? Get external feedback

Most business managers are too close to their business.  You need to step back and look at your pitch deck as someone who’s never seen it before.  At Benjamin Ball Associates, we are very good at reviewing decks and helping teams improve them.  Whether it’s a pitch deck audit, or a complete re-write and re-design, we can help.

External feedback can provide valuable insights that you might have overlooked during your audit.

Remember, a great pitch deck is just the start of the process

The final step in your pitch deck audit is to iterate based on the feedback you’ve received. Make the necessary adjustments and continue refining until your deck is polished and investor-ready. Remember, your pitch deck is a living document that will evolve as your business grows.

Get a professional pitch deck audit today

Running a thorough investor pitch deck audit is essential to test that your presentation is as effective as possible. We can help you by running your pitch deck through our tried and tested BBA Pitch Deck Audit process.  We see hundreds of pitch decks every year and re-write dozens of decks. 

You can improve your chances of making a strong impression with potential investors. Remember, preparation is key, and a well-audited pitch deck can be the difference between securing funding and going back to the drawing board.

For just £499 + VAT we can audit your deck and give you a thorough debrief.  Call us today to book your Pitch Deck Audit.

How does a BBA Pitch Deck Assessment work?

1. Phone us/email us and send us your pitch deck
2. We’ll send you an invoice for £499+VAT
3. Your pitch deck gets reviewed by one of our pitch deck experts
4. We send you your Pitch Deck Audit report
5. We’ll spend 30 minutes on the phone taking you through your pitch deck page by page with our suggestions.

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Why Choose Us:
Transform your pitches and presentations with tailored coaching

We can help you present brilliantly. Thousands of people have benefitted from our tailored in-house coaching and advice – and we can help you too.

“I honestly thought it was the most valuable 3 hours I’ve spent with anyone in a long time.”

Mick May, CEO, Blue Sky

For 15+ years we’ve been the trusted choice for leading businesses and executives throughout the UK, Europe and the Middle East. We’ll help you improve corporate presentations through presentation coaching, public speaking training and expert advice on pitching to investors.

Some recent clients

Unlock your full potential and take your presentations to the next level.

Speak to Louise on +44 20 7018 0922 or email info@benjaminball.com to transform your speeches, pitches and presentations.

Speak to an expert. Get a free consultation