You shouldn’t need more than a few slides in your pitch deck to convince a potential client to consider you. If, that is, you have the experience they need, and you get to the point.
A basic but effective pitch is as simple as: A page framing the client’s situation to demonstrate you understand their problem. A page or two showcasing your experience solving that problem. A page about your process. A page to prove you are different or at least rare. And, if appropriate, a page with your fees and basic terms and conditions.
As always, there are exceptions: A graphic design, advertising, or software company might include embedded multimedia or extensive visuals of their work product. But for most professional service providers, brief and simple gets it done.
And a note on boasting traits that make you “different”: If your competitor can also claim it or it isn’t unusual, it’s not a competitive advantage, so leave it out. Then enjoy knowing that when your competition jams their bible-thick presentation deck full of slides about table stakes such as honesty and integrity and putting the customer first, they are blurring out the good stuff that clients are looking for and probably putting them to sleep if not pissing them off.
Got a pitch coming up and need help making your point? Hit me up.