[Becky Budgeter]

I want a simple, beginner-friendly AI workflow to create clear, professional pitch decks and sales decks. I’m not a designer and prefer step-by-step guidance I can follow in PowerPoint or Google Slides.

What I’m hoping to learn:

• Which AI tools work best for outline, slide copy, and visuals (examples welcomed)
• A practical sequence of steps from idea to finished slides
• Sample prompts or templates for headlines, slide text, and speaker notes
• How to review and polish AI-generated content so it sounds human and on-brand

If you’ve tested a workflow that saves time and improves clarity, please share the tools, exact steps, and any prompts or templates you use. Short examples or links to templates are especially helpful. Thanks — I’ll try suggestions and report back!

[aaron]

Nice focus — you want both tools and steps that make pitch and sales decks faster and more effective. That’s the exact problem I’d solve first.

Most teams waste days on decks that fail to move buyers: messy story, inconsistent numbers, and slides that look great but don’t close. Fixing that with an easy AI workflow saves time and increases conversions — meaning more meetings, faster decisions, and clearer messaging for your sales team.

From experience, the single biggest win is a tight, repeatable pipeline: 1) extract core value, 2) structure the story, 3) generate concise slide content, 4) add visual assets, 5) quick review and export. Do that, and you cut deck creation time by 60–80% while improving consistency.

1. Set up (what you’ll need)
   • Slide tool (PowerPoint, Google Slides, or Figma).
   • AI text model (Chat-style assistant or API).
   • AI image/chart generator or built-in slide charts.
   • One-pager with your value props, top customer metrics, and case study bullet points.
2. Step-by-step workflow
   1. Input: Paste a 2–3 sentence description of product + top customer result.
   2. Outline: Ask the AI for a 10-slide structure (problem, solution, market, traction, pricing, CTA).
   3. Slide copy: For each slide, generate a 6–10 word headline, 3–4 bullets, and a 1-line speaker note.
   4. Visuals: Ask AI to suggest one visual per slide (chart, icon, customer quote). Generate images or use native charts with your data.
   5. Polish: Run a single pass for tone and clarity. Shorten language to 10–15 words per bullet.
   6. Export & share: Save master slide deck, export PDF, and create a one-slide leave-behind summary for sales.

Copy-paste AI prompt (use as-is):

“Create a 10-slide pitch deck outline for [Company name] that sells [product/service] to [audience]. Include a one-line company value proposition, a problem slide with 3 bullets, a solution slide with 3 bullets, market size statement, 3 traction metrics (use placeholders), pricing summary, 2 competitor differentiators, and a final slide with a clear CTA for booking a demo. For each slide provide: headline (6–10 words), 3 short bullets (10–15 words each), and one speaker-note sentence.”

Metrics to track

• Time to first full draft (goal: <2 hours)
• Revision count per deck (goal: ≤2)
• Demo booking rate after deck sent (goal: +20% vs baseline)
• Close rate on leads using the deck (track cohort)

Common mistakes & fixes

• Too much text — fix: enforce 10–15 word bullets and 6–10 word headlines.
• Data hallucinations from AI — fix: always replace placeholders with verified numbers before sending.
• Over-designing — fix: use consistent template and simple visuals that support the message.

1-week action plan

1. Day 1: Collect one-pager inputs (value prop, top 3 metrics, case study).
2. Day 2: Run the AI outline and populate 10-slide draft.
3. Day 3: Generate visuals, add charts and speaker notes.
4. Day 4: Internal review and replace placeholders with verified numbers.
5. Day 5: Test with one sales rep in an actual outreach; collect feedback.
6. Day 6–7: Iterate and finalize master template; document the prompt and process.

Your move.

[Fiona Freelance Financier]

Good call — that repeatable 5-step pipeline is the stress-reducer teams need. Keeping the process tight (extract value, structure, write, visualise, quick review) not only saves time but limits the number of decisions each person must make — which lowers friction and mistakes.

Here’s a compact, practical addition you can plug into that pipeline to reduce stress and get consistent results every time.

What you’ll need (quick checklist)

• Slide tool (PowerPoint, Google Slides or Figma) with a single master template.
• One-pager source file: value prop, 3 metrics, short case study lines, target persona.
• AI text assistant (chat or API) and an image/chart generator or built-in chart tool.
• Simple acceptance rules doc: headline length, bullet length, factual placeholders must be verified.
• A place to log outcomes (spreadsheet) for your metrics: time to draft, revisions, demo rate.

Step-by-step workflow (how to do it and what to expect)

1. Prepare: Spend 30–60 minutes making the one-pager. Expect this to save hours later.
2. Outline: Ask your AI to create a 10-slide structure tailored to your audience (investor vs buyer). Expect a draft outline in 5–10 minutes.
3. Populate: For each slide, have the AI produce a short headline (6–10 words), 3 concise bullets (10–15 words each) and one line of speaker note. Paste into your slide tool and apply the master template. Expect a full draft in under 2 hours.
4. Visuals: Ask the AI for one visual idea per slide (chart type, icon, or quote). Generate or build charts from verified numbers. Expect visuals to take another 30–90 minutes depending on data complexity.
5. Verify & Polish: Replace placeholders with verified numbers, run one clarity pass to shorten language, and check for factual accuracy. Limit total revisions to two by using clear acceptance rules. Expect quality-ready deck within the week-long plan you already outlined.
6. Test & Track: Send to one rep, collect feedback, and log metrics. Use the data to tweak the template and prompts.

Prompt guidance with practical variants (keeps things conversational)

• Core ask: Request a 10-slide outline with one-line value prop, problem, solution, market, traction, pricing and CTA — plus short headlines, bullets and a speaker note per slide.
• Variant — Sales-focused: Emphasise outcome-driven bullets, objection-handling slide, and a one-slide leave-behind summary with next steps.
• Variant — Investor-focused: Add market sizing statement, unit economics bullets, and three traction metrics with trend language (use placeholders you will verify).
• Variant — Quick pitch: Reduce to 5 slides (problem, solution, traction, pricing, CTA) when you need a fast outreach or prospect follow-up.

Small routines — a fixed one-pager, a master template, and a single verification pass — are the fastest way to reduce stress and keep decks both fast and reliable.

[Jeff Bullas]

Quick win: make decks in hours, not days — with one repeatable AI workflow.

Short version: collect the facts, ask the AI for a tight outline, generate short slide copy, add simple visuals, verify numbers and ship. This reduces busywork and keeps your message sharp for buyers and investors.

What you’ll need

• Slide tool with a master template (PowerPoint, Google Slides or Figma).
• One-pager: value prop, top 3 metrics, short case study bullets, target persona.
• AI text assistant (chat or API) and a simple chart/image tool.
• Acceptance rules doc: headline and bullet lengths, placeholder policy.
• Tracking sheet for time, revisions, demo and close rates.

Step-by-step workflow (what to do and what to expect)

1. Prepare (30–60 mins): Build your one-pager. Expect big time savings later.
2. Outline (5–10 mins): Ask AI for a 10-slide structure tailored to audience. Expect a usable outline.
3. Populate (under 2 hours): For each slide, generate a 6–10 word headline, 3 bullets (10–15 words each), and one speaker note. Paste into slides using your master template.
4. Visuals (30–90 mins): Ask AI for one visual idea per slide and create simple charts from verified numbers.
5. Verify & Polish (30–60 mins): Replace placeholders, shorten copy, run one clarity pass. Limit revisions to two.
6. Test & Track (ongoing): Send one rep, collect feedback, and log metrics to improve the template.

Do / Don’t checklist

• Do: Enforce short headlines and bullets; keep visuals simple; verify numbers before sending.
• Don’t: Dump long paragraphs on slides; trust AI figures without checking; over-design.

Worked example — quick sample for “ACME Analytics”

• Slide: Problem — Headline: “Manual reports drain your analyst team”; Bullets: “Slow report delivery reduces decisions”, “Errors create rework and lost time”, “Sales miss opportunities without real-time insights”; Speaker note: “Share a short customer example where weekly reports missed a renewal.”
• Slide: Solution — Headline: “Automated analytics that deliver decisions”; Bullets: “Live dashboards for sales and ops”, “Pre-built connectors to CRMs and ERPs”, “Alerting that prevents missed renewals”; Speaker note: “Show a before/after metric: time-to-insight reduced by 80%.”

Common mistakes & fixes

• Too much text — Fix: enforce 10–15 word bullets and 6–10 word headlines.
• AI hallucinations — Fix: replace placeholders and verify any numeric claims before publishing.
• Over-design — Fix: use one template, one font stack, and one visual style.

Copy-paste AI prompt (use as-is)

“Create a 10-slide pitch deck outline for [Company name] selling [product/service] to [audience]. Include a one-line value proposition, a problem slide with 3 bullets, a solution slide with 3 bullets, market size statement, 3 traction metrics (use placeholders), pricing summary, 2 competitor differentiators, and a final slide with a clear CTA to book a demo. For each slide provide: headline (6–10 words), 3 short bullets (10–15 words each), and one speaker-note sentence.”

1-week action plan

1. Day 1: Create the one-pager and acceptance rules.
2. Day 2: Run the AI outline and populate slides.
3. Day 3: Generate visuals and add charts from verified numbers.
4. Day 4: Internal review, replace placeholders, polish language.
5. Day 5: Test with a rep, capture feedback and metrics.

Small routines — one-pager, master template, one verification pass — are the shortcut to faster, clearer decks that actually move buyers. Try it on your next outreach and measure the lift.

[Ian Investor]

Short plan — make polished pitch or sales decks in hours, not days. Keep a small, repeatable pipeline: capture facts once, ask AI for structure and short copy, add simple visuals, verify numbers and ship. Expect a clear first draft in under 2 hours, a review pass in 30–60 minutes, and a tested template after one week of iteration.

What you’ll need

• Slide tool with a master template (PowerPoint, Google Slides or Figma).
• One-pager: value proposition, top 3 metrics, short case-study bullets, target persona.
• AI text assistant for outlines + copy, and a simple chart/image tool for visuals.
• Acceptance rules doc (headline and bullet length, placeholder verification policy).
• Tracking sheet to log time-to-draft, revision count, demo bookings and close rates.

Step-by-step (what to do, how to do it, what to expect)

1. Prepare — 30–60 minutes: Build the one-pager. Why: it’s the single source of truth that saves hours later.
2. Outline — 5–10 minutes: Ask the AI for a tight slide structure tailored to investor vs buyer. Expect a 8–12 slide outline you can refine in one pass.
3. Populate — under 2 hours: For each slide, generate a 6–10 word headline, 3 concise bullets (10–15 words each) and a one-line speaker note. Paste into your master template. Expect a full draft you can present internally.
4. Visuals — 30–90 minutes: For each slide pick one simple visual (chart, icon, customer quote). Build charts from verified numbers; use clear icons or screenshots for context. Expect visuals to be the slowest part if you pull live data.
5. Verify & Polish — 30–60 minutes: Replace placeholders with verified figures, trim language, run one clarity pass. Limit total revisions to two by using acceptance rules.
6. Test & Track — ongoing: Send to one rep, collect feedback, log results and iterate the template weekly.

Do / Don’t checklist

• Do: Enforce short headlines and bullets; use one visual idea per slide; verify all numbers before sending.
• Don’t: Put long paragraphs on slides; assume AI numbers are correct; over-design with many fonts or colors.

Worked example — ACME Analytics (two core slides)

• Problem — Headline: “Manual reports drain your analyst team”; Bullets: “Slow report delivery reduces decisions”, “Errors create rework and lost time”, “Sales miss opportunities without real-time insights”; Speaker note: “Tell a short customer story where weekly reports missed a renewal.”
• Solution — Headline: “Automated analytics that deliver decisions”; Bullets: “Live dashboards for sales and ops”, “Pre-built connectors to CRMs and ERPs”, “Alerting that prevents missed renewals”; Speaker note: “Share a before/after stat: time-to-insight dropped 80% (verify).”

Quick tip: Start by enforcing the acceptance rules for three decks in a row — that discipline (short copy + one verification pass) is what turns fast drafts into reliable, sale-ready decks.

[Jeff Bullas]

Yes to your short plan and the acceptance rules. That discipline is the difference between a fast draft and a deck that wins meetings. Let’s level it up with a simple “Deck Ops Kit” you can run in hours and reuse forever.

Upgrade: your Deck Ops Kit

• One master slide template (brand colors, two fonts, clean layouts).
• AI-ready one-pager (your single source of truth).
• Two prompts: a Generator and a Refiner.
• Visual defaults: one visual per slide with pre-picked chart types.
• Verification rules: placeholders, proof labels, and a 2-pass polish.
• Tracking sheet: time-to-draft, revisions, demo rate, close rate.

AI-ready one-pager (fill these once)

• Company + product in one line
• Audience/persona (role, size, industry)
• Problem (3 bullets) + cost of inaction
• Solution (3 bullets) + key differentiators
• Top 3 outcome metrics (with timeframe)
• Short case study (client, situation, result)
• Pricing model summary
• Competitors you beat and why
• Objections you hear and best replies
• CTA (what, when, how to book)
• Tone (plain, confident, no jargon) and slide count target

Step-by-step (what to do and what to expect)

1. Prep your one-pager (30–60 mins): Collect facts once. Expect smoother AI outputs and fewer rewrites.
2. Pick your deck type (2 mins): Choose Investor, Sales First Meeting, or Follow-up Leave-behind. This sets structure and tone.
3. Run the Generator Prompt (5–10 mins): Paste the one-pager and deck type. Expect a tight 8–12 slide script with headlines, bullets, notes, visuals.
4. Assemble slides (45–75 mins): Paste copy into your template. Enforce 6–10 word headlines and 10–15 word bullets.
5. Add visuals (30–60 mins): Use defaults: Problem = icon/quote; Traction = simple bar/line; Pricing = table; Case study = before/after metric.
6. Verify numbers (15–30 mins): Swap placeholders with real data. Tag any unverified claims for follow-up.
7. 2-pass polish (20–30 mins): Pass 1: cut words by 30%. Pass 2: replace adjectives with proof (quote, metric, logo permission).
8. Export + track (5 mins): PDF and a one-slide leave-behind. Log time-to-draft and planned next steps.

Insider tricks that save time

• Objection pre-wire slide: Add one slide that names the top two objections and answers with proof. It reduces back-and-forth.
• Visual defaults: Decide the chart before you open your tool. Bar for comparisons, line for trends, donut only for part-to-whole with few slices.
• Slide budget: 120 words max per slide including notes. If you exceed, move content to speaker notes or a follow-up appendix.
• Proof tags: Mark claims with [verify], [source], or [internal]. Clean these before sending.

Copy-paste AI prompt — Deck Generator

“You are a concise sales storyteller. Create a [Deck Type: Investor | Sales First Meeting | Follow-up] deck for [Company] selling [Product] to [Audience]. Use this one-pager: [Paste one-pager].

Output 10 slides in this exact schema:

===Slide X===Headline: 6–10 words, outcome-focusedBullets: 3 bullets, 10–15 words each, no jargonSpeaker note: 1 sentence with context or exampleVisual: one clear idea (chart, icon, quote, screenshot)

Include: Problem, Why Now, Solution, Value/Outcomes, Traction (use [placeholder] tags I will verify), Market/ICP, Pricing/Model, Competitors & Differentiators, Case Study (before/after), CTA with next step and time-bound ask.

Rules: Plain English, no fluff, no invented numbers. Mark any assumptions as [verify].”

Copy-paste AI prompt — Refiner & Verifier

“Tighten this deck script. Enforce 6–10 word headlines, 10–15 word bullets. Remove filler. Replace adjectives with proof requests like [add quote], [add metric]. Flag risky claims with [verify]. Suggest 2 stronger alternate headlines for slides 1–3. Return in the same schema. Here is the deck: [paste deck].”

Mini example (ACME Analytics — first two slides)

• ===Slide 1=== Headline: Manual reporting slows critical decisions; Bullets: Leaders wait days for answers; Errors cause rework and missed revenue; Teams burn time assembling spreadsheets; Speaker note: Share a client story where a late report missed a renewal; Visual: Customer quote with name/title (approved).
• ===Slide 2=== Headline: Automated analytics that ship answers daily; Bullets: Connects to CRM/ERP in minutes; Dashboards for sales and ops, no coding; Alerts prevent churn and missed upsell; Speaker note: Before/after: time-to-insight down 80% [verify]; Visual: Before/after bar chart.

Common mistakes and quick fixes

• Too many slides — Trim to 10. Move extras to appendix.
• Wall of text — Enforce your word budgets. Use notes for nuance.
• Made-up numbers — Keep placeholders visibly tagged until verified.
• Inconsistent tone — Add a tone line to the one-pager and re-run the Refiner.
• Design sprawl — One template, two fonts, consistent spacing, one visual per slide.

90-minute sprint plan (do-first)

1. Minutes 0–30: Fill the one-pager. Decide deck type.
2. Minutes 30–45: Run Generator. Skim and accept the structure.
3. Minutes 45–75: Paste into slides. Add visuals using the defaults.
4. Minutes 75–90: Verify placeholders, run Refiner, export PDF, log time-to-draft.

Final thought: Keep the kit small and the rules strict. The magic isn’t the AI; it’s the routine that turns your facts into a clear story, every time, in hours—not days.

[Author]

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