This document provides guidance on building an effective customer-facing presentation deck. It recommends telling a story that moves between the customer's current reality ("what is") and a potential future reality ("what could be") if they use the presenter's product. The deck should identify the key business problems the customer faces, then show how the product could address each problem. It suggests including a "wow element" to grab attention, describing a full vision of a happy future state, and specifying a clear call to action at the end, such as requesting a sale or follow-up meeting. The document outlines a template for the deck, with introductory slides, problems identified, solutions presented, wow factor, future vision, and a

1. 1
HOW TO BUILD A CUSTOMER-
FACING DECK
Dean Waye, PMP
deanwaye@gmail.com

2. 1 OF 3: STORY
A customer-facing deck tells the customer a story about themselves
It starts with knowing their reality today, the „what is‟
Then it moves to showing them what they could have, the „what could be‟
It goes back and forth between these 2 things, the „what is‟ and the „what
could be‟
Moving back and forth builds tension, keeps them awake, and leaves them
feeling informed and satisfied, not over-informed and bored.
<delete this slide>

3. 2 OF 3: GETTING READY
List the audience‟s business problem(s) (1,2,3…)
List how we relieve these problems (A,B,C…)
Pick something about our product, or our company, that will be something
they will remember next week, a WOW thing
Describe what the happy future looks like
Write down what your call to action will be
Decide right now, what you want the customer to say “Yes” to
 A next meeting
 An agreement to study
 Yelling out “Take My Money. Now!” 
<delete this slide>

4. 3 OF 3: MAP OUT YOUR DECK…
Boilerplate mandatory intro slides
1-2 slides listing the business problem(s) (the „what is‟)
1 slide about a future „what could be‟
Show business problem 1
Show „what could be‟ if you owned our product with features A, B, etc.
Show business problem 2
Show „what could be‟ if you owned our product feature A, B, etc.
Insert a wow element in there somewhere 
Show full blown happy future
Call to action
<delete this slide>

5. LET’S GO!
<delete this slide>

6. 6
BOILERPLATE INTRO SLIDE

7. 7
1 TO 2 SLIDES ABOUT BUSINESS
PROBLEMS

8. LIST ALL THE KEY BUSINESS PROBLEMS HERE

9. MORE BUSINESS PROBLEMS…
Ask if you missed any, and make a note to discuss them before the meeting
ends, still using the „what is‟ vs „what could be‟ format

10. What it is Why it sucks /
why it hurts
BUSINESS PROBLEM 1
Use nicer language!

11. The shades of
why it is good
What it actually
is/does
OUR PAIN RELIEF, OUR ‘WHAT COULD BE’ #1

12. A WOW ELEMENT
Dream something up, Big Boy 
This can go anywhere, but about 1/3 of the way through the deck is a good, solid place to put this

13. What it is Why it sucks /
why it hurts
BUSINESS PROBLEM 2 Again, the language…

14. The shades of
why it is good
What it actually
is/does
OUR PAIN RELIEF, OUR ‘WHAT COULD BE’ #2

15. What it is Why it sucks /
why it hurts
BUSINESS PROBLEM 3

16. The shades of
why it is good
What it actually
is/does
OUR PAIN RELIEF, OUR ‘WHAT COULD BE’ #3

17. SUMMARY OF THE HAPPY FUTURE
Imagery works well here, by the way…

18. YOUR CALL TO ACTION
Because what‟s the point of showing up, if you don‟t know what you want
them to say “yes” to (a sale, a meeting with their manager, a trial, and
PoC, something) ?

19. 19
THE ‘LINGER’ SLIDE. INSTEAD OF
JUST A FINAL Q&A SLIDE, PUT AN
IMAGE HERE THAT THE AUDIENCE
CAN LINGER ON WHILE QUESTIONS
ARE ASKED. NOT A COMPLEX
GRAPHIC BUT SOMETHING SIMPLE
WITH STRONG COLORS.