Building a solid pitch deck with your go-to-market (GTM) team is hard enough without wrestling with clunky tools or endless email threads. You want a deck that’s sharp, tells a clear story, and actually gets used—not a Frankenstein’s monster of mismatched slides and revision chaos. This guide walks you through a no-nonsense workflow for creating a collaborative pitch deck in Flowvella, aimed at GTM teams that care more about results than buzzwords.
If you’re tired of Google Slides spaghetti or losing track of the “final_v7b_REALfinal.pptx” file, read on.
Why Flowvella? (And When It’s Not the Right Tool)
Before you start, it’s worth asking: is Flowvella a good fit? It’s built for interactive, web-friendly presentations that work on any device. It’s not PowerPoint, and it’s not trying to be. Here’s where it shines:
- Real-time collaboration: Multiple people can work on a deck at once, with built-in commenting.
- Easy sharing: No more “can you open this file?” issues. Just send a link.
- Interactive elements: You can add videos, links, and forms—helpful for demos or customer-facing decks.
But let’s be real: - If your team is married to PowerPoint or needs super-advanced animations, Flowvella might frustrate you. - It’s not totally free, and advanced features cost extra. - Offline access is limited.
If those trade-offs work for you, keep going.
Step 1: Kick Off With a Clear Purpose
Don’t touch a single slide until you’ve answered: what’s this deck for? Who’s going to use it, and what do you want the audience to do?
Quick alignment checklist: - Is this a sales deck, a partner intro, or something else? - Who’s presenting it? (Sales reps, product folks, execs?) - Who’s the target audience, and what do they care about? - What’s the call to action?
Pro tip: Write this out in a shared doc or even the first slide—keeps everyone honest as you edit.
Step 2: Set Up Your Flowvella Workspace
Here’s how to get your team on the same page—literally:
- Create a new deck: Log into Flowvella and start a new presentation. Pick a template that fits your flow, but don’t get hung up on design yet.
- Invite collaborators: Use the “Share” or “Invite” feature to add your GTM teammates. Make sure everyone has the right permissions (Editor vs. Viewer).
- Name your deck clearly: Something like “2024-Q3-GTM-Pitch” beats “Untitled presentation (3).”
What works: - Flowvella’s link sharing and permissions are straightforward. - Commenting lets people flag issues without messing up slides.
What to ignore: - Don’t obsess over slide order or fine-tuned design at this stage. Focus on structure.
Step 3: Build the Skeleton (Don’t Sweat the Details Yet)
Map out your story before you start adding copy or visuals. This is your outline—think “chapter titles,” not “finished prose.”
Recommended sections for most GTM decks: - Problem / Opportunity - Solution / Product Overview - Proof (case study, demo, or results) - Differentiators - Next steps / Call to action
How to do it: - Add a slide for each section. Use simple titles. - Drop in bullet points or rough notes under each—don’t worry about wording. - Tag teammates in comments if you want their input on structure.
What works: - Flowvella’s navigation makes it easy to move slides around. - You can keep everyone focused on the big picture before getting bogged down in slide polish.
Step 4: Assign Content Owners and Deadlines
Nothing drags a deck down like “who owns this slide?” confusion.
- Assign each section or slide to a person—sales gets proof, product handles the demo, etc.
- Use Flowvella’s comments (or your team’s project tool) to call out who’s doing what.
- Set clear deadlines for drafts. Don’t get fancy—a simple table in a shared doc or even a slide works.
Honest take: If you skip this step, expect a lot of “oh, I thought you were doing that” conversations.
Step 5: Draft Slides (Keep It Ugly)
Now’s the time to get words and images onto the slides—fast. Don’t worry about design yet.
- Each owner fills out their assigned slides with rough copy, screenshots, or placeholder visuals.
- Use comments for questions, alternative ideas, or requests for help.
- Don’t let perfect be the enemy of done. Ugly drafts are fine.
What works: - Flowvella’s drag-and-drop makes it easy to swap in new images or rearrange content. - You can see who made what change, which helps avoid stepping on toes.
What doesn’t: - Avoid “design by committee” at this stage. Too many cooks, too soon, and you’ll never finish.
Step 6: Group Review—One Pass, All Together
Instead of endless back-and-forth, set up a single meeting or async review window:
- Everyone reviews the whole deck, looking for gaps, repetition, or unclear points.
- Comment directly in Flowvella—be specific about what’s not working.
- Don’t nitpick design yet. Focus on story, clarity, and flow.
Pro tip: Use a checklist. Are all the basics covered? Is the story compelling? Is there a clear ask?
What works: - Commenting in context speeds things up. - You can resolve comments as you go, so nothing gets lost.
What to ignore: - Don’t argue over fonts or colors right now. That’s next.
Step 7: Refine and Polish—Now Make It Pretty
Once the content’s locked, hand it to the best designer on your team—or the one who cares the most.
- Tidy up visuals, align text, pick a consistent color palette.
- Add logos, product shots, or videos if needed.
- Check for typos and formatting glitches.
What works: - Flowvella makes it easy to embed video, links, and interactive elements. Use them—but only if they actually help tell your story.
What doesn’t: - Don’t go overboard with animations or transitions. Simple usually wins in sales decks.
Step 8: Final Review and Test Drive
Before you call it done:
- Have someone outside your team (or a “fresh eyes” reviewer) click through the whole deck.
- Test on multiple devices—Flowvella decks are web-based, but sometimes mobile layouts can get weird.
- Check that all links, videos, and interactive bits actually work.
What works: - Flowvella’s sharing lets you send a test link to anyone, no account needed. - Listeners spot missing context or jargon you’re blind to.
What doesn’t: - Don’t assume “it works on my laptop” means it works for everyone.
Step 9: Share, Track, and Iterate
Time to put the deck to work:
- Share via Flowvella’s link—don’t send files unless you have to.
- If your plan supports it, use Flowvella’s analytics to see who’s viewed the deck and which slides get attention.
- Collect feedback from presenters and real audiences. What questions do they have? Where do they get stuck?
- Revise as needed. Don’t treat the deck as sacred—update it when your pitch or product changes.
Honest Pros, Cons, and Gotchas
No tool’s perfect. Here’s what to expect with Flowvella:
The Good: - Easy team access and real-time editing. - No more attachment hell or version confusion. - Web-based decks are simple to share and update.
The Annoying: - Limited offline use—if you’re on a plane or a flaky connection, you’re out of luck. - Advanced design controls are basic compared to PowerPoint or Keynote. - The pricing can add up if your team is big.
Skip the hype: - Interactive elements are neat, but only use them if they serve a real purpose. No one’s ever closed a deal because a button glowed.
Keep It Simple and Keep Improving
Building a collaborative pitch deck doesn’t have to be painful. Start with a clear story, get the right people involved, and don’t let perfect kill progress. Flowvella can save you a lot of headaches—but the tool’s only as good as your process.
Don’t overthink it. Ship the deck, use it, and update as you go. That’s how you get a pitch that actually works.