If you’re on a B2B team and wrangling pitch decks, you’re probably tired of endless template tweaking, off-brand slides, and decks that look great in PowerPoint but fall apart when you try to share them. Relayto promises to make pitch decks interactive and on-brand—without the usual headaches. This guide is for folks who want their decks to look sharp, feel consistent, and actually help close deals, not just gather digital dust.
Let’s skip the fluff and get into what actually works when designing branded pitch decks in Relayto. Whether you’re new to the tool or wrangling your tenth deck, these steps will get you (and your team) further, faster.
1. Nail Down Your Brand Basics First
Before you even think about layout, get your brand assets in one place. Relayto can help you keep things consistent, but only if you feed it the right ingredients.
Checklist: - Logos in PNG/SVG (high-res, transparent background) - Official color codes (preferably HEX or RGB) - Brand fonts (and approved alternatives—Relayto doesn’t always have every font) - Templates or past decks you like (even if they’re in PowerPoint or PDF) - Your brand’s voice: Are you formal? Conversational? Direct?
Pro tip:
Centralize these in a shared folder for your team. It’ll save you tons of time chasing down assets later.
What to ignore:
Don’t get hung up on minor variations (like the exact shade of your secondary blue) unless your company is really strict. Most clients won’t notice, and obsessing over tiny details can slow you down.
2. Get Comfortable With Relayto’s Strengths (and Weaknesses)
Relayto isn’t PowerPoint. That’s a good thing—mostly. It’s built for interactive, web-based decks, so think of your deck more like a mini-website than a static slide show.
What Relayto does well: - Embedding videos, PDFs, and links directly into slides - Clean, mobile-friendly layouts - Easy team collaboration and commenting
Where it can be annoying: - Font selection is limited; you may need to compromise - Drag-and-drop is slick, but not as granular as PowerPoint - Some heavy animations or custom graphics won’t translate
Pro tip:
If you’re used to “death by bullet point,” you’ll need to adapt. Relayto decks work best when you break up content and use visuals.
3. Set Up a Branded Template in Relayto
Don’t start from scratch every time. Save yourself (and your team) hours by setting up a baseline template.
Steps: 1. Create a new project and upload your logo and brand colors. 2. Pick a layout that fits your usual deck structure (cover, problem, solution, proof, call to action, etc.). 3. Set global styles for headings, body text, and buttons. This keeps things looking consistent. 4. Lock down brand elements like logos or footers, so no one accidentally moves or deletes them. 5. Save as a team template so everyone can use it.
What works:
Having a locked-in header/footer is a lifesaver. It keeps rogue team members from going off-brand.
What to ignore:
Don’t bother making a template for every single use case. Get one solid master deck, then tweak as needed.
4. Focus on Clarity Over Flash
It’s tempting to use every shiny feature, but most B2B buyers want information, not a fireworks show.
Stick to: - Clear headlines that say what you do (not just “Our Solution”) - One idea per slide or section - High-contrast colors (for accessibility and readability) - Strong visuals: charts, real product screenshots, not just stock photos
Avoid: - Walls of text—nobody reads them - Overusing animations or transitions (they can be buggy and distracting) - Embedding too many videos or heavy files (can slow down the deck)
Pro tip:
Test your deck on mobile before sending. Even B2B buyers view decks on their phones between meetings.
5. Make Interactivity Useful, Not Gimmicky
One of Relayto’s selling points is interactivity. Used right, it can set your deck apart. Used wrong, it just confuses people.
Use interactivity to: - Let viewers jump to the sections that matter to them (think tabs or navigation menus) - Embed demo videos or product walkthroughs—keep them short and to the point - Add links to case studies, spec sheets, or ROI calculators
Skip: - Interactive elements that don’t serve a purpose (like a pointless quiz) - Overcomplicated navigation—if you’re lost building it, your customer will be, too
Honest take:
Most B2B buyers want to skim, not click through a maze. Make sure every interactive bit actually helps them learn faster.
6. Keep Collaboration Simple (and Controlled)
Relayto makes it easy for teams to comment and edit, but too many cooks can spoil the deck.
Best practices: - Assign one “deck owner” per project—they have final say - Use comments for feedback, not for rewriting slides - Limit edit access to a small group; everyone else can view or comment
What works:
Version history is your friend. If someone goes rogue and messes up the deck, you can always roll back.
What to ignore:
Don’t feel the need to invite your whole sales team to edit. More opinions rarely mean a better deck.
7. Test Your Deck Like a Buyer
Don’t assume everything works just because it looks good in Relayto’s editor.
Checklist: - Preview the deck in “present” mode - Open it on desktop, tablet, and mobile - Click all links, videos, and interactive elements - Check load times—if it’s slow, cut down on large files
Pro tip:
Send the deck to a colleague who hasn’t seen it and ask for honest feedback. If they’re confused or bored, your prospects will be too.
8. Share Smartly and Track What Matters
Relayto lets you share decks via links and track engagement. Use this, but don’t get obsessed with vanity metrics.
What to track: - Did your prospect open the deck? - Which sections did they spend time on? - Did they click your call to action?
What not to obsess over: - Total views (if it’s just your team clicking, it’s meaningless) - Time spent per slide (sometimes less is more)
Pro tip:
If buyers aren’t clicking into your key slides, your story might need tightening. Use the data to refine, not just to report.
9. Keep Improving—But Don’t Overthink It
No deck is ever perfect. The best teams roll out a solid version, get feedback, and keep it moving.
How to stay sane: - Set a “good enough” threshold—don’t chase perfection - Schedule regular check-ins to update your template (quarterly is plenty) - Archive old versions so you don’t clutter up Relayto
Honest take:
Most deals aren’t won or lost because of a single deck. Focus on clarity, consistency, and making things easy for your buyer.
Wrap-Up
A branded deck in Relayto can look great and help you close deals—if you keep it simple, clear, and focused on what your buyer actually cares about. Don’t waste time chasing perfection or adding bells and whistles nobody wants. Build a solid template, use the platform’s strengths, and iterate as you go. Your future self (and your team) will thank you.