Beyond the Pitch: Building Relationships Through Presentations

Let’s be honest: presentations are often treated as a one-and-done event. You pitch, they nod (or zone out), and then you cross your fingers for a follow-up email. But what if we told you that your presentation isn’t just a pitch? It’s the start of a relationship.

Stay with us—this isn’t another “storytelling is key” cliché. (Although, yes, stories are important. We’ll get to that.) What we’re talking about is transforming the transactional into something transformative.

You’re here because you want your presentation to connect, to leave your audience thinking, “These people get me.” And guess what? That connection can be built in unexpected ways. Let’s dive into the ideas that go beyond slides and bullet points.

1. Your First Slide is Your First Impression—And It Speaks Before You Do

Imagine walking into a meeting and shaking someone’s hand with zero enthusiasm. That’s what a dull first slide feels like. Your opening slide isn’t just a placeholder for your logo and title—it’s the handshake that sets the tone.

?? What You Can Do: Instead of a title slide, use a striking visual or a provocative question that directly relates to your audience’s world. For example, if you’re pitching to a sustainability-focused company, lead with something like: “By the time this meeting ends, X plastic bottles will enter the ocean. What if we could change that together?”

See? No generic fluff. You’re already aligned with their mission.

2. Design for Conversations, Not Lectures

Most presentations are monologues disguised as slideshows. It’s like being at a party with someone who won’t stop talking about themselves. Yawn.

?? What You Can Do: Break the fourth wall—ask real-time questions, include interactive moments, or even pause to hear their thoughts. Design slides that invite dialogue.

• Add a slide that says: “What’s your biggest challenge with [insert topic]?”
• Use QR codes that link to live polls or quick forms they can fill out on their phones.

Now your audience isn’t just listening—they’re participating. And let’s face it, people remember what they’re part of.

3. Speak Their Language (Literally and Figuratively)

Here’s a wild thought: Your audience doesn’t care about you. They care about themselves. If your presentation is stuffed with jargon, acronyms, or “we’re-so-awesome” slides, you’ve already lost them.

?? What You Can Do:

• Research how your audience talks about their challenges. Are they “pain points,” “gaps,” or “roadblocks”? Use their words—it’s like slipping into their favourite hoodie.
• If you’re presenting to multiple departments, create personalized mini-sections for each. Finance gets numbers, marketing gets trends, and tech gets innovation.

It’s a little extra effort, but relationships are built on understanding, not copy-paste slides.

4. Be Vulnerable (Yes, Really)

We know what you’re thinking: “This is business, not therapy.” But vulnerability doesn’t mean sharing your deep-seated fears. It means being human.

?? What You Can Do:

• Share a quick story about a misstep your team overcame—make it relatable, not rehearsed. For example: “We once launched a campaign thinking we nailed it. Turns out, our data missed one key demographic. Lesson learned: never skip that extra layer of research.”
• Acknowledge their challenges with empathy. Instead of, “We’ll solve this for you,” try, “We know this is tough—here’s how we can work together to fix it.”

People don’t connect with perfection; they connect with honesty.

5. Leave Breadcrumbs, Not Billboards

Here’s the thing: presentations end, but relationships shouldn’t. Most people cram their final slides with their entire portfolio, hoping something sticks. Spoiler: nothing does.

?? What You Can Do: End with a curiosity hook instead of an information overload.

• Offer a follow-up: “We’ve got a deep dive into this case study—let’s schedule a quick chat to explore it.”
• Hand them something memorable—a physical leave-behind or even a quirky digital link. One team we know sends out a custom Spotify playlist tied to their pitch themes. (Talk about sticking in their minds!)

6. Surprise Them

Predictable presentations are like flat soda. You sip it because it’s there, not because it’s exciting. Inject some surprise to keep your audience leaning forward.

?? What You Can Do:

• Use humour—appropriately, of course. A well-placed joke or meme can lighten the mood and make you relatable.
• Try an unexpected demo. Presenting on warehouse solutions? Pull out a Lego model to show scalability. It’s memorable, and it shows effort.

7. Follow Up Like You Mean It

Your presentation doesn’t end when the slides do. This is where most people lose the plot—literally.

?? What You Can Do:

• Send a personalized follow-up, referencing specific things the audience brought up.
• Offer a free resource they didn’t expect: “We thought you might find this article useful based on our conversation.”

It’s not about pestering; it’s about proving you listened.

Relationships Start with Care

Here’s the truth: no one remembers the deck that was merely “perfect.” They remember the deck that made them feel understood, valued, and engaged. Relationships aren’t built on slides—they’re built on empathy, effort, and, yes, a little bit of surprise.

So, the next time you’re creating a presentation, don’t just ask, “What do we want to say?” Ask, “What do we want them to feel?”

Ink Narrates is a specialized presentation design agency dedicated to creating impactful visual narratives. To know more about us, our portfolio & services, please visit

www.inknarrates.com