Deck Review and Quality Control

A deck that is not reviewed before it goes to the executive is a deck that has been drafted but not produced. Drafting is creating the content. Production is verifying that the content does the job it was created to do. These are different activities that require different mindsets. The presenter who goes from drafting directly to sending is confusing completion with quality.

1. The Headline Test Read only the headlines of every slide in sequence, aloud. Do they form a coherent argument? Does the argument move from situation to recommendation to evidence to ask in a logical sequence? If reading the headlines tells the story — without the body copy, without the charts, without narration — the structure is sound. If the headline sequence has gaps, orphaned points, or reversed logic, the structure is broken.
2. The Five-Second Test For each content slide, look at it for exactly five seconds and then look away. What did you retain? If what you retained is the headline conclusion, the slide is designed correctly. If what you retained is a data point in the chart but you cannot state the conclusion, the visual hierarchy is wrong — the chart is louder than the headline. Adjust the visual weight until the headline dominates.
3. The Ask Test Go to the final action slide. Read only that slide. Is the ask specific? "Approve $250K for a 90-day AI pilot targeting the claims processing workflow, launching Q2 2026" is specific. "We look forward to your approval of this initiative" is not an ask — it is an expression of hope. The ask must be a specific decision, a specific amount or action, and a specific deadline with a stated consequence for delay.
4. The Source Test For every data point in every chart on every slide: is the source labeled? If you removed all the source labels and handed the deck to the CFO, would they ask where the data came from? If yes, the sources are missing. Add them. A sourced claim can be challenged and defended. An unsourced claim is dismissed or deferred pending verification — neither is the outcome you need.