What does it mean to work with presentations, and which freelancers can help?

By Carsten Bjerregaard, Addcapacity.com

Presentations play a central role in modern companies because they connect strategy, data and decision-making with people. A strong presentation is rarely only about slides. It is about structuring complex messages, creating understanding and supporting action among management teams, customers, investors or employees. The competency is widely used across sales, investor relations, business development, HR, marketing and internal communication. Typical profiles include presentation designers, management consultants, copywriters, communication specialists, graphic designers and marketing managers. The work is often carried out in tools such as Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Slides, Keynote, Canva, Figma and Adobe Creative Suite, but increasingly also with AI-based presentation tools and data visualisation.

1. What are presentations?

Working professionally with presentations means translating complex messages into a format that is easy to understand and act upon. The competency combines communication, structure, design and business understanding. Many associate presentations primarily with visual appearance, but in practice, structure, prioritisation and narrative are often more important than graphic effects. A good presentation supports a specific situation: a sales meeting, a board presentation, a pitch, a strategy implementation or an internal alignment process. Therefore, quality depends not only on slides, but also on audience understanding, timing and context. In larger organisations, presentations often become an important management tool because they influence decision-making and organisational direction.

Core disciplines

• Message structure and narrative
• Data visualisation and communication
• Visual design and layout
• Audience and stakeholder understanding
• Storytelling for business

A concrete example is a CFO presentation for the board, where 80 slides are reduced to 20 highly prioritised pages focused on risks, cash flow and strategic decisions rather than detailed reporting extracts.

2. How do presentations fit into a modern organisation, and which value metrics and KPIs are relevant?

Presentations are used in far more contexts than traditional sales meetings. In many organisations, they function as the link between analysis and decision-making. Leadership teams use presentations for strategy, transformation and governance. Marketing and sales teams use them for pitches, customer dialogue and events. HR departments apply them in onboarding, employer branding and internal communication. At the same time, expectations have increased significantly. Audiences expect clear messaging, high visual quality and quick relevance. As a result, value is often measured indirectly through decision speed, meeting effectiveness, conversion rates or stakeholder alignment. This also means that presentation skills are increasingly viewed as a business-critical discipline rather than simply a support function.

Typical KPIs

• Pitch win rate
• Stakeholder alignment
• Meeting efficiency and decision speed
• Engagement during presentations
• Internal understanding of strategy

A common scenario appears in transformation projects where management experiences resistance to change. In these cases, presentations often become the decisive tool for creating shared understanding across functions and management levels.

3. Which tasks within the area can consultants help with?

Freelance presentation specialists are often brought in when companies lack time, specialised skills or an external perspective. Tasks range from strategic advisory work to the actual production of slides just hours before an important meeting. Many organisations underestimate the amount of prioritisation and editorial work behind strong presentations. It is rarely about simply “making slides look nicer”, but rather about refining content, structuring arguments and creating clear direction. Consultants are therefore used both in intensive project engagements and as ongoing support for leadership, sales or marketing teams. Particularly in complex organisations, an external specialist can create momentum because they often work with greater focus and less organisational politics.

Common deliverables

• Investor and board presentations
• Sales and pitch decks
• Strategy and transformation slides
• Employer branding presentations
• Templates and design guides

One example is a scale-up company preparing to raise capital. Here, a freelance presentation designer and a copywriter often work closely with the CEO and CFO to strengthen the narrative, investor logic and visual credibility.

4. Which tools are typically used by specialists within the area?

The choice of tools depends on organisational maturity, collaboration methods and design requirements. Microsoft PowerPoint remains the standard in most larger companies, especially in corporate environments and consulting firms. Google Slides is often used in more agile and collaborative organisations. At the same time, many specialists work in Figma or Adobe Illustrator when more advanced visual development is required. Canva has made rapid presentation production easier, but is typically used mainly for marketing and less complex needs. In recent years, AI tools have also started to influence the field significantly, especially for structuring, summarising and generating first drafts.

Common platforms

• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Google Slides and Workspace
• Figma and Adobe Illustrator

A practical example is global companies developing central slide libraries in PowerPoint combined with brand assets from Figma to ensure consistent communication across markets.

5. Who typically leads the work with presentations, and what backgrounds do they have?

Responsibility for presentations rarely sits in one single function. In many organisations, marketing or communications teams own the brand and visual quality, while leadership, sales or strategy teams own the content. Larger organisations often have dedicated presentation specialists or design functions. In other cases, the responsibility lies with management consultants, marketing managers or executive assistants with strong communication skills. Backgrounds therefore vary considerably. Some professionals come from graphic design, while others come from business development, strategy or journalism. What the strongest profiles usually share is the ability to combine structure, business understanding and communication.

Typical roles

• Presentation Designer
• Communications Manager
• Management Consultant

A typical example is seen in consulting firms, where senior consultants develop the strategic narrative while design teams and presentation specialists refine the structure and visual communication.

6. Who is typically involved in the daily execution and delivery, and what are their roles?

The daily production of presentations often involves several profiles with different competencies. Marketing teams typically contribute brand guidelines and messaging. Designers ensure visual quality and consistency. Copywriters support language precision and structure. Data analysts or business controllers provide insights and KPIs. In many organisations, challenges arise precisely in the handover between these functions. As a result, coordination and clear workflows become essential. The strongest presentation processes rarely emerge in silos, but rather through close collaboration between business, communication and design teams.

Key contributors

• Copywriters and content writers
• Graphic designers
• Marketing and business profiles

A concrete case could involve a global sales team where local markets produce content while a central design team ensures consistent storytelling and brand experience.

7. Which specialisations exist within presentations?

The presentation field has become more specialised in recent years. Some professionals primarily work with executive communication and board materials. Others focus on investor decks, sales presentations or conference materials. There are also specialists in data visualisation, motion graphics and interactive presentations. As hybrid meeting formats have become more common, there is also increased focus on presentations for virtual meetings and webinars. These formats place different demands on pacing, graphics and attention management compared to traditional meeting rooms.

Typical specialisations

• Investor and pitch decks
• Data visualisation
• Virtual presentations and webinars

An example is SaaS companies, where specialists develop presentations targeted at both investors, enterprise customers and product demos, each with different requirements for structure and argumentation.

How to quickly start a dialogue with strong candidates for your needs

Freelance presentation specialists can function as a flexible extension of existing teams. Many companies choose external consultants because they provide rapid access to specialised competencies, close collaboration and often lower costs than traditional agency setups. At the same time, the freelance model makes it easier to scale resources around specific projects or critical deadlines.

Addcapacity.com helps companies clarify their needs, define roles and competency requirements, and identify three relevant candidates who match both the required professional level and the scope of the assignment. The dialogue is non-binding and based on the company’s specific situation.