Office Hours: How to Create an Effective Capabilities Deck w/ Illiya Vjestica

In this Office Hours led by Illiya Vjestica, the focus is on a crucial tool in creative and consultancy work: the capabilities deck. Illiya emphasizes the importance of this deck in helping freelancers, creative agencies, and consultants stand out in a competitive market. With clients increasingly inundated with pitches, especially in industries affected by AI, he advocates for a well-crafted capabilities deck to engage clients meaningfully. Illiya shares his personal experiences of crafting and evolving his own decks over the years, stressing their role in positioning oneself professionally, showcasing expertise, and securing new business.

The talk provides practical guidance on creating capabilities decks that go beyond listing services, focusing instead on building emotional connections with potential clients. From structuring a deck with clear narratives to using compelling visuals, Illiya encourages attendees to reflect their personal branding in their presentations. This ensures that the deck not only highlights technical skills but also fosters client trust. Overall, the session serves as both an educational guide and motivational call for creatives to invest in their presentation tools, using the capabilities deck for professional growth.

Key Themes

• Importance of Capabilities Decks: A capabilities deck opens doors by communicating skills and services in a way that resonates with clients.
• Personal Branding in Presentations: It’s essential to make decks personal and reflective of your brand to build emotional connections with clients.
• Practical Tips for Deck Creation: Illiya outlines a structured approach, emphasizing clarity, storytelling, and visual engagement in decks.
• Challenges in the Creative Industry: As competition rises and AI plays a larger role, creatives must differentiate themselves through tools like capabilities decks.

High-Level Structure: Pyramid Principle

The presentation builds from general concepts about why capabilities decks matter down to specific steps for creating a successful one. Illiya starts by explaining the competitive nature of the creative industry, particularly the pressure to stand out amidst AI-driven changes. He then covers the importance of decks in helping creatives get noticed, followed by his personal experience in evolving his own decks. Finally, he breaks down how to structure and design an impactful capabilities deck.

The Competitive Creative Landscape
Illiya addresses the state of the creative industry, where increased competition and AI tools make it harder for freelancers, consultants, and agencies to stand out. Traditional methods of attracting clients—like cold pitches or simply showcasing skills—are no longer enough. Clients are approached by many professionals daily, so it’s critical to develop a unique value proposition.

Context: The competition isn’t just about talent; it’s about how effectively you communicate your value. As AI takes over more creative roles, the human touch—empathy, storytelling, and personal connection—becomes the differentiating factor.
Challenge: Many creatives struggle to define and communicate this unique value.

The Power of a Good Capabilities Deck
A capabilities deck is often the first meaningful interaction a client has with a freelancer or agency. A well-constructed deck demonstrates professionalism and foresight.

Mechanism: A deck provides an overview of services, showcases previous work, and presents case studies with measurable outcomes.
Theory: A deck isn’t just about capabilities; it’s about being “investable.” The client needs to see clear benefits of working with you—something that a well-crafted deck can convey.

Personal Branding Through Decks
A capabilities deck should reflect the creator’s personal brand. Illiya advises against generic presentations, advocating for decks that capture the personality of the individual or agency behind them.

Examples: Illiya own branding uses autumnal colors and Star Wars-inspired elements to make his decks memorable.
Application: He encourages others to use imagery and color schemes that resonate with them personally, which helps build an emotional connection with clients.

Step-by-Step Guide to Structuring Decks
Illiya provides a detailed breakdown of how to build an effective capabilities deck, focusing on the following elements:

• Introduction: Start with a compelling hook that grabs the client’s attention within the first few slides.
• Pitch: Clearly define the problem, explain why it matters to the client, and present your solution.
• Credibility: Share your story, highlight past clients, and present case studies with measurable results.
• Call to Action: Always end with a clear next step, making it easy for the client to respond or engage.

Visual Impact and Storytelling
Visuals and storytelling are key components of a deck. Research shows that people are more likely to remember content when it is presented alongside a narrative and visual aids.

Process: Use visuals that are consistent with your brand and support the narrative of your deck.
Example: Illiya uses nature-inspired color schemes and imagery to create a calming and professional tone in his decks.

Explanation of Unique Terminology or Concepts

Capabilities Deck: A presentation tool used to communicate skills, experience, and services to potential clients. It functions like a digital portfolio but is more focused on pitching specific capabilities for a target audience.
Emotional Connection in Presentations: Drawing from the work of Errol Gerson and Simon Sinek, Illiya emphasizes that presentations should aim to connect emotionally with the client, not just display expertise.

Visual Representations

Illiya highlights the use of simple but effective visual techniques:
Slide Layout: Use clean, uncluttered slides, avoid bullet points, and leverage bold typography and impactful imagery.
Flow Example: His suggested flow for the deck includes: Hook → Problem → Solution → Credibility → Case Studies → Call to Action.

Highlight Practical Applications and Actionable Insights

1. Update Your Capabilities Deck Annually: Reflect new projects, learnings, and shifts in your brand positioning.
2. Make It Easy for Clients to Contact You: Include clear contact information and a call-to-action, such as a link to schedule a call.
3. Use Storytelling to Create Engagement: Incorporate client stories, challenges, and how your solutions provided value.

Future Developments

Illiya hints at the growing role of AI in the creative industry, suggesting that professionals need to adapt by integrating AI into their workflows while maintaining the unique human element crucial for client engagement. This integration can help speed up the creation process while preserving the personal touch needed to connect with clients.

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Finding Striking Visual Imagery

Unsplash - https://unsplash.com/
Pexels - https://www.pexels.com/
Illiya’s Photos - https://unsplash.com/@illiyapresents

Illiya’s AI Capabilities Deck Prompt - https://tinyurl.com/2zr6rnu6

Link Tracking Tools:
TinyURL
HubSpot
Bitly

Illiya’s Recommend Books:
Show Your Work - Austin Kleon
Oversubscribed - Daniel Priestley
Story Brand - Donald Miller

Illiya’s Free Guide:
https://illiyapresents.gumroad.com/l/5-presentation-design-combinations

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