You just finished your pitch. All eyes are on you. What happens in the next 10 seconds will decide if you get the next meeting, or if you get ignored.
For a very long time, the final slide always said: “Thank You!”
It feels like the right thing to do. It is polite. It is a habit we learned from old PowerPoint presentation days. But when you are giving a pitch deck to investors or big clients, that thanking you slide is actually a big, costly mistake.
We need to learn about two final slides: The polite Thank You Slide and the smart Call-to-Action slide (CTA slide). You will see why one is just good manners, and the other is a step toward making money.
3 Reasons Why the “Thanking You” Slide Fails
You spent the last 20 minutes making people excited about your business. You built a lot of energy and speed—we call this momentum. Then, the “Thank You” slide comes up.
It fails you for three very simple reasons:
1. It Is a Stop Sign for Momentum
Imagine you are driving fast, and suddenly, you hit a big stop sign. That is what the Thank You Slide does to your pitch.
You built up so much excitement. You showed your numbers and your great team. Then, the word “Thank You” tells the audience that the game is over. The energy stops. When you stop the momentum of your pitch, people forget the important things you just showed them.
2. It Wastes the Most Valuable Space
The final slide of your pitch deck is the most valuable piece of screen time you have. Recent study show that most investors spend less than 4 minutes reviewing a pitch deck for the first time. You cannot waste even one second of that time!
Think of it like the last page of a story. Do you want the last page to just say “The End”? Or do you want it to set up the next chapter?
Using the final slide for a simple thank you is a huge waste. This space must be used to get you the next step in your business. It is not about being finished; it is about starting the follow-up.
3. A Verbal “Thank You” Is Stronger
Do you really need a giant slide to show you are thankful? No!
A quick, simple, and honest verbal thank you when you look your audience in the eye is much stronger. It is more sincere. You can say your thanks and still use your screen to show them the most important thing—what to do next.
Why the Call-to-Action (CTA) Slide is Essential
The smart choice is always the CTA slide (Call-to-Action slide). This is the secret slide that professional founders use to close their investor presentation.
A call to action is simply telling your audience exactly what you want them to do next. You are leading them, not waiting for them. You are making a decisive move.
The New Goal: A Closing Argument
The CTA slide works because it turns your ending into a closing argument.
- It does not ask, “Did you like my presentation?”
- It asks, “When can we meet again?”
You are making it very easy for the investor to say “yes” to the next step. People are 3 times more likely to take an action when they are given a clear, specific instruction versus a vague suggestion.
By using a CTA slide, you are starting a relationship, not closing the door.
| The Old Way (Thank You Slide) | The New Way (CTA Slide) |
| Focus: Being polite. | Focus: Getting results. |
| Action: You wait for them to contact you. | Action: You tell them how to contact you. |
| Goal: To finish your talk. | Goal: To start the next conversation. |
For more clarity on adapting your closing strategy, read our guide on Pitch Deck for Different Investors.
4 Must-Have Elements for Your Winning CTA Slide
To make your CTA slide powerful and professional, you need to include four key things. This guarantees the investor knows exactly what to do.
1. The Very Clear “Ask” (The Next Step)
This is the most important part. You must tell the investor or client what you want them to do next. Do not make them guess.
- Bad Example: “We hope you liked our idea.”
- Good Example: “We are raising $5 million. Let’s book a follow-up meeting to review the financial details.”
Make the next step specific and small. You are not asking for a check yet; you are just asking for the next step meeting.
2. Simple Contact Information
Your name, your title, and the best email/phone number must be super easy to read.
Design Tip: Put your main email address in a large font. This ensures that if the investor takes a quick picture of your final slide with their phone, they can read your contact details instantly.
3. A Quick Visual Reminder (Your Vision)
Use a very short, strong phrase to remind them of the biggest idea in your pitch. This helps keep the focus on your business vision while you are answering questions. Remember that your CTA slide is the last visual artifact you leave with your audience. The design must be clean, use high contrast, and perfectly align with your brand. A professionally designed slide communicates competence and attention to detail. To ensure your entire presentation looks sharp, check out our guide on how to build powerful visuals.
- Example: “We are the first software platform to automate all logistics.”
- Example: “10X Growth, 95% Customer Retention.”
This tiny summary acts as a strong closing argument.
4. Social Proof (Logos)
If other smart people already believe in you, show it! Use a small, clean space for logos of any investors who have already given you money, or any big, respected clients you have secured. This quickly builds investor confidence.
Time to End Like a Pro
Choosing between the thank you slide and the CTA slide is a test of presentation efficiency.
Presentation efficiency means: Are you using every single moment of your talk to move your business forward? A Thank You Slide says, “I am focused on being polite.” A CTA Slide says, “I am focused on getting results.”
Deckez helps you pass this test. We understand that in the world of high-stakes pitching, there is no time for wasted space, and we give you professionally designed, ready-made CTA slide templates. They are already structured to include the clear ask, the simple contact info, and the strong visual reminder.
Contact the presentation design service to make a decisive call to action and ensure your final slide is the start of a winning relationship, not the end of a polite talk. Stop wasting time on a polite exit and start moving your business to the next step today.
FAQs
1.What is the main difference between a Thank You Slide and a CTA Slide?
The “Thanking You” slide is polite and passive; its goal is to signal the end of the presentation. The CTA slide (Call-to-Action slide) is strategic and active; its goal is to start the next step, like booking a follow-up meeting.
2. Why does the blog say a verbal “Thank You” is better than a slide?
A sincere, verbal “thank you” is more personal and authentic, fulfilling the courtesy requirement without wasting valuable screen time. It allows the final slide to serve as a persistent “closing argument” that keeps the audience focused on the next step.
3.What are the most important things to put on a CTA Slide?
The four must-have elements are: a clear and specific Ask (the next step you want), simple contact information (easy to read email), a quick visual reminder of your business vision, and social proof (like investor or client logos).
4.Does using a CTA slide work for presentations besides investor pitches?
Yes. The principle of presentation efficiency applies to all professional presentations (sales, marketing, training). The final slide should always guide the audience to a specific next action, rather than just ending the conversation.
