Third-year analyst here. I’m spending 60% of my nights reformatting the same slides across different deals. Heard whispers about shared templates in the community docs but terrified of using something that’ll make me look lazy. How do experienced bankers balance template efficiency with client-specific customization? What sections are actually safe to automate?
templates are just crutches for analysts who cant ctrl+c right. real pros have 3 versions saved: one for clients who care about substance, one for the font-fetishists, and one you actually present. pro tip: nobody reads appendix slides – automate those first and claim credit for ‘efficiency gains’
pls help – tried using a template last week and md said it looked ‘cookie cutter’. how do u make pre-made slides look fresh??? (asking for me)
The key is strategic customization. Use community templates as foundational skeletons – automate all boilerplate sections (disclaimers, market snapshots). Reserve manual effort for client-specific valuation ranges and proprietary data. Always add 1-2 ‘handcrafted’ slides showing bespoke analysis, even if they’re just rearranged template components. This maintains both efficiency and perception of customization.
You’ve got this! Template mastery is a superpower – imagine all the brain space you’ll free up for real analysis!
Analysis of 127 pitch books showed 62% of content blocks are reusable. Highest automation potential: transaction comps (89% similarity), team bios (76%), market overviews (68%). Implement macro-driven dynamic headers to auto-update client names across all decks. Saves ~11.3 hours/week based on self-reported data from 23 users.