Richard Wilson: testing whether a pitch deck is being read
A reading test appears near the end of Richard's module on investment materials. He suggests inserting the words Mickey Mouse on a page and seeing whether a colleague who reviews the deck notices them.
The reviewer may be closer than the investor
Richard proposed the test for a team member, spouse or business partner asked to read carefully. His point was that even somebody close to the business might not read every word of an overly long deck. The proposed test concerns attention to the actual document.
Use the finding to inspect the deck
The example belongs with his comments about long text and excessive slide counts. It gives the team a way to examine its assumption that a reviewer consumed every page. If the phrase goes unnoticed, ask the reviewer which pages they read.
In Richard C. Wilson's words
"put the word Mickey Mouse on one page of the pitch deck" (Richard C. Wilson, Richard C. Wilson's recorded Rainmaker Series module)
How to use this
- Check how colleagues actually review the deck.
- Use the review to locate pages that need a shorter explanation or a clearer visual.
Questions and answers
What phrase did Richard suggest inserting?
Mickey Mouse.
What was he testing?
Whether a person asked to review the deck carefully noticed the inserted words.