If you are looking for prospects to raise funds for your business, having a well-structured Pitch Deck is the key. Research shows that more than 90% of the startups fail because they are unable to pitch in a way that impresses their investors. An efficiently designed pitch deck can come handy in this situation as it has the potential to attract various investors or angel investors towards an organization and thus get funded.
The pitch deck usually consists of 15-20 slides in the form of a PowerPoint presentation to showcase a company’s value, its products, technology etc. in front of potential investors. Raising capital from anywhere is a very challenging task and convincing the investors that you are a profitable firm to invest is the biggest challenge of all. It can make or break an organization even before it has been established!
Therefore, nailing the pitch deck should be the foremost priority of any organization that wants to get funded.
In this post, I will walk you through the steps and the strategy you should be adopting to create a strong and persuasive pitch deck for your potential investors.
Slides to include in a pitch deck
- Company overview
This slide is exactly what you are thinking it is; presenting a brief overview of your company!
So, start by presenting a brief introduction to your company and products. Your goal here is to create a very high-level summary of your product and services such that the investors are keen to know more about them.
However, avoid creating a text-laden slide that delivers each and every aspect of your product. Rather use this slide as a backdrop to support your further offering.
This is where the skills of a talented storyteller can be utilized to hook the investors right away. Hence, utilize your story-telling skills in this slide to come up with an awe-inspiring pitch!
- The Problem
Once, you have explained the ‘high-level’ of your product, it is now time to explain why that product has been created in the first place.
Trust me if your pitch deck has no problem to solve, you wouldn’t have an investor at all! Without a slide explaining the “problem”, you are going to have a long and a tiring uphill climb in your business.
Use this slide to talk about the problem that your organization intends on solving with the pitch deck and also explain who is facing that problem. Try and tell a relatable story with this slide, the more you make the problem seem real, more the investors will be interested in selecting your pitch. So, explain the problem very lucratively in this slide.
- The Solution
Problem is just one part, the second and the most important part is to provide an answer that grabs immediate attention of the investor. Without presenting a feasible answer to the problem, a pitch deck has no value. Describe how customers use your product and how it is capable to address the various problems outlined above. This is the slide where you can engage your investors by showing your product’s worth and value.
- Business Model
Money is the key driver that compels us to pitch in the first place. You require funds, this is why you are pitching your product in front of your investors. Use this slide to talk about money and how your product will make money for them.
Investors want to get assured that your firm is a profitable venture, not a risky one. So, clearly and concisely explain your business model and its viability to the investors in this slide. Spend some extra time in creating this slide and make sure that it is informative and comprehensive.
- Competition
Every business has to face competition from one corner or the other. No business can avoid competition as it is one of the most fundamental aspects. Whether you believe it or not, some of the most renowned organizations owe their success to their competitors. If their opponents did not push them to excel in their field, they wouldn’t have reached the heights they are at today.
Describe how you will fit into the competitive landscape and how your product is unique from others out there. What key advantages does your company have and why customers will choose your product in spite of having so many competitive products in the marketplace.
You really have to show in this slide that you have a thorough knowledge of your competitors and are equipped enough to answer questions about them.
- The Team
Next up is to introduce the capable team of yours. To build a successful business along with a good idea you need a capable team that will work with you to turn that idea into reality. Include your key management personnel in this section and talk about their individual skills and abilities. Explain the unique value that each of the personnel brings to the project along with their specific roles in your organization. You should also mention their diverse experiences as investors are interested in knowing what all your team members can achieve and how they will tackle the roadblocks on their way to success.
- Marketing Plan
No matter how productive and efficient your product is, having a competent marketing strategy in place is very important. Use this slide to outline your sales and marketing strategy with which you will reach out to your target customers. You can also use this slide to showcase the key tactics that you will be using to market your product in front of prospective consumers.
Sometimes finding customers and winning them over is a very big challenge especially for a startup. So, it is crucial to show that you have a solid grasp of the target audience and the target market.
If in case your marketing and sales process is different from your competitors, you can highlight its important aspects here in this section.
- Financials
Investors expect to see your company’s key financial stats like the sales forecast, cash flow statement, profit and loss statement, etc. to determine the financial health of your business. But in case of a pitch deck, there is no need to present in-depth spreadsheets rather opt for simple charts and graphs that are sufficient to display your financial position. These financial projections should be very realistic along with being comprehensive.
A great investor pitch deck can really make or break a deal with your investors. However, if you follow the above pattern you are sure to create a compelling pitch deck with an interesting storyline that instantly grabs your investor’s attention. The key is to address the topics that your investors are interested in knowing about.
Author Bio – Jenna Davis is a Business Analyst at SlideTeam, the world’s largest PowerPoint presentation templates provider of pitch decks and business related topics. Reading and writing are one of her favorite activities in free time. She is passionate to assist businesses to attain a competitive edge with her writing skills on small business topics, marketing, branding and business success stories.
