When you have an amazing business idea and want investors to seriously consider your business; then using a pitch deck is very nearly essential.
A pitch deck is a presentation created by businesses for the investors. It’s longer than an elevator pitch and has a different focus from your executive summary (both of which you should have in your tool kit too.)
Here are few things to keep in mind while preparing a pitch deck.
1. It tells a story
To connect with fellow human beings, you need to tell them a story. Investors are no different. A story which can help you connect with them on an emotional level is something which should be threaded through a good pitch. And certainly at the start. Tell the investors who you are and what the story behind you is.
You don’t need to be a “salesperson”, but would be interested in you if you are a “storyteller”. The same thing applies to your investors. You might not be selling them a product or service which you would to a potential customer, but you are selling them an idea. So, start telling them the story, and why your idea is profitable for them in the long run.
2. It is concise
Telling a story is a great idea, but keep it short. Give them enough details, but know how to prioritise the necessary things. This will help you keep the pitch short and make it interesting for your investors.
3. Know your audience:
Ideally before any pitch, you should know who your potential investors are and their mindset. Take a little time to personalize each time you are pitching to an investor, keeping in mind who they are. As everyone is different, and the way you speak with someone won’t be the same way you would speak with someone else. Design your pitch in a way that it will appeal to them and increase the potential of them investing in your business.
4. Don’t read the presentation as a script
While your pitch deck is a collection of slides, it will usually need an accompanying presentation when you speak on the topic of your business. Practicing to get this right will help a lot. Your presentation shouldn’t be your script. If you just read from each slide, you’ll be talking to yourself. Use your presentation to highlight the key aspects of your business. Prepare for your presentation beforehand and use your presentation to navigate around the important key points of your pitch. 5. Keep the pace
The document should be interesting from start to finish and the story you weaved in at the beginning should ideally have an exciting conclusion at the end. Make sure the pace of your presentation is uniform. Maintaining the same pace from start to finish is very important. It keeps your potential investors interested. If your investors think you started a presentation on an interesting note, only for it to end abruptly or become boring towards the end, then it’s not a good presentation. Consistency is the key, and it is very important to be consistent from start to finish.
A pitch deck may feel overwhelming as you might find it difficult to figure out from where to start, what to include, what to not and how to end. The most important part of any pitch is making sure you have impressed your investors. Your pitch need not be anything fancy, but it needs to be clear and concise, making sure that you put out enough information to catch the interest of your investors and persuade them towards investing in your business.
If you'd like UnWordy to help on your pitch deck, you can be in touch.