As an entrepreneur seeking investors in today’s cutthroat business world, you have to find ways to set your organization apart from the competition. One of the best ways to get you ahead of other competitors is to deliver a unique, compelling, and creative pitch deck to get potential investors interested in what you offer.
You might ask yourself, how to create a pitch deck that not only piques your potential partners’ interests but also highlights the most important aspects of your business? In this article, we will walk you through the entire pitch deck creation process. Here’s what we will cover:
Table of Contents
- What is a pitch deck?
- What are the essential elements in an effective pitch deck?
- How to create a pitch deck?
- Conclusion
What is a pitch deck?
Before we get to the nitty-gritty part of this article, let’s quickly discuss what a pitch deck is. What it is, essentially, is a presentation that you put together if you are seeking an investor to help you finance your business. The presentation usually covers an overview of your business plans, the products or services you offer, the current performance of your organization, and all the essential information your investors might want to know.
What are the essential elements in an effective pitch deck?
An average pitch deck consists of ten parts or slides such as:
- Company Introduction. Tell your audience who you are, what you do, and why are here. Keep things short and sweet and avoid including details that aren’t necessary to mention.
- The Team. Briefly introduce yourself and the rest of your team. Also, be sure to include in this part of your pitch deck the responsibilities and roles of each team member. It’s important to put some faces on your business.
- The Problem. Identify the problem in the current market that you are trying to solve. Point out the common pain points people are experiencing. You must back this up with real data to solidify your claims.
- The Solution. How do you plan to solve all the problems you just mentioned? Showcase the products or services you offer. When you present your proposed solution, tell it through a user story as it provides credibility. During this part of the pitch deck, do not be afraid to get a bit creative.
- The Advantages. Explain what sets your product or service apart from the rest of the competition. What are the things that you offer that other businesses don’t? What unique experience can you offer the market?
- The Market Demand. You need to present to your potential investors that there is indeed a future for your business and what you offer. Present stats and numbers to prove that there is a growing demand.
- The Traction. It’s also important to include in your pitch deck what you plan to do in the near future. Identify your business goals and targets.
- The Business Model. Since you discussed the future of your company and the targets you have set, also explain in detail what are the necessary steps you will take to achieve all of your business and financial goals. Walk them through your business plan.
- The Use of Fund. As the main point of presenting a pitch deck is to attract investors, you also need to be transparent about what you plan to do with their money. How are you going to appropriate the funds? Are you looking to use the money to buy new equipment? Or do you intend to use it to expand your team?
- Your contact details. It’s also ideal to close your pitch deck by leaving them your contact information should they wish to contact you for clarification or further discussion.
How to create a pitch deck?
Now that you know the ten basic components of a pitch deck, let’s explore some of the ways to make your presentation compelling and unforgettable. Here’s what you can do:
Tell a story
A lot of entrepreneurs have this common misconception that a pitch deck has to be all about numbers and should only have a business-related narrative. While you need solid and reliable data to make your pitch credible, it would appeal to your audience more if you approach the presentation in a way that appeals to your potential investors’ emotions.
In this light, it would be more compelling if you tell a story instead of merely stating facts and throwing numbers. It also livens the entire presentation when you add some anecdotes.
Make your presentation short but concise
Although we strongly recommend that you have to be thorough when you present, it doesn’t mean that you have to make a 50-slide presentation. Keep your ideas short and sweet, but they still need to pack a punch to be more impactful.
Keep in mind that some people have shorter attention spans than others. You need to be able to get your point across the soonest possible time before your investors begin to lose interest.
Get creative
It wouldn’t hurt to invest some time creating a pitch deck that looks very visually appealing. The overall aesthetics of your presentation also plays a huge role in impressing potential investors and eventually closing deals.
Luckily, there are now a load of online tools that can help you with the look and feel of your pitch deck. Just remember to be consistent with the colors and fonts you use for a sleek and more cohesive look.
Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse
No matter how seasoned you are with presenting pitch decks, you still need to do a couple of run-throughs just to make sure that everything goes without a hitch. You can get your teammates involved during the rehearsal so they can take down notes on what needs to be changed or improved.
Get the right set of tools
As mentioned before, there is now an abundance of tools that can help you create a solid and compelling pitch deck. If you can, do equip your business with some of them. One tool that’s a worthy investment is an electronic signature application.
In today’s highly digital world, most business transactions are done online, which means at some point, you will need to electronically sign documents. You need a trusted electronic signature application to help you with this. Not to toot our own horn but Fill offers a comprehensive set of services that can help your business. Find out how here.
Conclusion
When you’re looking for an investor to help you finance your business, allow yourself enough time to build a compelling presentation to get them interested in what you offer. Hopefully, all the information we presented in the article will come in handy when you create your own pitch deck.
