HOW TO CREATE A WINNING PITCH DECK

 

So you've identified an issue that you can tackle with a unique solution, created a minimal viable product, and perhaps even attracted a few early adopters. What comes next?

Your pitch deck (presentation) serves as a visual representation of the important points you wish to make to potential investors. 

Now, you might be tempted to start with Keynote or Powerpoint. Please don't do it!

Here's how to make a killer pitch deck:

It's not about the slides, but about the narrative.

So, how can you give investors a compelling tale about your business?

First, determine out what kind of story you want to tell, then build a sandwich out of it, emphasising the main point at the beginning and again at the end. Next, use your problem and solution statements to emotionally and intellectually engage your audience, and make sure you cover all of the deck's intended points.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Starting with an Elevator Pitch slide is a good place to start.

Don't wait till the end to get to your primary point; get started now. You should be able to summarise your business concept and vision in one or two short phrases so that your audience understands exactly what you're trying to accomplish. This should express the problem you're fixing as well as why your solution is the best option.

Include a demonstration

Investors and VCs will want to witness your product or idea in action. Photos and screenshots are wonderful, but a live demo is far better. Although it may seem contradictory, you should not include a video in your startup pitch deck.

When you show video, you risk a slew of technical issues, such as poor load times or the video failing to play. You don't want to rely on anything that might let you down during your most important time.

Team

Obviously, you won't give out the bios of everyone on your team, but if you have any team members that stand out (especially those who have had considerable success in prior, similar firms), make sure to include them in your investor pitch deck.

Model of Revenue

How are you currently making money and how do you want to make money in the future? Is your service or product purchased once or on a regular subscription basis?

It's also a good idea to talk about your pricing plan and customer acquisition cost (CAC) to get a sense of what your business model is like now and in the future.

Competition

Every startup faces rivals. Even if your product or service is absolutely unique (which is extremely rare), you will face competition since your potential consumers are currently utilising another product or service to solve the problem that you are attempting to solve more effectively.

What sets you apart from the competition? What benefits does your product or service have over your competitors' solutions? These are the inquiries that your prospective investors would ask.

Sales and Marketing

Discuss your marketing techniques and how you intend to attract potential customers' attention. How will you set yourself out from your competitors? And how are you going to turn them into paying clients once you've gotten their attention?

Finances

Before hearing about what you plan to do with their money, investors will want to know what your primary expense drivers are and what your predictions look like.

Without being overly precise, the final slide of your financial plan should give an indication of how much money you're seeking to raise.

Parting Thoughts

Funding a startup is difficult.

It's difficult to keep your enthusiasm and love for a project alive while you bounce from one investor to the next.

As a result, we created our useful cues to lead you through the basics, introducing the concept of the pitch deck, its benefits, and uses, as well as offering guidance and support on planning, design, pitching, and selecting investors. Your fantastic idea is only a pitch deck away from becoming a profitable business. Come on, let's do it!