Preparation is essential for every entrepreneur, making any steps without calculating the outcomes is something successful business owners don’t do, so it only makes sense that as a budding business owner or charity you are prepared in all aspects, especially when it comes to pitching to investors and other parties. The best way to prepare for pitches is to have a pitch deck if you are unaware of what a pitch deck is, how to make it or have any questions, today I will enlighten you on the matter.

What is a Pitch Deck?

To understand the value of pitch decks, it's important you know exactly what they are. A pitch deck which can also be known as an investor pitch deck, or startup pitch deck is a business overview explaining business concepts or ideas to raise capital from investors, charities and those alike. It is usually presented in the format of a series of slideshows, accompanied by a verbal speaker and can and should include illustrations.

They are usually best for face-to-face or video call meetings so your audience can see your slides while listening to your presentation. According to Forbes, the average Pitch deck has just 19 slides and should include three main components, clarity and simplicity and it should be compelling and easy to act on, the format of the slides and its succinct nature should keep audiences engaged. An ideal pitch deck should look professional, should also be well researched and creative.

5 Important Things That Are Necessary For a Successful Pitch Deck

Coherent with consistent design and no mistakes

The slides in your pitch deck should look like they belong together with a coherent theme, colour scheme and font design and size. Furthermore, it should be thoroughly assessed and edited to avoid any spelling or incorrect grammar and or punctuation.

Something to hook and keep the audience engaged

Create a story with your words and illustrations to keep your audience engaged and so that potential investors can understand your vision and are willing to invest.

 A clear USP

 It is paramount that in your pitch deck you identify your company's  USP (unique selling point) which makes it special enough for investors to believe in it. Show them the value proposition it could bring to them if they choose to help you financially.

 Personality

 A pitch deck should not only have a consistent theme, but this theme should coincide with your brand image and create an identity for your business.

 Template

 Create a template for your pitch deck, there's no need to reconstruct a new pitch deck every time your business plan changes or evolves or when new investors and audiences want to see it. It's much simpler to have a template you always use, our Pitch deck app has several templates that can be used to create your pitch deck.

What every pitch deck should include?

Every pitch the deck will have similarities and differences as every startup is different, however, there are few slides that we suggest you include in your Pitch deck;

 An Introduction and company name

 The introduction should contain an overview that clearly and concisely states what your business products or services are. This slide should be simplistic without too much text; your company logo should also be included to gain the attention of your audience.

 Vision and value proposition

 Express to your audience the vision you have for your company, tell them a story they can feel emotion too in addition, demonstrate using data and research the potential of your company, show the investors what value your startup has and can offer to them.

 Show a problem

 Using data when applicable, show the investor a problem you have found in your industry and where the gap in the market lies. It is important that throughout the presentation your verbal communication is clear and informative, the slides should be an addition to your verbal communication, not something you rely on completely.

 Demonstrate your companies solution

 Compare and contrast to competitors products showing how you may differ or create a solution based on a what-if scenario. It is important to show investors that you’re willing and able to adapt if problems arise.

 Target market

 Include insights about your target audience and also how you plan on rolling out marketing and your prediction. This information should be based on market research and trialled and tested methods of marketing.

 Business model

 Demonstrate what your business is how it will perform, this should be based on research and this slide should include data that supports what you are saying.

 Financials

 Be completely transparent about how much you’ve raised and how much money you need. Also, show investors how much they could make in returns if they decide to back your startup.

 Team Members

 It is important investors know who else is part of your company, put pictures and short bios of your team including their credentials and how they add value to your company.

What you should not include in a pitch deck?

Pitch decks should assist your verbal presentation so you must be intentional with what you include in each slide. I can’t mention what is essential to include in a pitch deck without also discussing what shouldn’t be included;

 Too many slides

 Of course including valuable information about your business and its potential is important when you want investors to understand your business identity however, overwhelming your audience with too many slides can result in them losing interest thus misunderstanding your business altogether.  Keep your pitch deck short and concise with a minimum of 10 slides and a maxim of 15.

 An entire pitch deck with no images

 Images aren't necessary for every single slide, however, to keep audiences engaged and to assist you with your verbal presentation, it is paramount you use high-quality images, graphs and tables to support what you are saying to investors.

 A busy template

 Select a cohesive theme for your template, something that is simple and doesn't have various components to it as this will distract investors from what you are trying to say. As I mentioned before our app has a plethora of professional templates to choose from that won’t distract your investors.

 I hope this has given you an insight on how to create a professional pitch deck, one that will open opportunities for your business. If you are considering designing a pitch deck and want to create a professional one consider using our Pitch Deck app one of many amazing platforms that allow entrepreneurs to create an in-depth and compelling pitch deck in as little as three quick steps. You can learn more about our pitch deck creation solution here or by clicking the banner below.