When it comes to trying to get funding for your product or service, there’s little that’s more important than having a killer pitch deck. Apart from having a great business idea, it’s probably the biggest influence on whether or not you can secure an investor.
And, in fact, even a great idea can be very quickly sabotaged by a badly planned pitch deck!
With that in mind, it can feel intimidating to get started. What do you need to include? Where do you start? What research do you need to have done beforehand?
Don’t fret. Today we’re going to walk you through all of it! Not only will we chat you through each of the key sections that you should include in your pitch deck, but we’ll also show you examples from some well-known (and very successful!) businesses to help get the inspiration flowing.
Let’s get you the funding you deserve!
The Key Tenents to a great pitch deck
First things first, let’s discuss the things that you should keep in mind throughout creating your pitch deck. Lose sight of these points and you risk losing your potential investors, too!
- Keep it concise: Whether it’s Venture Capitalists or Angel Investors that you’re pitching to, keep your deck focused. As VC Iskender Dirik notes, “The attention span of a VC is even shorter than you might think. Be as striking, simple and short as possible.” (source). Similarly, Angel Investor Jordan Rothstein says that one of the key factors in creating a great pitch deck is keeping it “clear and concise” (source, Angel investor).
- Engage your audience: Treat potential investors as an audience, ensuring that you are keeping their eyes on your pitch. Again, this links to being clear and concise, however also try to make your deck look the part and to present your information in as interesting a way as possible.
- Know what you’re talking about: Don’t start creating your pitch deck until you have put in the research! You need to truly undersatnd the behind-the-scenes of your business, know your market and understand your users. As such, commit to conduct user and market research that will give potential investors the reassurance they need that their money is safe with you.
What to include in a pitch deck
The above image is a good summary of what may be included in a pitch deck, with its contents being very similar to that of your business plan or business model canvas.
However, we’re going to walk you through each section that, as pitch deck specialists, we think should be included. We’ve also included the decks of some well-known and successful products to help you nail your pitch.
Engaging Intro
As we said, being engaging is crucial in your pitch deck. Creating a snappy and interesting first slide can be particularly brilliant for grabbing potential investors’ attention. After all, you want to start on the right foot.
Take Quora’s deck, for example. The very first slide is an introduction to their company in a way that is intriguing and culturally relevant at the time.When it comes to trying to get funding for your product oThe Takeaways
Your pitch deck needs to get across that you have a viable product or service idea that is backed up by lots of solid research. Don’t worry, over the next couple of weeks we’re going to cover exactly how you can conduct this research and wow your potential investors.
On top of that, your pitch should be engaging and should show your passion for the market you work in. So, use these sections as a guideline for the key information to include, but make sure that you inject your company’s personality into it!
In an article about whether there is a one size-fits-all formula for pitch decks, Imogen Berman also highlights the importance of tailoring a deck to your audience. So, this is a great read for those of you that want to continue learning on this topic.
To find out more about how we can help you with user and market research, click here. We can also assist with grant funding applications, too.
Plus, don’t forget to check out Buffer’s, AirBnB’s, Quora’s and Uber’soriginal pitch decks.r service, there’s little that’s more important than having a killer pitch deck. Apart from having a great business idea, it’s probably the biggest influence on whether or not you can secure an investor.
And, in fact, even a great idea can be very quickly sabotaged by a badly planned pitch deck!
With that in mind, it can feel intimidating to get started. What do you need to include? Where do you start? What research do you need to have done beforehand?
Don’t fret. Today we’re going to walk you through all of it! Not only will we chat with you through each of the key sections that you should include in your pitch deck, but we’ll also show you examples from some well-known (and very successful!) businesses to help get the inspiration flowing.
Let’s get you the funding you deserve!
The Takeaways
Your pitch deck needs to get across that you have a viable product or service idea that is backed up by lots of solid research. Don’t worry, over the next couple of weeks we’re going to cover exactly how you can conduct this research and wow your potential investors.
On top of that, your pitch should be engaging and should show your passion for the market you work in. So, use these sections as a guideline for the key information to include, but make sure that you inject your company’s personality into it!
In an article about whether there is a one size-fits-all formula for pitch decks, Imogen Berman also highlights the importance of tailoring a deck to your audience. So, this is a great read for those of you that want to continue learning on this topic.
To find out more about how we can help you with user and market research, click here. We can also assist with grant funding applications, too.
Plus, don’t forget to check out Buffer’s, AirBnB’s, Quora’s and Uber’soriginal pitch decks.