ABCs Of Pitch Deck

 Pitches are terrifying, especially if you don't have an investment-winning pitch deck. Here are a few ABCs to keep in mind.

Let's begin with what you should consider when defining and defining your pitch.

A

• The pitch's goal is to initiate discussions about investments, mentoring, and start-up assistance.

• Every investor receives thousands of applications each year, so getting in front of one is a great place to start.

Always keep your audience in mind. Is your prospective investor interested in your industry and products? Do they invest at the level you're looking for? What are their investment priorities, such as whether they invest in renewable products, pets, real estate, and so on?

• Keep your manners in mind at all times. Do not launch into your pitch without first following basic etiquette, such as waiting to be introduced, asking about coffee, and so on. Do not remove your jacket unless others do, and dress to impress.

• Emphasize your company's advantages. You're there to sell your company and its team, not to pitch its products.

In this section, we will discuss what you should keep in mind when preparing your pitch.

B

• Keep it short so that the potential investor isn't bored. Most successful pitch decks are 10-12 slides long, and your accompanying narration should be just as brief, lasting no more than 20 minutes before the investor, who has probably heard a lot of it before, falls asleep. The key facts and information are what the potential investor is looking for, and they don't want to have to sift through your storey about how Aunt Mary suggested you solve her bunion problem. AirBnB's pitch deck was only 12 slides long, but they raised millions of dollars.

• Be succinct and stick to your pitch deck's content. Take a look at some sample pitch decks from some of the world's most successful companies see how they did not waiver from the point.

A person who tells stories. Telling an interesting storey as you weave your way through the slides will keep the potential investor's attention. • Be precise in everything you say. Because no company can solve all business problems, avoid exaggerating the size of the market or the effectiveness of your products. Make sure your financials are up to date and that your company is well-established. Make sure to have someone you trust to review your pitch deck and provide feedback. • Be truthful, as outright lies will be discovered during the discovery process, and you will be banned. Investors are a close-knit group, and word will spread. Investors are also accomplished, business people.

Your presentation should be clear. This means that there should be no distractions from overstuffed or fussy slides, and bullet points and multiple graphics on one screen should be kept to a minimum. • Unique: Investors must become very bored with potential pitches that say "Uber for X" or "Google competitor." Remember those big companies grew quickly because they discovered a niche and a window of opportunity, or because they copied another breakthrough business model. All investors are looking for the next Unicorn, which is extremely rare, which is why these types of investments are referred to as Unicorns. Be a unicorn, not a zebra. • It's appropriate. Remember why you're there. Maintain your pitch deck in the right direction and make sure it tells the right story the story you'd like to tell • Be specific about what you intend to do with the investment. If you need it to find better manufacturers in order to lower the price, say so. It is best not to seek investment so that the directors can continue to be compensated. Seed investment is intended to grow the company rather than maintain the status quo, and founding investors are expected to benefit from rising share values.

Fair in terms of what investment is available elsewhere: if you are looking for investors to supplement the seed investment, state this. No Angel Investor wants to see their share value diluted right away. Likewise, if you already have investors on board, let them know.

• Specify the investor's responsibilities. What types of shares do you have available for purchase? Are you expecting them to mentor the directors as well? Open their black book, for example?

• Don't forget to include an exit strategy. So the investor knows when and how their investment will be repaid, as well as what their remuneration and profit will be as a result of their investment in your company.

• It is readable. A slide is not the place for 10 or 12 point, 16 point, or 18 point fonts On your slides, preferably 20 point of a clear and professional font should be used. Similarly, use a light background and limit the number of graphics on a single slide. Text should be kept to a minimum. • Don't forget to use your headlines. Use interesting and memorable titles such as "the magic that is us" instead of standard headings such as "business model." Before you add any other text, try telling a storey solely with your headlines.• Recallable. In what you say and how you present yourself. Make yourself stand out from the crowd. Try not to use stock images that are easily identified. Because not everyone is a great photographer or designer, when searching for images in the image directory, scroll down several pages rather than selecting from the top images. Let's get to the important part: creating your pitch deck. C These slides, and no other slides, should be included in the content of a great pitch deck. 1. The cover slide, which includes the company name, logo, website address, and an appropriate graphic. You could include a brief tag line to pique people's interest in the upcoming presentation. Uber is a well-known pitch deck, with the tagline "Next generation car service." AirBnB's "Book rooms with locals rather than hotels," she said. They were both interesting, succinct, and informative Vision and Value Proposition: Why your company exists and what it plans to do, as well as the value it offers 3. The Issue: what business issue you are attempting to solve or have identified. 4. The Solution: how you intend to solve the problem using the products you have on hand. 5. Target Market and Opportunity: where you intend to solve the problem and who is likely to purchase the solution. You should include the market's size, shape, and expected changes. 6. Competition: who else is in this market and could stifle your growth and expansion? Show how you are superior to them and include your unique selling point. 7. Business Model: how you intend to operate in this market to generate revenue. Here is a company.

Canvas is an excellent choice.

8. Traction: how your revenue has fared thus far, the number of current customers you have, the rate of customer acquisition, and your company's future plans.

Marketing and selling: how will you capitalise on this traction to attract customers to your company's offerings?

10. Team: who will be in charge of the company's direction. Include any key advisors and skilled personnel.

11. Financials: sales projections, revenue to date, and so on. Include some key performance indicators (KPIs).

12. Investment: how much you want, when and how you intend to use it. The investors proposed a return on investment (ROI) and the sale of shares, followed by an exit strategy.

13. Thank you: Thank them for the opportunity, show them the way forward, and most importantly, provide them with your contact information. This is the slide that will remain on the screen as you continue to discuss the topic, so make it memorable.

Now that you've completed the difficult part, you must summarise your pitch in a few words, emphasising how you will solve this business problem, grow your company, and make the best use of the investment.

Take a deep breath and allow the potential investor to ask a few questions and make a brief statement. Listen carefully and be sure of your answers. Do not become defensive if they do not fully comprehend what you have said. Prepare to learn from them. Now, everyone shakes hands and requests a future meeting to discuss the future. This is your call to action, so don't just leave the room and wonder what happened. You might have gotten your money back after all.