In today's time, business expansion is going at a fast pace. Every other day innovation is happening, which makes life easy. But, converting every innovative idea into reality is not that easy. Every innovative idea and market launch needs a strong upper hand regarding experience and finance, so you must to know how to craft pitch deck.

 

There are a lot of startups that are coming up with problem-solving ventures, but the only thing they lack is finance. All they need is like-minded mentors and investors ready to invest their time, money, and efforts to make their idea a reality.

 

Today attracting investors and making them invest in your business idea is difficult. To convince them, you must strategically present your case with all the key points. And here comes the pitch deck, which will help you draw investors' attention to your venture.

 

You must be confused about what exactly is pitch deck, Don't Panic, Relax! By the end of this blog, you will get to know what a pitch deck is and how to craft pitch deck to finally give a boost to your idea to convert it into reality.

 

What is Pitch Deck?

A pitch deck is a brief presentation that lets you clearly communicate your venture's idea and potential. A pitch deck is usually a 10-20 slide presentation designed to give an overview of your business plan, products and services the company deals in, a glimpse of market size, and growth traction.

 

As an entrepreneur, you know this: “financing gives wings to your company and your idea.”

 

A business venture or any innovation idea needs financing both from internal sources and external sources. Getting your idea financed from external sources is not an easy task. To get financed, you need to communicate your idea to potential investors that get them interested in investing in your venture.

 

What Purpose is Solved by Pitch Deck?

A pitch deck is most commonly used for fundraising- to present your business to attract potential investors. It is a powerful tool for communicating your idea with stakeholders, clients, and investors.

 

  • To clarify and filter out your initial idea.
  • To attract a co-founder or mentor.
  • Aids in attracting external parties for raising funds.
  • To hire skillful team members.
  • The Pitch deck helps you to gain feedback from customers.

 

A pitch deck, also known as a start-up pitch deck or investor pitch deck, is a presentation that helps the investors understand your business plan and ideas. A sound pitch deck will help you to secure your next meeting with investors and clients. A Pitch deck is a way to present your idea to investors that intrigues them and gets them to engage with you.

 

The major factor of a pitch deck is that clients usually don’t have time to commit to reading a lengthy 30–40 page document on your business plan, so a 10-15 min short and crisp presentation can be a great entry point to get them interested and involved in your innovative idea.

 

The motive behind the pitch deck is to showcase the trailer to investors to get them excited to know the full movie. The point is to give people the essence and to get them interested. Once this motive is achieved and finally able to secure further meetings, they can watch the whole movie with the help of more detailed discussions and other business documents.

 

How many Pitch Decks a Business May Need?

As a business entrepreneur, you must have to craft two pitch decks.

Firstly, you need to have a lean pitch deck; it’s a deck with less than 10 slides. These slides contain very minimal text and as much visually presented information as possible, i.e., graphical elements, graphs, etc. This pitch deck is a two to the five-minute presentation that generally comes in handy when you need to start a conversation about the business.

 

The second type of pitch deck you need is a detailed version with more text-heavy content on the slide. This presentation is a comprehensive, detailed overview of a business plan which is usually 20-30 mins long. The nature of these pitch decks is that the deck will be understandable even if people just go through it. You can present this deck in further meetings to investors after creating excitement among them.

 

Now, after knowing what exactly Pitch Deck is, you must be wondering what all it should contain to draw the attention of investors and stakeholders instantly. Again, Relax! In this blog, as promised, you will get detail about each thing that should be part of your Pitch Deck.

 

What to Include in your Pitch Deck?

To craft a pitch deck, the structure of your pitch deck is one of the most important aspects of getting it right. This means that your pitch deck should cover all the essential aspects that investors expect to see.

 

Rule: Never really experiment with your pitch decks.

Your pitch deck should be clear and concise because a weird structure increases the chance that some of your viewers will be left confused.

 

The key to a successful pitch is:

  • To present your idea clearly and concisely.
  • Make your idea different from other ventures prevailing in the market.
  • Add an influential factor to the deck to convince your potential audience of your idea.

 

Each slide should be created by keeping these three principles in mind. Generally, there are ten main topics that each pitch deck should follow. Several startup founders, authors, and venture capitalists have created a version of what they think is required for successful pitching PPT.

 

Most of them agree on the following Pitch deck Outline to craft a pitch deck:

Slide 1: Introduction

Slide 2: Overview

Slide 3: Problem

Slide 4: Solution

Slide 5: Market Size

Slide 6: Product & Services

Slide 7: Traction/ Validation

Slide 8: Meet a Team

Slide 9: Competition

Slide 10: Financials

Slide 11: The Ask

Slide 12: Contact Us

 

So, let’s discuss in detail these key topics that the pitch deck should contain:

 

Slide 1: Introduction

Goal: To communicate clearly and concisely what you do as a business and why you are here.

 

The first slide of your pitch deck is the most important one. You get the chance to instantly draw the client’s attention and make a great first impression. Don’t let this opportunity go to waste.

 

The key here is to communicate what you are offering clearly.

 

You can also communicate by adding the value proposition of the business. Just try to articulate it in a single phrase like:

 

“Manage your Home Deliveries”

“We make Happy Meals for children.”

 

A good value proposition will make your investors more excited and want to listen to the rest of your presentation.

 

A great example of this can be the YouTube Pitch deck.

 

YouTube Pitch DeckDownload this Template Now

 

  

  “To give everyone a voice and show them the world”

Give a one-sentence overview of the business. This instantly connects the clients with you. By this, your investors and clients already know what you are offering. This makes them ready for other slides.

 

In the above example, i.e., YouTube: By adding the visual of the logo YouTube and its one-line mission statement, the clients instantly get what YouTube offers. The one-line statement was so self-explanatory that it instantly highlights that YouTube provides a platform for people to showcase their passion for anything and everything.

 

But one thing you need to be taken care of is that your value proposition shouldn’t be vague, as this will confuse your clients. A well-known brand can still work through it as people know what they do by their name, but if you are an unknown start-up, you should completely ignore it.

 

Beside this one-sentence overview, engaging your clients by inserting powerful visuals is a good idea. These graphical elements help in the task of explaining what your business does.

 

The first slide in the pitch deck evocates the landing page your customer visits after clicking the ad. So, the first slide should be self-explanatory and communicate as much information as possible.

 

You can make changes to the slide at your convenience, add the contact details in this given slide, or keep this for the last slide to make the intro less cluttered.

 

Check out our various Pitch Decks, which will make your work hassle-free and aids you in raising funds from your favourite investors.

 

Slide 2: Overview

Goal: To showcase a brief description to the client of the business plan

 

In the first slide, we have given small and crisp information regarding the business offering. But that's not enough to convince the investors. You need to give a brief description of your business and its offering. This will give a better edge to the pitch deck.

You can include the date of establishment, the name of the co-founder, and the location of the head office. You can give a brief description of what domain your company deals with.

 

You can visually present the company's growth and customers engaged with your business. Briefly highlight the mission & vision of the business. Highlight the features of your company's offering.

 

The best part about this slide is that you can mold it as you want. Highlighting the major information to give the depth of the company's data, including the information you find suitable.

 

An excellent example of this can be showcased with the help of PayPal Pitch Deck.

PayPal Pitch DeckDownload this Template Now

 

 

Here’s a brief overview of PayPal company. This overview slide will show the investor a better picture of the company. This slide is enough to prepare the investor whether they can invest in that particular business or not.

 

In the above image, you’ll get an overview of PayPal Company, like what service it offers and its mission and vision. You can edit and add the information as per your requirement.

 

Never forget to add this slide to your Pitch Deck because the introduction slide isn’t enough to make investors on your side. An overview slide presents more detail to the client, which aids the company in fundraising.

 

Slide 3: Problem

Goal: To convince people that you are solving some real problem.

 

The major fallback for start-ups is that they build something that no customer is willing to pay for.

 

The main catch of this slide is to build something that customers can connect to your business venture. If people cannot feel the connectivity, your whole idea is wasted.

 

The purpose of this slide is to convince your audience that you are here to solve some purpose. This means the people you are presenting, i.e., your investor must be in tune with your target customer. Display the problem that you are looking to solve. The key here is to connect your clients to the problem to win them emotionally.

 

The next good example to talk about is Cabify Pitch Deck.

 

 

Cabify Pitch Deck

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Cabify Pitch Deck

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As in Cabify, the biggest problem faced by the people is mobility. The main requirement of the rider is that they need safe, convenient, and on-demand forms of transportation with a set quality of service. And provide the facility to pick you up whenever you need at a reasonable, fair amount. You can also mention what vehicle owners are searching for.

 

You can always highlight the problem at a global level and how your business idea will positively respond to it. You can highlight the opportunity for the cab industry at an economic level.

 

Like the example mentioned earlier, you can also present your case to your investors. Also, always try to solve one problem at a time, as the pitch deck doesn’t give you enough time to discuss it. Don’t make this complex by adding huge numbers of problems.

 

It would be a viable strategy to add data and let the facts make your case. Presenting the data in graphs and charts instantly draws the investor’s attention, and they can relate more to the problem.

 

Slide 4: Solution

Goal: To present your business offering as a solution to the underlying problem.

 

Your introductory slide has already given the idea of what your business does, which would allow you to present the uniqueness and significant benefits of your offering.

 

In this slide, you need to emphasize how your offering is unique and provides value compared to other offerings in the market. You need to convince your investor how your offering can be a game changer in that particular domain industry.

 

Your offering should not be complex. Rather, it should be simple and scalable. The more scalable you’re offering, the more it has growth potential. And for a start-up, growth is the primary requisite.

 

Let’s take an example of the Bumble Pitch Deck.

 

Bumble Pitch Deck

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The biggest problem faced by a youngster is that when they move to a different city or have a busy friend circle, they cannot interact with many people. And in the era of dating, it’s always challenging to explore different options to finally settle for the right one.

 

Bumble is the company that launched two in one dating app to solve the issue faced by our youngsters. Bumble launched two modes, i.e., “Date” and “Bff.”

 

It gives you the liberty to find the right partner to date and also has the option for people who move to a different city for their work or studies can interact with new people and make new friends.

 

Not only this, but bumble also solves the social taboo of “Boys Texting First,” as bumble provides you with a platform where it empowers women to text first.

 

As shown in the above visual, similarly, you can highlight the uniqueness and value of your offering. This is the decision-making slide for the investor, as after viewing this slide investor has already prepared their mind on whether to go for this proposal or not.

 

Slide 5: Market Size

Goal: To convince your clients that your project has a significant market segment to explore.

 

It’s essential to showcase the market you are dealing with to your investors. As the market size decides whether you will get funding or not.

 

You may lose the proposal if you operate in a small market because investors find the ROI low. Investors will never put their money in projects with a high probability of risk.

 

To convince your investor, you need to graph past market growth and the growth opportunity it has for the future so that investors can easily see the potential in your offering.

 

Let’s understand this slide with an example of the Airbnb Pitch Deck.

 

Airbnb Pitch Deck

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As per the above image, the statistics have been shown on the Airbnb company's market size and the potential it holds. This will aid in convincing the investor to put their money in the business venture.

 

After all, the market will decide the success and failure of the project and how the consumer responds to your offering. So before building the product, analyzing the market is an essential part. Research out to the deepest roots of the market before making this slide.

 

Slide 6: Product & Services

Goal: To demonstrate your Product or Service.

 

In the solution slide, you focus on offering and value proposition, but in this slide, you need to give a clear idea of your product and service, like how it will work.

 

Doing a live demo is possible only when you have plenty of time otherwise, you can put a visual representation of your product in the form of screenshots, prototypes, etc.

You can highlight the significant features of the product and service.

 

Let’s have a look at an example of an Apple Pitch Deck

 

Apple Pitch Deck Apple Investor Pitch Deck

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Undermentioned is the slide through which Apple made aware of their products to investors with a briefing on each of those products’ features, specs, prices, etc.

 

Why have you called investors to your place? Why must they invest in your business? What new are you offering that is not there in the market? This slide is the answer to all of such questions.

 

Like in the above example, we have mentioned all the products and services offered by Apple to its product.

 

Slide 7: Traction/ Validation

Goal: To provide the investors with evidence on problem-solution.

 

Attracting potential investors today is not that easy. If you want them on your side, you have to showcase to them the shreds of evidence.

 

If you manage to ace this part, surely you will get the acceptance of investors.

 

This slide should be all about showing the growth of the business by using facts and figures.

 

Let’s understand this slide with an example of Buffer pitch deck

Buffer Pitch Deck

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The above mentioned is the slide through which buffer made investors aware of their company’s growth rate, annual revenue, margins, etc.

 

This will convince the investor to invest their money into the project as they can see future growth potential.

 

Slide 8: Team

Goal: To leave your audience with the impression that you are working with the right people.

 

In this slide, include your competent core team member. The investor is interested in the drive of these people and what makes them unique enough to see this project succeed.

 

Under each core team member, include descriptions or titles that show why they are central to your mission.

 

Let’s have an example of Hubspot Pitch Deck.

 

Hubspot Pitch Deck

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The undermentioned slide includes a professional picture of each team member and their role in the company.

 

Also, highlight any notable accomplishments or experiences that they have.

 

HubSpot has divided its team slide into two segments: the Current Team and the Boards of Advisors.

 

Remember that how you carry yourself during the presentation would complement the impression this slide makes. Being friendly while showing confidence and competence is vital.

 

Slide 9: Competition

Goal: To clarify your competitive advantages.

 

Don’t showcase that there is no competition out there in the market. It’s not a good indicator. No competition showcases two things to the investor; either you haven’t done the proper research, or there is no need for what you are building.

 

This slide mentions your biggest rivals, how your offering makes it different from others, and why you have a competitive advantage.

 

Let’s understand this slide with an example of a Netflix Pitch Deck.

 

Netflix Pitch Deck

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This slide presents key competitors of NETFLIX in the market as it highlights:

 

  • Tabular presentation of competitor revenue model
  • Names of the competitor
  • Key points of differentiation
  • Their revenue model
  • Pricing/subscription model, etc.

 

As Netflix has a monthly subscription pricing model, amazon has a yearly subscription model. Also, Netflix showcased that they have more availability of content in comparison to Amazon Prime and Hulu.

 

Likely, in the example, as mentioned earlier, you also have to showcase all the points of comparison and how your offering has a competitive advantage in the market.

 

Slide 10: Financials

Goal: To present the financial projections of the business

 

The financials slide in your pitch deck is one that investors spend the most time looking over. It should contain your company’s projected growth over the next three to five years and details about your business model and finances. Include the revenue generated and cost incurred during an annual year.

 

Always mention 3-5 years projection, as it will provide insight to investors about the cost structure of the company, its potential, and revenue to be expected in the future. Always showcase the statistics in graphical form.

 

Let’s understand this by looking at an example of the Upwork Pitch Deck

 

Upwork Pitch Deck

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The performance of a business is usually measured by its revenue and cost structure. The amount of money it brings in from sales during an accounting period.

 

 

Other metrics included in the above example are EBITDA, Client Spend Retention, and more. In a nutshell, a solid Financial Summary slide will contain all the financial metrics relevant to your business's success so to make it very clear whether or not the business is delivering on its promises.

 

Likewise, you can also present the financial slide to an investor to convince them to invest funds in the company.

 

Slide 11: The Ask

Goal: what is your motive behind this presentation

 

This is the main crux of this slide. In this slide, you must tell how much money you are willing to raise and at what valuation. Similarly also highlights how you are going to utilize that money. You have to tell them how long it will last you.

 

If you are not looking for fundraising but are presenting this pitch deck for partners and team members, you need to tell them about your exact goals and circumstances.

 

Slide 12: Contact Us

Goal: To provide them with contact details to contact you

 

Further at the end of the presentation, add a thank you note and mention the company's contact details. Mention the address of the company. Add a link to the company's website and contact and fax details and also mention the E-mail address of the company.

 

Look at the template of Yammer Pitch Deck.

 

Yammer Contact Us Slide

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Like shown in the template as mentioned earlier, you can add this slide to end your pitch deck.

 

The Do's and Don'ts of a Pitch Deck

 

Pitch Deck Dos:
  • Use short- information-dense sentences.

 

  • Provide information in bullet form rather than in paragraph form.

 

  • Likewise, use pictures and visuals to present your case.

 

  • Add contact details either on the first slide or the last slide.

 

  • Exercise making the pitch in front of people – it's crucial that you present fluently and you can deal well with time restrictions at pitching events.

 

  • Moreover use a large font for the heading to draw attention, and bold the vital information.

 

Pitch Deck Don'ts:

 

  • Add too much information on the slides, because there's no time to read it all during a presentation.

 

  • Go off on tangents while presenting. It's not a conversation. It's a presentation.

 

  • Similarly, adding too many details to a single topic.

 

Documents need to be sent after a Pitch Deck

 

  • Business Plan and Executive Summary
  • Technical documentation
  • Financial documentation

 

 

Wrapping-Up

By following all the information above, you'll be ready to present an impactful pitch deck that will aid you in attracting potential investors and partners. All you need to mention is the 12 slides mentioned above, which will surely give wings to your project. If your project is ambitious and innovative, you will get all the necessary help.

 

So, avoid the hassle by subscribing to the SlideTeam PowerPoint template. Moreover the best part is you can also make changes per the company's requirements. Call directly at +1-408-659-4170 for further queries, and our team will respond to you in the best possible way.

 

Download the free How to Craft Pitch Deck PDF.