How to Make a Good Pitch Deck

Creating a good pitch deck is very important for an entrepreneur and executive. This is when you can share your vision and get investors, partners, and clients excited. When executed right, it can get you the necessary funding to build a reality out of the vision you created. What’s the path for the truly unique pitch deck, though? How do you make sure it stands out and sticks with the viewers?

What Is a Pitch Deck?

A pitch deck is a creative presentation tool that shows and gives its viewers a brief idea of what your business idea truly is. It summarises your business objectives, KPIs, and strategies, hopefully finding investors interested to hear the rest of your story.

What Makes a Good Pitch Deck?

A great pitch deck is a clear, concise, and data-rich presentation that lets you create a narrative that engages the listener and lets your passion and vision for your business come through. It is still a story; as we like to say, you need to get them to buy, or in this case, emotionally and mentally invest, in your vision.

Some ways to do that are with a great narrative and design to lead your audience towards the most important parts. You want the story of your business to guide your audience to know exactly what you do, why it matters, and how they can get on the train to share in your success!

The Dos and Don’ts of Pitch Decks

It is essential to pay attention to the do’s and don’ts of creating a good pitch deck. Here are the dos and don’ts of pitch decks.

Do:

• Keep It Simple: Just stick to what your audience wants to know. Don’t confuse them with unnecessary details.
• Tell a Story: Start with a problem you are solving. Why should that problem be solved, and why are you the one who will solve it?
• Use Visuals: Most people don‘t remember what they read in a slide. So, use relevant images, graphs, and infographics to help people remember. You will also be clearer.

Don’t:

• Overcrowd with Text: Don’t put paragraphs of text on each slide. Your pitch deck should work with your oral presentation instead of echoing everything you are saying.
• Ignore Design: A bad design can draw attention away from your story and slides. Spend the time to design a presentation that shares the character and professionalism of your business.
• Be Vague: Be open and specific about what you are looking for, whether it be funding, a partnership, or something else. Your goal is for your audience to know what to do next.

What Should Be in a Pitch Deck?

Your pitch deck needs to answer some questions to make a good pitch deck.

• Your pitch deck needs a few things to help convey your business proposition. Start with a quick intro  — your company name, logo, tagline, and one header image.
• Overall, what is the problem you are solving (real-world examples make your point more human and relatable)?
• What is your solution, and how does it compare to what is available?
• What is the market opportunity (the opportunity you can capture, market size, trends, target customers, etc.)?
• What is your business model (Think — how do you make money, key prices, costs, partnerships.)?
• What customer validation do you currently have (customer testimonials, sales metrics, growth rate, etc.)?
• What is your go-to-market strategy (How do you get to your target customer and capture the growth opportunity)?
• Who is the team, and what makes you uniquely strong for this opportunity in your market? What are you raising, and what is your plan on spending it?

How Long Should a Pitch Deck Be?

A good pitch deck is usually 10-15 slides. This is enough to give enough information and answer the investors’ questions but not too much to put the other side to sleep. You are not telling the investors everything they need to know about your business. You only hope to get them interested enough to ask more questions. You are selling the meeting.

How to Create a Pitch Deck

Creating a pitch deck is a process and requires time, thought, and effort. Do some homework about who you will present to and look at similar companies. Have one concise message you want people to get across. Consider who your audience is and what will resonate with them. Develop your slides in a professional manner that is reflective of your brand. Lastly, you will likely have to present 5+ times and practice it 50+ times to have your timing down. Get input from your mentor and partners to see if something sounds weird before you walk in the door.

Example of a Pitch Deck

While every pitch deck will be different, here is a basic outline of what to include:

1. Title Slide: Your company name, logo, and tagline.
2. Problem Slide: The problem you’re solving, supported by data or real-world examples.
3. Solution Slide: Your product or service and how it addresses the problem.
4. Market Opportunity Slide: Market size, target customers, and trends.
5. Business Model Slide: How you make money, pricing strategy, and revenue streams.
6. Traction Slide: Key metrics, customer testimonials, or case studies.
7. Go-to-Market Strategy Slide: Your plan to reach and acquire customers.
8. Financial Projections Slide: Revenue forecasts, profit margins, and cash flow.
9. Team Slide: Key team members, their roles, and relevant experience.
10. Fund Ask Slide: Mention the amount you want to raise and your use of proceeds.

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FAQs

Here are the FAQs about the pitch deck.