Every new or growing company needs a great pitch deck to present to potential investors about their mission, business plan, and company overview. Before getting into everything that should be included in your pitch deck, here are a few tips to keep in mind throughout the design process:

  • Outline your goals first. Before creating your deck, the first thing you should do is to list the goals you hope to achieve from your presentation. Is it to secure funding, add members to your team, or to win a startup pitching competition? The goals you hope to achieve through your presentation should always be kept in mind to ensure you don’t get off track.
  • Keep it simple. Since an investor’s time is valuable, make sure it is brief and to the point and answers all their pertinent questions. It shouldn’t overwhelm them with information, but rather leaving them interested and wanting more. To help with this, follow Guy Kawasaki’s 10/20/30 rule of PowerPoint—10 slides, 20 minutes and no font smaller than 30 point. This will help to ensure that you present only the most important information and don’t over clutter your slides with information that your audience will likely not remember.
  • Focus on visuals. Investors see many pitch decks every year, so make sure it is visually appealing and not just filled with charts and bullet points. Your pitch deck’s design should also be used to help establish the visual brand and personality of your company.

With these tips in mind, the following are suggestions for the type of information that should be included throughout your pitch deck.

Tell Your Story

Aside from the technical data and projections, it’s important that potential investors first buy into the story of your business. Your company’s store should include 1. It’s purpose; 2. The problem your company solves; and 3. The solution you provide your customers

  1. Your Company’s Purpose. Why does your company exist? Who did you build your company for (the customer persona) and what is your mission to serve them? Just like the Home page header of a website, you should address immediately exactly what it is that your company does and who it’s for.
  2. The Problem. What problem(s) does your company solve? There is no need for the company unless it solves a problem. This could be a new problem that isn’t being addressed in the market, or an old problem that simply requires a better solution.
  3. The Solution. How does your product or service solve your customers’ problems? In what way is your product unique about how it solves this problem? Don’t just describe your product on these slides, show them – if it’s software, create a mockup of it on a computer or mobile screen. Make sure to list only the top most intriguing features of your solution and don’t go into too much detail.

Market Opportunities

Is there a market for your product or service? Use the following slides to demonstrate a few reasons why your solution is needed and that market is ripe for it. Using data visualization such as charts and infographics is a great way to show your market research instead of just talk about it.

Describe your company’s differentiation and unique selling point. What sets your product or service apart from others? One effective way of visualizing this is to show a product comparison chart where you list the features and benefits of your product in one column and in the other columns compare how they are superior to the features of your competitors’ products.

Display case studies or testimonials that show the successes your company has had with past clients as proof of the value of your product. In comparison, you can also show negative reviews given to your competitors products, further emphasizing why your solution is needed.

Achievements

Show investors what you have achieved till now. If you already have a growing user base, you can visually show it with the help of a line graph. Also show a slide detailing goals for the near and distant future: Where is your company now and where do you hope to be in 1 year, 5 years or 10 years from now?

Financials

What does the financial future of your company look like to investors? Display a chart that depicts your estimated revenue after first 1-2 years after launch. Show the investor what your revenue vs costs are and what does that look like in terms of margins.

Sales & Marketing Strategy

Interested investors will also want to know the plan you have to reach the goals and financial projections you’ve highlighted — this is where your sales and marketing strategy comes in. Convince your audience that you have an effective go-to-market strategy that will not break the bank.

Leadership Team

Show who is running your company and what their experience is. Describe the key players on your management team, board of directors and board of advisors, as well as your major investors. Display headshots, bios, credentials and social media links.

Closing / Call To Action

Briefly review key takeaways from the presentation and display a call to action and your contact info.

Essential Reading/Watching