Perfecting your Pitch: Putting Your Best Foot Forward for Investors

The key to that question are investors. But what are the best steps to persuade investors to invest in your idea? There are several ways to go about creating a pitch deck, with some being more extensive and others opting for a quick presentation. I’ve collected some tips and outlined them below on what sections to include, and how to best design them. 

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Quick tip: According to Guy Kawaski’s book: The Art the Start, pitch decks should follow the “10/20/30 rule of Powerpoint.” 10 slides, 20 minutes, and font size no smaller than 30. 

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1. Introduction: This is the part where investors get their first impression of your company and what you are bringing to the table. Make it memorable. 
   1. A cover page with your company’s name and a quick one-liner below that summarizes your company’s mission. Check here for an example. 
   2. Be sure to add your company’s name in the bottom corner of each succeeding slide. 
   3. Choose a consistent color palette, font, and font size! 

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2. Know Your Audience and Pitch your Problem: 
   1. Imagine pitching to an audience that has no idea what problem your business is trying to solve - you’re bound to confusing them. That’s the importance of introducing the problem right away. 
   2. Break Down the Problem: If your problem is complex, break it down so it’s easy for even a 10 year old to understand. Include something visual like pictures, statistics, or graphs for quick understanding of the issue you’re trying to solve. 
   3. Tip: As seen in finance, baby’s pitch deck, they gathered evidence to showcase the real life issue. 

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3. Market Size and Growth
   1. Why should an investor invest in something that isn’t profitable or becoming a growing market? 
   2. Show the size of your target market (ie: frequent flyers) and target audience (if applicable), and how there is a growing need for your product, or business. 

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4. Solution, Solution, Solution! 
   1. Arguably the most important follow up to your problem, selling your solution must be as simple and direct as your problem slide. 
   2. Make it fun! This slide should not be a paragraph long, or static sentences that lose audience interest. Present your solution and tie it into a mission or value statement. Check out a visual aid as seen here. 
   3. Highlight/bold the benefits of your product or solution - make them stand out. 
   4. Create a supporting slide showing how your product works, ie: the app layout, or the proposed system/business model. 

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5. Market Growth ‍

Now that you’ve presented your solution, you have to convince your investors that the industry you want to go into is growing. Always KNOW your numbers & competitors!‍

Tip: Be sure to show CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate, example seen here: 

‍6. Traction

- Traction is important to show the financial growth you have had in the past months or years.

It proves to your investors that this is not just an idea, but that there is a need. There are cases where your start-up may have not had enough time to build traction. You may need to showcase a wait list, or early product/business engagement, or perhaps specific survey results on how willing the target population is interested in buying or joining your business or product.

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7. Business Model
   1. In this slide, showcase how your business is making money and what channels it uses to generate funding.
   2. Know who and what your competitors are doing and how you differentiate yourselves from them. 
   3. Gives a great background on the industry you are in.  
   4. Follow the link here to see and read more examples. 

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8. Your TEAM! Investors want to see what your team adds to the project, their expertise, and also what areas you are focusing on! Example: You realized that your team needs someone for international partnerships. Why that role? What efforts have you done to fulfill that need?
   1. Headshots: Include high-quality headshots of each team member. A professional appearance can make a positive impression.
   2. Names and Titles: Clearly list the full names and titles of each team member.
   3. Brief Bios: Provide a concise overview of each team member's experience, skills, and relevant accomplishments. Highlight their contributions to the company.
   4. Key Qualifications: Emphasize the specific qualifications and expertise that make your team uniquely suited for the venture.
   5. Team Dynamics: Briefly describe the team's dynamics, such as complementary skills, shared values, and a history of working together successfully.

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Lastly, let your investors ask questions. Provide the answers concisely and prepare for them beforehand! Forbes has created a great list to check out: 100 questions investors will ask for each part of your pitch. 

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Don’t forget that Raleigh & Cary Founded host pitch nights and pitch practice at no cost to our members! Check them out here.