If you’re looking to start or grow a business, check out these tips from guest contributor Merle, on how to design and present a strong pitch deck to persuade potential investors and clients.
 

Photo by Campaign Creators on Unsplash

 
Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur who’s just put together their first business plan, or a well-established business owner looking for expansion capital, your pitch deck can often be the one factor between a thumbs up or a thumbs down from clients and investors. In other words, no matter what type of business you own or plan to launch, you’ll need to make sure that your pitch deck is as cohesive, complete, and as airtight as possible.
 
In the following article, we’re looking at five tips for creating an expert-level pitch deck that’s sure to wow your listeners.
 
 

Keep It Short & Sweet

 
Unlike a full-on boardroom meeting, a pitch deck is simply meant to be a short yet informative presentation about your business idea or concept. It’s not meant to be a full dive into your business plan or your financial projects; it’s meant to be an overview of your objectives, goals, and how you’re hoping to bring everything to life.
 
Therefore, it’s best to make sure that your pitch decks are short and to the point. It may be tempting to ramble on about how you genuinely believe your idea has what it takes to make it. But instead, it’s best to only touch on the most crucial information related to your business, which should help illustrate the following two items:
 
 

Problems & Solutions

 
Whether you’re dealing with a prospective client or an investor, if you want them to see the real value in your company or business idea, you’ll need to identify problems and then use your presentation to illustrate how you’ll solve those problems. By painting your business as the solution to a range of common problems, the value of what you do will become easier to see.
 
Think about it from an investors’ point of view; why would they want to give you money unless they believe your business has any real, intrinsic value? The way your business will solve problems should be explained in your Unique Selling Proposition (USP), which simply highlights what makes your business different.
 
 

High-Level Information Only

 
Similar to keeping things short and sweet, you’ll want to make sure that you’re only covering the most pertinent information in your pitch. It’s possible that your listeners may have already made up their minds about your idea within the first few minutes of your pitch. Whether they’ve landed on a yes or a no, please don’t waste your time (or theirs) by covering information that isn’t going to change their mind e.g. potential clients and investors might not have time to listen to minute details about your operational cycle or your HR policy. So make sure that every second of your presentation counts!
 
 

Contact Information

 
Finally, don’t expect an instant decision on your funding application or job proposal.  People will most likely need some time to review the information you’ve just given them. So, don’t forget to leave your branded business card and other contact information with your listeners. You can create logos and designs to add to your marketing collateral here. Hopefully they will soon be back in contact with good news!
 
It can be nerve-wracking to stand up in front of potential clients or investors and talk about your business ideas. However, a pitch deck presentation is often the only thing standing between you and your business’s future success or expansion. That’s why it’s essential to take the time to create an artfully-crafted pitch deck and ensure that any information you cover in your presentation is clear, concise, and to the point.
 
 
Also watch our short video on how to deliver effective presentations.
 
 

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A Guide To Investor Pitch Decks For Startup Fundraising – Forbes

About the author:

 
Merle Brewer is a freelance writer with the right spice of entrepreneurship. She considers herself a hopeless romantic, and she spends her free time volunteering at rescue shelters.