When it comes to pitching, there are a few things better than a good slide deck. There’s the sense of apparent certainty that just having an easily navigable slideshow in front of you can give you when you’re talking to potential investors or customers.
Plus, who doesn’t love a good pitch deck presentation? These things can make or break the future of your business. There are thousands of great ideas floating around, but without a great pitch deck, many just fizzle.
Here are 10 of the best ideas that will give your business the, yes it deserves!
1.) Add value with visuals in your pitch deck design
There is one simple rule when creating your presentation: add as many cool visuals as possible! Avoid text-heavy slides at all costs. Remember, this is not a slideshow for your grandmother–it’s for people in the business world. Visuals will help them quickly grasp what you mean and keep their attention during your pitch rather than having them fall asleep while reading endless bullet points on a screen. Less is more!
2.) Create memorable characters on your pitch presentation to represent your company.
If you’re like most people, the only characters you’ve created are for video games or comic books. But they can come in handy when pitching your business, too. Speaking of Wolverine, there’s a good reason why he’s on the majority of X-Men team posters: he sticks in people’s minds, making it easy for them to remember who is who.
The same goes with your company; create one or two memorable characters that will help your audience remember who you are and what you are about during your presentation.
3.) Keep Presentation Deck Slide Design Simple
Although PowerPoints are often called “slide decks” they should never be used as such. That’s because you don’t want to give your audience an excuse not to watch. It’s easy for them to get distracted by flashy images, bright colors, text written in Comic Sans font, and splash screens with company logos not related to the presentation they are watching. If you’ve ever sat through a boring PowerPoint deck during a conference or at work, then these tips will seem familiar to you.
Don’t have any designing experience? Don’t worry! Venngage, the best pitch, and graph maker app is here to aid you! Easily churn out your slides with their templates and amazing graphic elements.
4.) Use Images That Mean Something
When adding visuals, avoid generic stock photos. Not only is this a lazy design but it also creates an impression of laziness on your part as well as disinterest in your business. Instead, consider using pictures that reflect your brand and the message you’re trying to convey–just make sure that they are hi-res and look professional!
5.) Add Personal Details in Your Start Up Pitch Deck
It’s fine to share the company mission statement but only do so if you keep it real. Fortunately for you, that means sharing your fears as well as your dreams with your audience. To truly connect with them, mention personal details about yourself–it will help create a lasting rapport, which is what you want when pitching!
6.) Use Cross-channel Marketing to Your Advantage
Do you have an active social media presence? Then use it to your advantage. You can take behind-the-scenes pictures or post videos directly onto YouTube–just make sure they are related to the presentation at hand!
It also helps remind viewers of who you are after seeing your face several times. After all, you don’t want them thinking that you’re a totally different person!
7.) Keep an eye out for Red Flags in Your Investor Deck
You always want to think like the investors and customers you’re pitching to. This means keeping an eye out for any red flags about your business. Some common ones that turn people away include technical difficulties with phone calls or webinars, too many buzzwords and industry jargon, and unrealistic expectations or promises. If anyone points one of these issues out during your presentation, take note so you can fix it before future presentations!
8.) Give Them What They Want
When sharing information with potential investors or customers, it’s important to know beforehand what they want to hear–that way you can tailor your presentation accordingly. For example, if they ask to see financial projections and you don’t have them prepared, you need to be able to say so without offending them.
Be diplomatic about it and tell them that this is something you’ll work on before your next round of pitches. You don’t want to lose potential investors because of a technicality!
9.) Leave Room for Questions
There’s nothing worse than listening to someone give a long-winded presentation without allowing time for questions and answers–it makes the audience feel like you’re trying to hide something or just hurry things along. Avoid this awkwardness by leaving enough time in the end for people with questions or comments to voice their thoughts.
10.) If All Else Fails…
If you’ve tried these techniques and they still aren’t working, then it might be time to call in a professional. If your presentation is too long or boring, for example, a public speaking coach can help you improve it just enough so that investors will take notice. They won’t have to know that it’s been polished up a bit!
Conclusion
There you go, 10 killer ideas that will surely wow those potential investors. Keep these in mind and the future of your business will look very bright!
