Marcus Richards
Pitching allows one to make a first impression on prospective investors. It is a chance to sell an existing business plan and let them in on the gains from investing in your idea or organization. A business pitch should be straightforward, informative, and have precise delivery. The presentation must be worth the investors’ time. A business pitch can take various forms, from sales pitch to interview and funding pitch. Therefore, it is essential to identify the pitch type you will deliver and build on it. When looking for investors, you will be delivering a funding pitch, and here are some pitch deck best practices.
What Is an Investor Presentation and What Does It Include?
A company should be able to sell itself to prospective investors by providing a document containing its vision, services rendered, market opportunities, and project plans. The company administration often rafts the document. The presentation of this document is what is known as an investor presentation. During the presentation for investors, the primary aim is to help them get a rough idea of what they will be signing up for. Thus, an investor presentation should be customized and well-conveyed to take prospective investors through a precise and rational journey. The call to action section is among the most significant parts of an investor presentation deck since it briefly indicates why they should be on board. Some of the top qualities of a good pitch deck design include:
- A precise and concise cover page indicating the organization’s name, address, and logo.
- An executive brief usually summarizes the organization’s plans and operations.
- Company background covering an overview of company services and products, including when it was started.
- Market opportunities showing a projection of how the organization intends to penetrate the market, the competition, and plans to grow.
- Description of competitors and how the organization plans to rise above this competition
- The company’s financial condition.
- The plan.
Top Pitch Deck Tips to Make a Good Funding Presentation
Making a convincing pitch to potential investors can be tasking, especially if you don’t know what to expect. That’s why most people are still trying to find out the various ways of how to present to investors. Coupled with the pressure of delivering a good presentation, it may take more work than expected. Here are tips to ace your investor presentation.
Understand Your Audience
Before taking the stage to deliver your points, it’s essential to first the type of audience you will be making your investor pitch deck. Understanding their interest will help you customize the keynote to grab their attention. Once you understand the type of audience you will be addressing, it will be much easier to deliver a relevant presentation with points that relate to them. The upside of understanding your listeners is that you will use relevant examples to elaborate on specific topics. It may be hard to know who you will be addressing, especially if you have yet to meet them. Therefore, it is best to do your due diligence and research about them.
Narrate a Story
A good anecdote goes a long way in supporting your presentation. Therefore, finding relevant stories your listeners can relate to before finalizing your presentation is essential. Narrating a compelling story will capture your audience’s attention, which gets them more engaged. Presenting data and facts may make the whole presentation boring – the audience may lose concentration midway through the exhibition. The story should depict your commitment to the company’s vision and the opportunities you look forward to grabbing.
Make It Straightforward
A straightforward presentation is one that clearly defines the proposition from the beginning. The packaging of your slides from the beginning will impact the investors’ decision. Therefore, you should be more upfront with your request while maintaining a reasonable level of politeness. You should highlight your selling points in brief points. Additionally, it would be best if you were more direct about the uniqueness of your company and how it has helped you get ahead in the competitive market. Such straightforward points will let the investors comprehend what you are bargaining for. You can also briefly overview how you’ll execute your business plan and deliver a payback for prospective investors.
Anticipate Concerns
Before making your presentation, go through the whole deck and brainstorm the likely questions that may arise during or after the presentation. Once you anticipate these questions, prepare a way to address them. Some of the concerns that are often raised are the risks of investment. Thus, don’t shy away from such questions; instead, face them head-on and be transparent about the existing risks and how to mitigate them. Once you address such primary issues, investors will be confident in your plan. Failing to consider the risks on hand indicates that you are less prepared.
Have Accurate Data
Giving data projections indicates that you have adequate comprehension of your company and its position in the market. For further clarity, you can find a previously delivered investor presentation example and draw inspiration from it. The perfect data projection should cover the company’s revenue goals, profits, and liabilities. Additionally, indicate how you intend to use the funds awarded and give a realistic timeline for when they can begin to see their investment results. Highlighting the correct trajectory of your company finances will make the investors more confident in your business plan. Failure to give accurate data projections may indicate that the company needs more accountability.
Final Act
Preparing a pitch deck presentation requires a lot of meticulousness. You can use the pitch deck tips mentioned above to get ahead in your next presentation. The responsibility bestowed upon the presenter may come with a lot of pressure; however, with composure and awareness, you can give a proposition that will convince people to invest in your business.
Good investor slides should be more detailed and provide adequate information that investors can relate to on all levels. You can achieve this by raising and addressing your concerns diligently and in a way that grabs your audience’s attention. From knowing your numbers to giving a straightforward proposition, all these are some of the best ways to get investors on your side. Sometimes, we overlook some aspects of a pitch, including having a good cover page and images in your work, which significantly impact making your pitch stand out.
