Hello, everyone. This is Alejandro Cremades,
and today we’re going to be talking about how to avoid filler words in pitch decks.
Before we get started, make sure that you hit that Subscribe button,
and this way, you will never miss out on any of the videos that we roll out every week.
The pitch deck is the document that you’re going to need in order to raise money.
Again, it’s going to be two minutes and 41 seconds, 2:41 what you have from investors,
so the last thing that you want is to put noise in there because they’re going to be filtering it,
and the investors are not going to like it. In today’s video, we’re going to be
breaking it down for you so that you get to understand how you put it together
powerfully and how you avoid those filler words. So, without further ado, let’s get into it.
First and foremost, before we actually
dive in, let’s talk about the impact of having those filler words in your pitch
deck. What are the results, or what are the consequences? These are the most common:
Deck length Lack of focus
Lack of clarity Raising unhelpful concerns and questions
Hampering momentum Convoluting your pitch deck
Lose investor interest Killing your timing
Large file sizes Less room for visuals
So, obviously, those are the different things that are going to be contributing to
a catastrophic result and not getting that money in. Again, filler words are
definitely not going to contribute for you to get the money because the investor
wants it simple. Simplicity is king when you’re fundraising.
One of the first ways to avoid the filler words is to use a pitch deck template. You can actually use
the one that I have below that is for free that founders are using all over the world to raise
millions. By having that template, you know exactly where you’re going to be positioning,
what’s going to be the structure, and that way, you don’t have to put
filler words to avoid some emptiness on the real estate. You always need to have
that clear and great combination between the text and also the visuals. Using a pitch deck template
can actually help you to accomplish getting those filler words out of the picture.
You also want to set aside a hard limit on the number of slides that you’re going to
be including. Typically, the amount of slides that you are going to be putting in there are
going to be anywhere between 15 to 25 slides. The last thing that you want is to go over 25
because once you go over that amount, then you’re going to have to come up with all types of words
and fillings in order to make sure that the deck is not empty. Again, try to keep it to a minimum,
and simplicity is king, so cut as much as you can, but avoid cutting into the story.
If you’re wondering what some filler words are, some of the ones that you want to avoid
are the following: If
But And
We Then
So They
You also want to use a big font size. The typical font size that you’re going to be including on
pitch decks is going to be 30 points. Most of the people that are going to be reading those
presentations are going to be senior folks for the most part, and they’re going to have trouble
reading a very tiny font size. Again, put it in a way which is going to allow them to right away
be able to read the document and skim through it because investors skim through the presentation.
You want to also use more images. The more images that you use, the better,
and you will have that nice balance because, at the end of the day, an image can be as powerful
as 1,000 words. If you can find an image that is explaining what you’re trying to convey via text,
maybe remove some of that text, and you actually have the image in place. Images are fantastic.
You also want to rethink the slide titles. That is the tagline or the words or sentences
that you have on top of each slide where you’re introducing what you’re about to say
on every slide. This could be: The Problem
The Solution The Market
Competitive Landscape Things like that that
are right to the point and that investors are typically used to. Anything other than
that is probably going to overcomplicate the flow and the structure of the presentation.
Also, something that you can do is to have someone else review the presentation. A good way to do
this could be to perhaps put your presentation on Google Slides or on some collaborative type
of tool where you can share it with your team, share it with advisors, and then also with perhaps
board members so that they can perhaps cut and simplify wherever it may be a little bit complex.
Also, what you want to do is have alternative versions to the deck,
and those alternative versions could be either used by sending via email,
or you’re going to also have the deck that you’re going to be presenting in public
because typically, via email, they’re going to review, they’re going to have more of an
opportunity to read. While, when you’re in-person, you want them to focus on you, and obviously,
in-person and on video, whatever that is. You are essentially walking them through it,
and that’s why you want them to connect with you because ultimately, this is a chance for
you to build the relationship with them, and they need to connect at a personal level to a certain
degree and like you. So, in essence, that’s what you want to avoid on the filler words.
Hit a Like on the video. Also, leave a comment and let me know what you’re up to,
and Subscribe to the channel so that you don’t miss out on all the videos that we’re rolling
out every week. And if you’re raising money, send me an email at alejandro@pantheraadvisors.com. I
would love to help you out with your fundraising efforts. Thank you so much for watching.