I've been developing pitch decks for over ten years and work with every size
and stage of capital raising clients. I noticed companies kept coming back to
the same question, what content do investors want to see in my pitch deck?
In this video you'll find out what venture capitalists have told me they
need to see in your pitch deck and then I will outline how to flesh out
each point. It's kind of my secret sauce and I've been successful using this
content guide for my clients and seeing great results. You only get one chance to
pitch to investors and I want to make sure you are given every chance to
succeed. If you're raising capital checking out this video will definitely
help you!
Hi I'm Antonia from aok.com.au and I love working with companies
just like yours to develop strategic messaging for pitch decks. I have helped
many of our clients find clarity around their business message and as a result
go on to successfully close millions of dollars in equity. Now it's your turn to
build for success. Let's dive right in and find out what these essential key
points are. What does your firm do? This is a brief overview of your business,
what innovation you bring to your market and its benefits. This is your elevator
pitch and should be less than 50 words. This is the one point I find companies
have the most trouble with. So many people think this means they should tell
investors about their service or product. It's not. It's about letting them know
the purpose of your business. For instance, if you asked an electricity
supply company what they did, they would probably say something; like we supply
electricity to businesses and homes. But what they really do is keep cities
alight and keep people warm at night.
That's a purpose. When you answer this point make sure your purpose is
clear to your investors. If you're new to my channel, make sure you subscribe.
as I'll be posting weekly videos to my playlist 'Pitch Decks: WOW INVESTORS'.
It will be rich with tips and tricks which you can go on to use to create a
powerful and compelling pitch deck. Let's dive right in to the next key point.
What problem or need are you satisfying? By that I mean what is the gap in the
current market and how will your solution fill that gap? And of course,
don't forget to explain how your solution is going to continue to evolve
for market longevity. Who is your customer? Give an outline of your market
how you'll be targeting them and how are you going to be meeting their needs.
What is your competitive advantage? This is where you outline how your solution is
an innovative and sustainable game changer. Don't forget to make it clear
why your market will be buying from you and not your competitors. Who are your
competitors? investors will probably have researched your market before you stand
in front of them and will be waiting for you to demonstrate that you know your
market. So make sure you know your competitors and their position in that
market and know how they will impact your business. How big is the market? Here
you'll let investors know the size of your target market the various
channels and the regions you'll be covering. What is your strategy for
future growth? On this slide you could cover anything from entering additional
channel markets, to technology development or global reach; but you have
to demonstrate your immediate next steps and a clear vision for the future of
your business. As we go over the key points keep an eye
out for the one you have the most difficulty nailing down and let me know in the
comments below. Sometimes it simply takes someone
outside the company to see things clearly. Between the two of us, I'm sure
we'll be able to come up with a compelling solution. Let's keep on going. We
have five very important points left to cover.
What is your growth timeline? An infographic that demonstrates your growth
timeline can be a nice idea here. Whatever your solution you need to
demonstrate your roadmap for future, short, medium and long term expansion.
Always be realistic with your projections as an experienced investor
may be put off by your over estimation of what is possible. What is your exit
strategy? This usually applies to more mature
companies that want to identify strategic buyers that may
want to acquire their business or even possibly an IPO exit. Again this isn't a
slide for smaller enterprises and can be overlooked if not appropriate. Who are
your team leaders? Keep this short and sweet and only include the top level
team leaders. Slide after slide of all the people in the business will rarely
be of interest to an investor. What is needed here is a good quality image, a
short outline of their leadership skills and qualifications.
What are your financials? Do not present financials that haven't been properly
researched. If necessary, get your accountant to help you and make sure you
understand your own projections just in case an investor asks you to go into
greater detail. Not knowing your financials can impact investor
confidence and blow the deal. What is the investment opportunity? It's now time to
state what investment participation you are seeking and the
likely outcome for the investor. I can't stress enough be realistic with your
projections. What is your call to action? This is where you ask for the
investment. It's time to have nerves of steel and clearly state what you're
asking for. Let them know why your business is an attractive opportunity
and ask for them to invest in your business. They already know this is why
you're standing in front of them so don't be shy about closing the deal.
Congratulations you now have a road map for what venture capitalists want to see
in your pitch deck. I just want to pop in a couple of bonus tips that I've learned
along the way. Please keep your message to under 50 words per
slide. A pitch deck is supposed to be a snappy and concise overview of your
company. More than that and people will be reading the screen. You don't want
that. You want them to be making eye contact with you so that you can build a
connection with them. Bear in mind that no pitch deck is the same as the next,
that's why I always suggest you review the results of each of your
presentations and figure out what worked and what didn't. Then circle back to your
pitch and update it. In my next video I'll walk you through a couple of pitch
decks which I created for my clients that went on to successfully raise
millions of dollars in venture capital. If you're looking to sharpen up your
pitch deck this will be a must watch. Don't forget to hit the bell button at
the top of the page to be notified when this video is posted. If you'd like a PDF
the points I covered today, I created a free downloadable guide. It will take you
through all the points we've just covered and offer suggestions on how to
flesh them out. You can find the link for the PDF below. If you're feeling
overwhelmed and need some help developing the best pitch deck possible,
upload your current content through our website and get one of our experts to
help you. There's a link to this page below. Simply pick one of the four online
presentation solutions that suits your needs and your budget. And of course
reach out to me if I can help in any way. I hope you liked this video. If you did
please let me know by hitting the like button below and leaving a comment letting
me know your business niche. I'd be very interested to know what it is. And don't
forget to share this video with people that are important to you. Whatever you
do, don't stop pitching.