Pitching your startup to potential investors, customers, or partners is a crucial skill that can make or break your chances of success. But how can you use slides to create a compelling pitch that captures attention, conveys your value proposition, and inspires action? Here are some tips to help you design and deliver effective slides for your startup pitch.
Before you start creating your slides, you need to know who you are pitching to and what they care about. Do some research on their background, interests, goals, and pain points. This will help you tailor your message, tone, and visuals to their needs and expectations. You want to show them that you understand their problems and that you have a unique solution that can solve them.
One of the rules I advise founders in our accelerators to keep when creating pitch decks is to create it for the ‘skimmer’ As someone who looks at almost 100 pitch decks a month I can tell you that I (and others) simply ‘skim’ each slide to see if I can get a general grasp of your startup. If I cannot, I’m unlikely to look at in any further detail. But if what I skim begins to excite me, then I am more likely to go back to the top and take a more detailed look and read through it. This is just a basic time-saving strategy that I and other accelerator managers and investors have. Therefore: 1. Use font sizes to grab attention. 2. Use attention getting headers. 3. Do not cram text in each slide. 4. Use stats to solidify points.
A good pitch has a clear structure that guides your audience through your story. A common framework is the problem-solution-benefit model, where you start by presenting the problem that your startup is addressing, then explain how your product or service solves it, and finally highlight the benefits and outcomes for your customers and stakeholders. You can also add other elements, such as your team, traction, market size, competitive advantage, and call to action, depending on the context and purpose of your pitch.
The standard structure for many startup pitch decks when pitching to investors around the early stage is: Title Problem Solution Problem Market Business model Go to market Traction Revenue (or projection) Completion Roadmap Team Ask Contact A common question I often get is ‘Do you always have to start with the problem?’ My answer is, no. I say, start at the point you believe will get the greatest attention and interest from your audience. For example: Got a great rockstar team with exits under your belt? Start there and show what you’re building now. Already generating eye-brow raising revenue? Start there and show how you got there. Already have a waiting list of 10,000 users? Start with traction.
People also ask What makes a great startup pitch? A good pitch should have a clear narrative flow. What the future will look like and why, how we're going to make it happen, and why we have the team and proof points to do it. It should tell a story, not just be a jumble of facts.
Your slides should support and enhance your pitch, not distract or confuse your audience. Use simple and powerful slides that have a clear message, a relevant image or graphic, and minimal text. Avoid clutter, jargon, and unnecessary details that can dilute your core message. Use consistent fonts, colors, and layouts that match your brand identity and create a professional impression. Use animations, transitions, and effects sparingly and only when they add value to your presentation.
Using animations can reinforce messages and keep presentations engaging but adding in too many animations or effects can definitely have a negative impact in some instances and detract from the main messaging. As a designer I know from experience that clients often want to add in more animations than are necessary, and getting the correct balance is key
Here's a trick I use when building compelling pitch decks: Grab a pile of good ol' letter size paper and a Sharpie. Lay them out on a table. Then, write one short sentence for every slide. Use full sentences that start with action verbs and add a quantifiable element to each point. The entire deck should read like a compelling story. If a slide doesn't add a powerful point, throw it away. If you need to reorder slides, simply shift the paper slides on the table. Keep doing it until you have masterpiece in your hands.
No matter how good your slides are, you still need to practice and rehearse your pitch to deliver it with confidence and clarity. Practice your pitch aloud, preferably in front of a mirror or a camera, and get feedback from others. Pay attention to your voice, pace, tone, body language, and eye contact. Make sure you can convey your main points in a concise and engaging way. Anticipate possible questions and objections and prepare answers and evidence. Have a backup plan in case of technical issues or interruptions.
The ultimate goal of your pitch is to engage and connect with your audience and persuade them to take action. To do that, you need to show passion, enthusiasm, and authenticity. Tell stories, use anecdotes, and share customer testimonials that illustrate the impact and value of your startup. Use humor, emotion, and rhetorical devices to capture attention and interest. Invite questions, feedback, and dialogue and show that you are open to learning and improving. Thank your audience for their time and attention and follow up with them after your pitch.
Always tell a story, you should weave your slides into a narrative that shows a journey from problem to solution to success.
Visual aids are only there to complement your message. In every pitch, the most important visual aids is YOU. Make the impact with your words and voice, body movement and gestures. The look of confidence in your eyes and the sense of determination in your stance. If their eyes are glued to you more than the slides, you did well.
Crafting a potent startup pitch deck involves weaving milestone numbers into a narrative that unfolds from problem identification to highlighting the unique value proposition and traction gained. Utilizing straightforward yet impactful graphics and images enhances the presentation's effectiveness.