What are the essential elements of a winning pitch deck for stakeholders?

A successful stakeholder pitch deck should concisely delineate the problem and the distinctive solution, underscore market potential and current state of the business, highlight working team's expertise and dedication, and present a coherent financial strategy with an appealing investment proposition and potential ROI.

After participating in 50+ national compeitions, 3 Inter IITs & multiple monthly stand-ups. I realized numbers/projections is the most aspect that brings everyone's attention to your presentation. - Start with the progress so far denoting KPIs with % change - Explain what lead to this change (Success/Failures) - What's Next? - How do we plan (storypoints) & what's the timeline? - Projected change in KPIs - QnA This format always helped me minimize the QnA and maximize the deliverables for stakeholders. Do try it out!

Deck should be explaining 1. Why, this idea is great 2. What, problem we are going to solve it 3. How, solution itinerary 4. When, timing and project plan Once you have the right and actual figures for above mentioned point, your deck is ready.

Something that isn’t boring. If you lose me in the first 2 slides you’ve lost me for the whole thing. Here’s some more characters so that LinkedIn will accept the answer.

In presenting a pitch deck to stakeholders, the spotlight on your product and its distinct features is essential. This part of the deck should lucidly convey what your product accomplishes, its competitive edge, and the tangible benefits it delivers to users. Use engaging visuals and concise descriptions to bring your product's key features to life, demonstrating its unique value proposition and the specific problem it solves. This approach not only captivates stakeholders' attention but also underscores the product's potential and innovation, aligning with our principles of clarity and engaging storytelling.

In my experience we need to very clearly articulate the customer insight that this product/ service is addressing and clearly connect how. This is the key as it builds confidence in rest of business case.

Our roadmap embodies our vision and strategy for product development, launch, and growth, reflecting a meticulous blend of ambition and pragmatism. With clear milestones meticulously plotted along a realistic timeline, we demonstrate our commitment to measurable progress and success. Leveraging charts, graphs, and tables, we outline a roadmap that not only resonates with our stakeholders' expectations but also reflects their invaluable feedback. By aligning our milestones with strategic objectives and market trends, we pave the way for a journey of sustained growth and innovation, positioning our product for unparalleled success.

Present a well-defined plan, outlining key development stages and timelines. Showcase strategic milestones that demonstrate progress and validate feasibility. Highlight major achievements, such as product launches, partnerships, or user acquisition goals. This instils confidence in stakeholders regarding the project's trajectory. Incorporate visuals for clarity, emphasizing the logical progression toward milestones. A transparent roadmap not only establishes credibility but also aligns stakeholder expectations, fostering trust in the project's successful execution.

Introduce your key team members: Briefly showcase the individuals who form the core of your team. Use photos and bios to add a personal touch and make them relatable. Highlight skills and experience: Emphasize the relevant expertise each team member brings to the table. Focus on skills that directly connect to your product development, launch, and growth. Demonstrate commitment: Briefly mention any past achievements or experiences that showcase the team's dedication and passion for the project.

The unpopular Opinion: ???? ? Omitting financials or investment ask: Instead of providing detailed financial projections and specific funding requests, the pitch focuses solely on the vision and innovative aspects of the product or service. ? Ignoring competition: The pitch does not acknowledge existing competitors or the competitive landscape, suggesting that the product or service is unique enough to render competition irrelevant. ? Minimal team introduction: It minimally introduces the team or doesn’t emphasize their background and experience, betting on the strength of the idea itself to carry the pitch. This is a high-risk strategy and not commonly recommended. It has worked 100% of the time for me in my new product proposals.

Integrate stakeholder accountability by identifying key points of contact for Accountability, Input, and Decision-making (A, I & D) within the RAPID framework. Delivering a product with features aligned to stakeholder needs creates customer value. Involving business stakeholders in the development process fosters collaboration, making the journey more seamless and facilitating continuous feedback.

Don't assume that just because your listeners stayed awake for all of the preceding pages in your presentation that they will automatically know what you're asking for. Be very clear of the ask - not just on the slide but as you're pitching. Ensure each listener understands the ask. Get the answer then, or a date for when each person will respond. This is the most important step - getting the YES.

I feel like this is the most under utilized area in most business cases. Based on timeline and resources assessment, we should be open in highlighting the risk and have asks associated with it to mitigate the risks. Having this discussion at the same time also builds confidence with stakeholders holders.

The challenge of a winning deck is making sure that everyone feels like they are being directly spoken to, the so called "Hero" of the journey. When you are able create a capturing story around the problem you are trying to solve for someone, and they can identify with it, the odds of getting attention and buy in increase dramatically. So when you are pitching something internally for a process improvement, for instance, make sure to identify to hero of the journey. Some easy examples are everything revolving around developer experience. If you can empower developers and ensure the story is about unlocking their creativity, you are almost guaranteed to win them. And for leaders, you highlight savings, efficiency, and speed. Good luck!

Consider getting 1:1 feedback on deck content from each stakeholder before your big pitch to the group so you can empathize with each of their views. This will not only build trust, but increase the chances of getting buy-in from every stakeholder in the room.

Based on my experience, I've learned that crafting a winning pitch deck for stakeholders involves two key strategies: First, tailor the pitch to address the unique interests of each stakeholder, emphasizing the specific benefits they will gain. Second, demonstrate unwavering commitment to the proposition to inspire confidence in its long-term viability, thereby encouraging stakeholders to make full investments.