What are the best practices for creating a pitch deck that stands out?

Tailor your pitch deck to address their specific needs and concerns. Utilize tools like Canva or PowerPoint to create visually appealing slides. Keep it concise, focusing on key points. Use compelling visuals and data to support your message. Practice your delivery to ensure confidence and clarity.

Knowing your audience is critical. You are sharing a short document that's trying to capture an investor's interest FAST and highlight how they are likely to get a financial return. Always consider: - An investor likely spends 3 mins on a first pass, not 30 mins so aim for 8-10 pages - It's vital to highlight the investable nature of your startup, not just how great/clever you think it is - Every founder can make wild claims, use evidence, data and real-world validation to stand out - Focus on what makes you unique so you stand out - Ensure you articulate "why me?" or "why us?" - VC goals differ from Angels who differ from Family Offices etc so understand their goals and tailor where you can (you can ask them!)

Knowing your audience is indeed important...their pain points, drivers, etc. However, knowing your competition is equally important. How are they solving the problem? How is your solution different? The 'Why Choose Us" has to be clear and compelling. Also, if youre a nonprofit using a pitch deck, cut the deck in half. Donors dont need to know about each and every project you've ever done.

Most investors will spend an average of 2-5 mins reviewing a pitch deck, so if it's confusing or requires too much mental gymnastics to link together ideas, it will most likely be a pass. To an investor, the way you present your pitch deck is considered a proxy of how you communicate to customers, prospective employees, and other key stakeholders.

This is from a Non-profit fundraising POV. A simple structure that I can recommend is captured in this small poem: "I had six faithful friends who taught me all I knew. Their names are What and Why and Where, and How and When and Who." If a Pitch Deck can answer these 6 fundamental questions, consider it a good start. The way to do so can be to follow these guides: WHAT - Situation - Explain the problem. WHY - Justification - Importance of the cause. HOW - Solution - That you have for the problem. WHO - Organisation - You and your profile. WHERE - Location - Outreach, beneficiaries. WHEN - Duration - Timelines, deliverables.

When crafting a pitch deck, simplicity is key. Use powerful, straightforward language that cuts through the noise. Avoid jargon and complexity. Instead, focus on communicating your message clearly and concisely. Think of each slide as a snapshot of your vision, highlighting the most important aspects. Use visuals sparingly but effectively to enhance understanding. For example, instead of drowning your slides in data, pick one compelling statistic that drives your point home. Remember, less is more when it comes to making a memorable pitch deck.

Especially if your idea is innovative, securing some quality visuals is essential. This is the time to tap into your niche interests that may not be as broad as your mission, but that have cultural rooting. Creatives in this niche are often happy to support initiatives that elevate untold stories and voices from marginalised communities, so if you can find some striking work that resonates with your message, put these into the deck front and centre.

Es clave cuidar el tono de voz. Este debe ser agradable, capaz de cautivar la atención, de transmitir entusiasmo y confianza a la audiencia.

Tell a story. Make it both head and heart. Your pitch deck can be more than just a dry document..let it sell the story. I also advise using a modern presentation software like Canva or Beautiful.ai and limiting yourself to 10 slides. Think of slides as your case for support... And be creative.