Top Tips For Creating A Stand-Out Pitch Deck

For any founder or executive, the pitch deck is a crucial tool. Whether seeking equity investment, debt, a blend of both, or preparing to sell, a well-crafted pitch deck can make all the difference in landing your ideal investors or buyers.

A well-crafted pitch deck requires a thoughtful understanding of both your business and the goals of your audience. By focusing on the right aspects for each type of investment or sale, and tailoring your deck to the specific priorities of investors or buyers, you’re setting your business up for success.

At Cooper-Fay Harris, we’re passionate about helping businesses create compelling, targeted pitch decks that resonate with any audience. Let’s make your next pitch your best yet!

Here are five essential tips, from Cooper-Fay Harris CEO, Kate Cooper-Fay for each scenario, along with how to tailor your deck based on the type of investor or buyer you’re aiming to attract.

1. Equity Investment Pitch Decks

When it comes to equity investment, investors seek potential for high growth and returns.

• Focus on Vision and Impact -?Equity investors want to see how your business can change the landscape. Your vision should be clear, inspiring, and demonstrate the market gap you’re addressing.
• Highlight Scalable Growth -?Show your path to scalability and how additional equity will drive growth. Use data to emphasize traction and potential market size.
• Clear Financial Projections -?Investors will scrutinise your financials, so ensure projections are realistic, with a clear path to revenue growth and profitability.
• Competitive Edge -?Explain what makes your business defensible. Showcase unique value propositions, patents, customer loyalty, and anything else that sets you apart.
• Strong Team -?Equity investors back strong leaders. Highlight team members with relevant expertise and a track record of success in your field.

2. Debt Investment Pitch Decks

Debt investors are more risk-averse and typically seek low-risk, steady returns.

• Cash Flow Stability -?Demonstrate stable cash flow and your ability to repay. Provide historical data on earnings, cash reserves, and future cash flow forecasts.
• Asset Security -?Debt investors want collateral. Highlight tangible assets (property, equipment, inventory) that provide security for their investment.
• Risk Management -?Explain how you’re minimising risk, particularly around market, operational, or regulatory factors. Emphasise predictability and conservative growth.
• Debt Repayment Strategy -??Outline a clear and realistic plan for how you’ll manage repayments, showing how debt aligns with your business growth strategy.
• Transparency in Financials -?Be meticulous and open with financial details. Show strong historical financial health, cash reserves, and a conservative approach to debt.

3. Blended Funding Pitch Decks (Equity & Debt)

When pursuing a blend, it’s crucial to balance equity and debt aspects, providing insights into both growth potential and risk management.

• Balance the Pitch -?Show how equity and debt work together in your plan, illustrating how each will fuel growth and provide stability.
• Optimised Capital Structure -?Explain your reasoning for a blended approach, highlighting why it’s the optimal structure for achieving your goals.
• Projected ROI and Cash Flow -?Outline both revenue growth and debt servicing capacity. Show investors their returns on equity while ensuring debt obligations are manageable.
• Mitigated Risk -?Demonstrate how blended financing enhances stability, supporting growth without over leveraging.
• Exit Strategy for Both Investors -?Clarify exit opportunities for equity investors, as well as how debt will be handled or retired upon a major milestone or liquidity event.

4. Pitch Decks for Selling the Business

Selling a business requires a deck that appeals to a buyer’s strategic interests.

• Market Position and Brand Strength -?Show the unique market position, brand strength, and competitive advantage of your business to attract premium offers.
• Revenue History and Future Growth -?Highlight your revenue trends and future growth potential, showcasing past performance and future market opportunities.
• Transferable Assets -?Outline valuable assets (IP, key contracts, customer lists) that are transferable to new ownership.
• Operational Efficiency -?Emphasise efficient, sustainable operations that will make the transition smooth for the buyer.
• Management Transition Plan -?Highlight a solid plan for management transition, showing how continuity will be maintained post-sale.

Tailoring Your Pitch Deck for Different Investor and Buyer Types

For Investors

Each investor type—whether Angel, UHNW, VC, PE, or Corporate—has unique priorities

• Angel Investors & UHNWs -?These investors often prioritise personal rapport, vision, and impact. Your deck should emphasise the founder’s story, purpose-driven vision, and community impact.
• Venture Capitalists (VCs) -?VCs focus on high growth and returns, so emphasise scalability, a substantial TAM (Total Addressable Market), and your competitive advantage.
• Private Equity (PE) -?PE firms often prioritise profitability and exit potential. Focus on stable cash flow, EBITDA, operational efficiency, and clear ROI projections.
• Corporate Investors -Corporates seek synergy with their existing businesses. Highlight strategic fit, potential integrations, and how your business can complement or expand their current operations.

For Buyers

Potential buyers, such as trade buyers, PE firms, and others, look for specific benefits based on their acquisition goals.

• Trade Buyers -?Trade buyers are interested in synergies, customer bases, and market expansion. Show complementary assets, IP, or operational synergies.
• Private Equity Firms -?PE buyers are often attracted to strong cash flow, operational efficiency, and exit potential. Focus on profitability, scalability, and ROI potential.
• Strategic Acquirers -?They seek businesses that add direct value to their portfolio. Highlight how you complement their portfolio, expand their reach, or add new capabilities.

For more information about how Cooper-Fay Harris can help you with your investment raise, please send us a direct message