15 Slides You Need to Have in Your Pitch Deck
You have the template for what an ideal pitch deck should have. You are aiming to raise money for your business and need to have a very convincing pitch. You need to get potential investors to engage in a conversation about your business, hopefully leading to an investment. There are components of your pitch deck that need to be included to achieve this. Always have it in mind that your pitch deck needs to be short, precise yet impactful. Below are 15 slides that you need to have in your pitch deck.
1.Executive summary
An executive summary, is a two to three page overview of your business. It’s a document that investors can share with their partners and others to provide an overview of your business. Your executive summary should cover what’s in your pitch deck, but in written form.
2. Vision and value proposition
Write your business’ vision and have a creative value proposition. Make sure that your business model is truly be similar to the company you are referencing.
3. The problem
Use this slide to talk about the problem you are solving and who has the problem. You can talk about the current solutions in the market, and how your business is the answer.
4. Target market and opportunity
Use this slide to expand on who your ideal customer is and how many of them there are. What is the total market size and how do you position your company within the market? Try not to exaggerate the size of your market but instead, show investors a very specific and reachable market. The more specific you are, the more realistic your pitch will be.
5. The solution
Describe your product and services and how it addresses the problems that you outlined on slide three. If possible, use pictures and stories when you describe your solution.
6. Revenue model or business model
Now that you’ve described your product or service, you need to talk about how it makes money. Indicate and justify your pricing and expenditure. Also show your competitiveness in the market.
7. Traction and validation/roadmap
Investors want to see that you have proven some aspect of your business model as that reduces risk. If you have clients using your products or engaging with you on social media, indicate that. You can also use this slide to talk about your achievements from your goals.
8. Marketing and sales strategy
Indicate how you plan to get customers to buy into your products and services. You need to outline your marketing and sales plan. You will also need to highlight if your strategy is different from your competitors.
9. Team
Highlight the key team members, their successes at other companies, and the key expertise that they bring to the table. Even if you don’t have a complete team yet, identify the key positions that you still need to fill and why those positions are critical to company growth.
10. Financials
Investors will expect to see your sales forecast, profit and loss statement, and cash flow forecast for at least three years. With your pitch deck though, you don’t go to deep. Just present charts that show sales, total customers, total expenses, and profits.
11. Competition
Show who are your business’ competition and why customers will choose you instead of one of the other players on the market.
12. Investment and use of funds
Potential investors do need to know how much money you are looking for. You also need to how you are going to spend the money.
13. Exit strategy
If you are raising money from investors, you’ll need to show them how you plan on giving them a return. You do this in the form of an “exit strategy” slide that outlines who your potential acquirers might be if you manage to grow your company and be successful. Having an IPO and going public is a viable option for some high-growth startups, while other businesses are more likely to be bought by larger players in your market.
14. Partnerships
Some businesses have key strategic partnerships that are critical to their success. If your success relies on these types of partnerships, it’s important to showcase them in your pitch deck.
15. Demo and screenshots
Include prototypes of your product, screenshots of your online service, or any other “show and tell” opportunities. This is how you will show your potential investors how your product works and what it does.
