Starting the next round to raise money for your project, keep in mind that you'll be able to interest investors only if you package your idea properly. The appealing pitch deck design in addition to a thoughtful story will help you make a positive impression on potential contributors. You'll be much more persuasive than your competitors, which means your chances of getting the investment can increase significantly.
In our article, we're going to describe to you 10 basic rules for creating the perfect pitch deck. Following these simple tips, you'll undoubtedly surpass your rivals, whose PowerPoint presentations will look poor in comparison with your beautifully designed project.
#1 First slide - first impression
The first impression is your best chance. In fact, it's all you have. Alas, once you make the wrong move, you’ll find it difficult to resolve the consequences.
Having produced the undesired impression, you totally influence the opinion of the person, and not in a good way. And when it comes to the pitch deck design, the person we're talking about is your possible investor. The conclusion from this rule is extremely simple: you have to pay special attention to the first page of your presentation.
To encourage the investor to continue exploring your project, the first page should attract notice, intrigue, and, perhaps, amaze the imagination. Surprise your future contributors and make them look forward to reading more. Convince them that you are able to solve their most burning problems or implement a long-standing dream.
#2 Avoid large text blocks
Unfortunately, today we're not fond of reading. Of course, sometimes it is imperative but even then few people would be inspired by the huge canvas of the text. And your investor is no exception.
20-30 words are more than enough for a successful pitch deck design. The main thing is to make sure these words catch, enthrall, and convince your reader.
#3 One thought - one image
To avoid overloading the pitch deck, break your thoughts into separate blocks. Each slide should be the answer to a specific question and express a single idea.
Do not describe the problem on 5 slides just because you have found so many cool associative pictures to supplement your phrase and want to use them all.
#4 Diagrams are the best option for visualization
Most people love pictures, and if the image also has a certain meaning, its significance rises many times. Diagrams, graphs, and the like are very useful in this respect, for they can describe graphically different numerical data: changes in the market, company growth, increased profits, improved demand, - in general, any statistics.
Let's summarize: the human eye perceives the information submitted in a graphics format better, and therefore it is necessary to actively use it when creating a pitch deck design.
#5 Association with your company
We hope your project is a holistic brand with its character, positioning, corporate identity, and other important attributes. If we are wrong, then, first of all, you should take care of this issue.
If you have successfully overcome the branding phase, make sure that the pitch deck design is a logical addition to your company and its continuation. To create a well-rounded image, use the logo, writing style, branded fonts, and colors from your brand book or style guide.
#6 Find a balance between slides' number
A small number of pitch deck slides is just as bad as their excessive quantity: in the first case, you won't convince investors, in the second - you risk tiring them. So you have to find your golden mean.
No one can help you in this matter, it's meaningless to give universal tips. Everything depends on the essence of the project, your ability to summarize the thoughts, and the persuasiveness of the arguments given.
#7 Don’t forget about the main “W” questions
When creating a pitch deck design, remember the five key "W" questions. Answering them, you'll be able to argue your position soundly and convince investors to make an impressive contribution.
- WHAT? What do you offer? What problem do you solve? This is the positioning of your product. Describe it in a capacious and bright way.
- WHY? That is, why do you need raising money for your project? And why do your possible investors need your project implemented? It’d be reasonable to bring a list of your benefits.
- WHOM? Whom will are you going to interest in your product? Describe your target audience.
- WHERE? Where are you planning to sell your product? Where will customers find it?
- WHEN? When do you want to get started? When are you expecting to cross the break-even point and start making real profits?
Your entire pitch deck is, in fact, an expanded answer to these questions. Make them extremely clear and precise, they shouldn't require additional explanations.
However, our next rule is devoted to this very moment.
#8 Try to be as clear as possible
Remember about "the simplicity of genius", as they call it. Use clear associations, both verbal and graphic ones. Do not overload your pitch deck design.
Don’t try to complicate the presentation, thinking that such an approach will make you look smarter or more innovative. Speak with your contributor in his language (since you've answered the "Whom?" question, you already know who he is, your potential investor).
#9 Single style instead of chaos
This rule resonates with the fifth item we've described earlier. Your pitch deck design should cause associations with the company and be created in a single harmonious style. It applies to everything: the color scheme, fonts, the manner of expressing thoughts, the nature of the images used, and other similar factors.
Otherwise, your presentation will look unconvincing and unprofessional. It may seem that you have not given it enough time and effort. And if so, contributors can have a reasonable question: is it worth investing in a project which isn't able to inspire anyone, even its creator?
#10 Color matters
Effective pitch deck design directly depends on the chosen color scheme. This may surprise you, after all, the color seems to be such trivia, why should you pay attention to it? However, the successful closing of your round is too important a goal to neglect any detail, even if you think it's insignificant
So, what should you do to choose the right color palette?
- Think about the psychology of colors. Each color evokes its emotions and associations. Try to match the purpose of your project.
- Analyze your competitors. You need to understand why they’re using this particular solution - and surpass them.
- Find the correlation between the design solutions and the success of the closing round.
- Follow the trends. Being old-fashioned is sometimes useful, but not in the case when you are trying to interest investors in the relevance of your idea.
According to statistics, some pitch deck designs garner attention thanks to a moderate color scheme, while other companies use a lot of colors and, too, receive the investments they need. It all depends on the specific situation.
Summary
As you see, the pitch deck design is quite a complicated task, there are many nuances, which should be taken into account. And the final goal is high - to get money for your project!
Imagine, you can gain tens of thousands of dollars (or even millions) of investments by spending just a few thousand to properly design your pitch deck. It’s worth trying, right?
After all, people always judge by appearances, and your project will certainly meet the same fate. So help them make the right decision.
