What You’re Doing Wrong In Your Pitch Deck

In the world of startups, a pitch deck is often the first introduction an investor gets to your company. A well-crafted pitch deck can effectively communicate your business idea, its potential in the market, and why you and your team are the best ones to realize this potential. A compelling pitch can mean the difference between obtaining the necessary resources to launch or grow your enterprise and missing out on crucial opportunities.

You must know the ins and outs of pitch decks to avoid the most common mistakes in making them.

What is a Pitch Deck?

A pitch deck is a visual presentation used during meetings to give your audience a quick overview of your business plan. It plays a crucial role in fundraising efforts and is typically used in early-stage or seed-stage startups for presentations to potential investors.

Structure plays a pivotal role in presenting an idea or a business. Start with a brief introduction about your venture. Then, highlight the pain point you aim to address. Follow this with a detailed description of how your product or service solves this problem.

It’s essential to explain the market opportunity by specifying the size of your target market. Delve into your business model, shedding light on how you plan to generate revenue. Demonstrate traction by showcasing metrics, sharing customer testimonials or presenting sales figures. Lay out your marketing and sales strategy, detailing how you intend to attract and retain customers.

Lastly, introduce the heart of your enterprise and your team by mentioning key members and their respective roles. Offer a concise overview of your financial situation, capturing revenues, profits and future projections. Ensure you clearly communicate what you’re seeking from potential investors.

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What You Might Do Wrong When Creating Your Pitch Deck

Mastering pitch decks is about more than just securing funding; It’s about distilling complex ideas into digestible, persuasive narratives. This skill can be invaluable in various business scenarios, from securing partnerships to onboarding new clients or even rallying your team around a new initiative.

Here are some pitfalls to avoid on your next pitch.

Not Starting with a Captivating Introduction

Always begin your presentation with a compelling personal story or an illustrative problem to immediately engage your audience. You can start by asking questions to illustrate the necessity of your product or service, and telling your audience what inspired you to start this venture.

Note what time of day you’re presenting at. Audiences could be less attentive at the beginning of the day, after meals or after a long line of presentations. If you know your timeslot is during those slumps, try including a wake-up exercise, which could be as simple as telling people to stand up if they relate to something you said.

Having a Chaotic Presentation Structure

Keep your pitch concise — ideally within 15-20 slides —- as investors are time-sensitive. Always make sure every slide has a clear focus and avoid overloading them with multiple messages. Your deck should tell a cohesive narrative, starting with a problem and culminating in how your solution addresses it.

Each slide should emphasize one main idea, supported by relevant, up-to-date data. Use charts and graphs for clarity, and always remember to design with a clean, consistent layout that’s legible from a distance.

Remember that you’re selling your product, service or company, not your pitch deck. Make sure you draw your audience to you and what you say by minimizing the words and graphics on the pitch deck. Keywords, phrases and charts are preferable because they stick to the audience’s memory, but make sure the explanation comes straight from you.

You Leave Investors Asking, “So What?”

Dive deeper into the “why” of your product rather than just the “what.” Highlight the benefits over features. Showcase your team, especially if you have experienced members or advisors, as investors often invest in the team as much as the idea. While simplicity is key, be ready for detailed technical discussions if an investor wants more information about the future of your startup or has industry knowledge.

Your Delivery or Q&A is Awkward

Practice makes perfect. Familiarize yourself with the slides, anticipate questions and be flexible during the presentation. Before the real deal, get feedback by presenting to friends or mentors. Tailor your pitch to your audience, especially if you know the investor’s interests or previous investments.

Include a simulated Q&A of possible questions you think your audience will have and encourage your practice audience to develop their own queries. Answering questions is a different skill than presenting a concept, so going through some and making sure you actually answer them satisfactorily will help during the actual presentation.

You Don’t Have a Powerful Close and Post-Pitch Strategy

Conclude with a clear ask, whether it’s for investment, partnerships or support. Encourage the next steps, such as another meeting or a request for more details. Post-pitch, express your gratitude, and send a follow-up email within 24 hours to recap and reiterate the next steps.

Continuous Engagement and Reflection

Stay engaged with potential investors with regular updates. Treat every pitch — successful or not — as a learning experience to refine future presentations. Remember to celebrate your milestones and achievements with your team to foster a positive work culture.

Avoid comparing yourself to others, as it will only create negativity and doubt. Instead, engage in positive self-talk. With commitment, every pitch will get better, so don’t beat yourself up.

Mind the Culture

When crafting and presenting pitch decks across diverse backgrounds, you must be aware of potential cultural nuances to ensure you appropriately and effectively convey your message. Here are some cultural nuances to consider.

Communication Styles

Different cultures have varying communication styles, whether direct or indirect. While some appreciate a straightforward approach, others may find it too blunt or disrespectful. It’s important to tailor your message to align with the preferred communication style of your audience.

Hierarchy and Respect

In many cultures, there’s a strong emphasis on hierarchy and showing respect to senior or elder members. This might influence who you address first in a meeting or who makes the final decision.

Your presentation attire should align with the cultural norms of your audience. In some cultures, you are expected to wear formal attire — in others, a business casual look might be more appropriate.

You may seem unprofessional in some places for wearing a full face of makeup, especially in the daytime. However, it also signifies you put in plenty of effort to look presentable on the day of your presentation in other places, showing you respect your audience and value their opinion.

Visuals and Symbols

Symbols, colors and images can have different meanings in various cultures. For instance, while Western cultures associate white with purity, it can represent mourning in others. Ensuring the visuals in your pitch deck are culturally appropriate is essential.

Use of Numbers and Data

In some cultures, hard data and statistics are vital for convincing stakeholders, while narratives or stories might be more persuasive in others. Understand the balance that works best for your audience.

Decision-Making Process

Some cultures have a collective decision-making process where choices occur in groups, while others might have a more top-down approach. This can influence the pacing and follow-up after your pitch.

Time Perception

Attitudes towards punctuality and time can vary. In some cultures, you’re considered disrespectful even if you arrive slightly late, while the rules are more relaxed in others. Similarly, the timeline expectations for decision-making or project initiation can differ.

Building Relationships

In many cultures, business is built on relationships. The initial pitch might be less about the business proposal and more about establishing trust and rapport. In such cultures, investing time in relationship-building can be as crucial as the pitch itself.

Humor and Anecdotes

What’s funny or engaging in one culture might be confusing or even offensive in another. Keep in mind that not all funny quips or references may translate well to another language. It’s wise to be cautious with humor, and ensure any anecdotes or stories are universally relatable. 

Body Language

Gestures, eye contact and personal space can have varying interpretations across cultures. For instance, in Western cultures, you express confidence if you maintain direct eye contact, while Eastern cultures see that as aggressive or impolite.

When approaching a cross-cultural pitch, doing thorough research or seeking advice from someone familiar with the particular culture is beneficial. This can help avoid misunderstandings and ensure your message resonates effectively with your audience.

Make Each Moment Count

Always go into each pitch thinking this is going to be the one that will help you get your business off the ground. Remember — your audience or potential investors have seen it all, and they know a half-hearted pitch when they see one. If you’re enthusiastic and energetic, even an investor with reservations about your product or service might want to support your venture.