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Your start-up pitch deck is more than just a marketing pitch to attract investors; it is the very face of your product and company. It is your chance to gain perpetual glory by winning over the audience in that crucial 10 minute window. And that is why it is your passion that matters when you prepare your pitch deck and not the million “do’s and don’ts”. One of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make when pitching to investors is bombarding them with data and boring PowerPoint slides instead of inspiring and engaging them. So what does one do to inspire and engage?
Why don’t you start with a story?
Stories are powerful and emotional, and most of all, it lets the audience connect to you and your product on a personal and day-to-day level. Investors are mentors first. They relate to your story and your struggle because they would have gone through something similar.
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Pictures are far more memorable than words
Studies have shown that attention soars, when something is presented pictorially. All investors want to see graphs, pie-charts, tables and other slides showing the hard numbers behind any idea. The key is to break up this avalanche of information and give the eyes and brain a break. On a related note it’s important to keep your entire slide deck to a minimum.
Express your passion
People invest in people. Relationships with people who have a fire in their belly, the grit to face any obstacle and a consuming passion to move forward, are seldom found to be bad investments. Passion is literally contagious. Ask yourself this question: “What am I really passionate about?” The answer will be vastly different than the answer to the question, “What is my idea?”
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Introduce a villain and a hero
In the context of a business pitch deck, think about villains and heroes as problems and solutions. Investors need to understand the pain—or problem—your customers are experiencing and how your idea, product, or service alleviates the pain.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that people don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it ! Check out the TED talk by Simon Sinek.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA]
Be yourself out there and believe in yourself. Believe in all the sweat and toil that you have put in over the years. Share your dream, not your plan. Make them see the big picture, not the immediate obstacle. At the end of the day, it is your belief and determination that would have made the difference.
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