The basics you need on how to write a pitch deck:

Pitch decks are the leading format for investor presentations, summit talks and so much more. You can even make them as send-able slideshows that work all on their own. Today, we are going to go over the basics of how to write a pitch deck and what I do to create winning decks for my clients.

What is a pitch deck? 

A pitch deck is a business-focused slideshow that owners and presenters can show to an audience they want to influence towards their brand.

A very typical space to see pitch decks in is at the investor meeting for startups. You can display info all about your product, your target market and how you intend to run your business. Many startups choose to write a pitch deck to summarize their entire operation and pull interest and investment into their business.

You can also bring flashier, picture-only pitch decks to summits and tradeshows that help support the script you read out. There is no real end to where a pitch deck is less-than helpful.

The pieces of a good pitch deck.

Now it’s time we talk about how to write a pitch deck. There is actually a standard for how this is done, which is great! Once people know what to expect, then you can deliver in force and with something that still has surprises. We’ll save that for later though.

Here is a quick rundown of what slides you should include in a basic pitch deck and what they do for you:

1.  Executive Summary: What is your business, what does it do and how well has it performed? This slide catches people up to speed and allows you to establish your validity fast. Introductions should always come first!
2. Problem: This is where you talk about the issue your target audience is having. How does it impact them and why is no one else addressing this market correctly?
3. Solution: Now you can talk about your product or service. Why does it answer the customer’s problem and how much better is it than any other available sources?
4. Market Research: How big is the market? How active are they in finding a solution and how much are they willing to spend?
5. Team: This is another place to brag, but now it’s about your coworkers. Who is making the wheels spin and how amazingly qualified are they to make the business work?
6. Competition: Near to last, you can talk about your competition. How are you different then them? Why is your business going to be the winner?
7. The Amount: How much funding do you need? How much do you charge for the use of your product or service. This is your big offer and call-to-action.

When you are going to write a pitch deck, it is important to note that you do need to talk yourself and your business up a lot. This can feel rude or like you are acting overconfidently, but it is important to look competent, proud and ready. Investors and customers won’t be won over by a passive attitude! Go knock ’em dead and be strong when doing so!

How to write a pitch deck that tells a story or delivers benefits

This is a big question I get when asked new clients want to write a pitch deck. “Should I tell a story about my product, or just explain how good it is?”

The truth is that both work, just use them for different audiences. As it is, you should already have a customized deck for every different showing that directly talks to your audience.

Narrative-focused deck strategies

Telling a compelling story along your sale can be incredibly potent. When doing this, you should lead your audience on a journey that encapsulates the issue, makes them visualize life with the solution and pairs the “happily ever after” moment in with your offer.

One way you can do this is by using a real story from one of your customers/testers as the basis of the sale. What was life like before your solution. How did that make your customer feel? Then you can explain just how much better/easier your solution made everything.

If you are going to write a pitch deck and don’t have a real testimonial, then the story of your Ideal Client Avatar can do just as well. Who is your product made for and why? Tying in the average story of your customer base can be just as effective as a testimonial because it shows exactly what you are doing for your market. It even follows the same structure as a testimonial, just as an ICA instead.

Benefit-based deck strategies

A struggle of how to write a pitch deck can be how your to talk about your product. As with all copywriting, you should focus on the benefits your product has, not its raw features.

If you are selling your new SaaS idea to investors, don’t tell them what it does. Tell them what it does for your audience. The technical mumbo-jumbo won’t get you far, nor will saying how fast the product can do what it does. Talk instead about how using it will make a customer feel and the greater effect it has.

An example of this can be a new type of vacuum. The feature of this vacuum may be that it’s motors spin at a rate that picks things up 25% faster than a what’s on the market. The benefit however is the time your customers save by using your vacuum because of its motors.

So what does you product or service ultimately do? Does it save time? Does it make a process easier? What is the effect it has, not what it does.

As you go about thinking how to write a pitch deck for your company, a more advanced deck would actually combine these two methods into one spearheaded approach. Delivering a benefit-laden story about what your product does to a pack of investors (especially one customized for them) will always do better than one that is single-minded.

Where to go from here?

This is all just the basics of how to write a pitch deck. You can add more slides about your go-to-market strategies or how much traction your expect to gain, but ultimately, the seven slides above are what you need to succeed.

The real secret to a winning pitch deck (and what I make sure my clients always have) is a deck that is written with the knowledge of your audience and then directed at them specifically. A generalized pitch deck is a weak one, and when presenting your idea to a room of investors or potential customers, you want to be all but weak.

Of course, if you would like more details or advisory on your own pitch deck, always feel free to schedule a call. Together we can create a winning deck that no one can deny.

Above all else, remember to be confident and sell well my friends!

To schedule a call click here: https://calendly.com/zackscopywriting/1-on-1-business-chat

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Have an amazing rest of your day, and remember, when you need strong copywriting, you know where to go!

Looking to learn more of the basics? Read these and you’ll be pulling in clients left and right!