Is Your Pitch Deck Ready to Present? 5 Things to Check

Your pitch deck could help you land an investment—so long as everything is in place.

Your pitch deck is the single greatest tool in your arsenal for convincing investors that your idea is worth their time and money—and in the early stages of a startup, convincing clients that you’re worth the risk.

In case you aren’t familiar, a pitch deck is a slideshow or similar presentation that hits the high-level points about your organization. Think of it like a business plan, but a digestible version meant to be presented.

Before you give that presentation, double check your pitch deck for the following:

Standout aesthetics. Investors see dozens of pitch decks a week at times, so you don’t want yours to blend in as white noise, with all the others. Make sure your design is in line with your brand standards, and find a way to stand out from the crowd immediately. Your future may depend on it.
Concise slides. While more information is usually a good thing, your pitch deck needs to be concise. Make sure you don’t have more than two or three bullet points on each slide, and don’t include more slides than you need to get your point across.
The key numbers. Numbers are the most important piece of information for most investors. Make sure you have at least a few slides covering the costs of getting the business up and running, and what kind of revenue you’re projecting for the first few years.
Room for elaboration. Give yourself plenty of room to elaborate when giving the presentation in person. Remember, investors are investing in you as much as they’re investing in your idea. Prove to them that you’re worth it.
Weaknesses and challenges. Too many novice entrepreneurs fail to mention the key weaknesses and challenges associated with their business, fearing it may make them look bad. But acknowledging your weakness is a display of confidence and awareness, so long as you know how you’re going to address them.

If your pitch deck hits all these important checklist items, it’s ready to be presented. Just make sure you, the presenter, are ready to show it. If you need help building your pitch deck or getting ready to meet with investors, contact me today!

About the Author

Jose Vasquez is a serial entrepreneur and tech specialist dedicated to helping startup tech companies grow and succeed. As the founder of Build. Brand. Blast., Jose has worked with dozens of enterprises to find direction, gain momentum, and achieve results.