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How to Build a Pitch Deck (For Small Businesses)
A pitch deck is ~basically~ a presentation, and I say it that way because there’s some pretty specific stuff that is expected to be in a pitch deck that may not typically be in a presentation.
This post will teach you how to build a pitch deck for your small business by detailing:
- 10 things that should be in a pitch deck
- 3 things to consider before building a pitch deck
- 4 ways to actually build your pitch deck
10 Things That Should Be In Your Pitch Deck
1. Introductions
This is basically just like a normal presentation, but it’s the most important part. It is said that the first 2-3 minutes of any presentation are the most important part. You will introduce yourself, as the presenter, along with your company and the team that worked on that project or account.
You will want to include each of the following things, and keep this portion under 90 seconds:
- Who are you?
- Why are you here?
- Who was on this project?
- What was their role?
2. Problem
On the next slide, you will want to discuss the following:
- What are you trying to solve?
- Is it really a problem?
It may seem strange to take the time to discuss the problem if the person or group you are presenting to already knows, but this will bring the issue to the forefront of their mind and make you seem well informed. Also, addressing if this is a real problem can be a wake up call for some companies. There are times where entire campaigns and companies are built on the idea of something that fixes a problem that doesn’t exist, and these are never successful.
3. Advantages
On this slide, you will want to discuss why your solution is unique. Ask yourself things like: What are you suggesting that others aren’t? Are you willing to do more or do something different? This is a preface to the deep dive into the solution itself, so don’t give too much away. Just give insight into why your idea is unique.
4. Solution
This is where you will present the solution to the problem in depth. You will want to answer the question: how do you plan to solve the problem? Make sure you cover any questions the client may have, and give a good description of the solution.
5. Product
If there is a product you will be creating, introducing, or using with the solution, this is where you’d discuss that. Depending on your field, this may be changed to Service.
You will want to answer the following questions:
- How does the product or service work?
- What are the benefits?
- What is the cost?
- What is the impact?
6. Market
In preparation, you will want to do market research and present those findings in this section.
Your research should answer the following questions:
- Who is your competition?
- Is there a measurable set of customers?
- Can you predict the size of the market?
7. Competition
Through your market research, you will want to take time to focus on your competition. Competition can be either specific products or companies that offer similar products or services.
There’s also the difference between direct and indirect competition.
- Direct competition — the businesses that sell a similar product or service in the same category as you. Example: McDonald’s and Burger King, both fast food and similar products.
- Indirect competition — the businesses that sell a product or service in the same category as you, but it’s different enough to act as a substitute for your product or service. Example: McDonald’s and Subway, both are fast food, but they sell different foods.
PRO TIP: You will want to make sure you have information on both!
Make sure you answer the following questions:
- Are there alternative solutions to the problem?
- Are other companies providing this solution?
8. Business Model
This section will basically cover how you plan to make money. You will want to give an overview of your business model, but don’t make it too complex unless (1) you are pitching to an investor or possible partner, and (2) you are pitching to someone who is very knowledgable in your field. You won’t want to confuse people with more information than they need.
9. Investing
This will cover your budget and any opportunities for investment. This section won’t be applicable to everyone.
10. Contact
This is the second more important section, after the introductions of course. You will want to leave them will contact information for anyone on the team they may need to reach. For example, an ad agency pitching to a client may leave the contact info for the Account Executive, Creative Director, Graphic Designer, and Production Manager.
Now You're Ready To Start Building A Pitch Deck!
What to consider before creating your pitch deck for your small business:
- Who is my audience?
- What is my purpose?
- What are my short-term goals?
From here, you will want to look through the list of the 10 sections I’ve listed above, and choose the appropriate ones for your pitch deck.
Example: If I’m creating a pitch deck to pitch to potential new client for a marketing service, I might include:
- Introductions
- Problem
- Advantages/Solutions – combined
- Market
- Competition
- Contact
The pitch deck is, at its core, a presentation – just like PowerPoint or Prezi. But you are pitching yourself, and your products or services. The key to that is, you’re pitching yourself! You know what they say – people don’t buy from people they like, they buy from people they trust. The same thought process applies in this situation. A client is more likely to want to work with us if they know and trust our agency.
Here are some dos and don’ts for creating your pitch deck!
Do This In Your Pitch Deck:
- Tell a story
- Engage with the audience
- Only put one idea per slide
- Prioritize the first 2-3 minutes
- Be consistent in appearance
- Know the metrics
Don’t Do This In Your Pitch Deck:
- Overuse bullet points
- Make it too long
- Script the presentation
- Use too much text (use charts, graphs, images instead)
- Use small font
PRO TIP: It you want a consistent look to your Pitch Deck, click here for a FREE Template Download!
Pitch Deck Appearance
There aren’t too many strict rules when it comes to pitch deck formats and appearance. The main things you will want to take into consideration are:
- Maintaining a consistent theme
- Have a clean appearance
- Use little to no text
- Prioritize visuals like images, graphics, and charts
There are a few ways to make sure you are meeting these Pitch Deck ‘requirements’:
- Download a template –
- Click here to download our FREE pitch deck template! You can customize the colors, fonts, and images to match your brand, and then it’s perfect!
- Create your own in Canva
- Canva is a free website that offers thousands of templates to make graphic design a breeze. Just type “pitch deck” into the search bar and choose the template you love, customize the presentation, and you’re good to go.
- Create your own in Adobe
- I always use InDesign when creating my templates. This ensures that
- Hire a designer to create them for you!
- There are plenty of designers, like us here at Niki Freer Creative, who will design custom pitch decks for you. We offer services where we create templates for you to reuse later or you can hire us to create new pitch decks for you any time you need one.
PRO TIP: Use a very soft, neutral color as the background. I love to use a light blue, light yellow, or beige color, and classic white is always safe. I would always recommend keeping your presentation within your brand colors. However, if you want to add a little *extra* to your pitch deck, use photos for your background.
Now you know how to build a pitch deck for your small business!
Let’s review! Before you begin, ask yourself these three questions:
- Who is my audience?
- What is my purpose?
- What are my short-term goals?
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