How NOT to Write Your Pitch Deck, According to a Business Plan Writer

Sometimes, the place to start when figuring out how to do something, is to know what not to do. That same method can apply to your Pitch Deck. A business plan writer is the best way to go when writing a pitch deck. If you are unable or don’t want to hire one, you can at least learn from the most common mistakes they’ve seen.

Making it too long – This is one of the most common mistakes that a Business Plan Writer sees. Potential investors see pitch decks all the time. If you can’t gain their attention and interest in less than 12 slides, you’re probably not going to be able to and may not even understand your own business plan well enough yet.

Not using visuals – A Business Plan writer will tell you that your pitch deck is the place to infuse all the creativity you stifled when writing your business plan. The entire purpose of your pitch deck is to get an investor interested enough to read your plan. Don’t be afraid of images, graphs and charts, and other visual elements. In the pitch deck stage, it is all about keeping eyes on the screen.

Using animations – With the focus on design in mind, it’s important to note that this does not include animations or transitions within the slides. Many investors are going to want your pitch deck ahead of time or will ask you to send a copy after your presentation. You can’t have visualizations/transitions in a PDF. Even during the presentation, animations or transitions can be distracting.

Using a standard PowerPoint template – Using a standard template without any of your own design elements will make it look like a presentation belongs in decades gone by. There are so many custom templates and other programs out there now. If you’re not a design person, that’s okay, all the more reason to hire a business plan writer with a good eye.

Having too much text – You are giving a complete topline overview of your business. That is the entire purpose of the Professional Pitch Deck. If the investor wants to dig deeper, they will ask questions or consult your business plan. When you cram too many words and too much detail onto a slide, not only is it hard to read, it’s overwhelming and will almost always lead to an investor losing interest. Keep it simple. Remember, you want them to ask questions!

Not providing enough info on your team - Even the best business concept and plan will fail in execution if it lacks a strong team. If you work with a business plan writer, they will spend more time than you likely think is necessary trying to understand the complementary skills and experience of all team members. They do this because the team is one of the key elements that factor into an investor’s decision. Make sure you devote a slide to your team and explain how collectively, they have all the necessary qualifications to run your business successfully.

Avoiding the above might not mean your pitch deck is perfect but, it will help you avoid common mistakes. It is always worth the investment to trust a professional, such as a Business Plan Writer, with the tall task of writing and/or designing your pitch deck. But, if you insist on going at it alone, avoiding the missteps above is a good place to start!