Pitch Deck Software

[numbersrule]

Has anyone had experience of Pitch Deck software and which ones would be suitable for a pitch which will include graphs and images and financial projections?

I will need to import graphs and data from existing Excel Work-Books.

Thanks for reading this.

 

[fisicx]

PowerPoint. Does all your importing for you

 

[WaveJumper]

Yep thumbs up for good old PowerPoint

 

[numbersrule]

Thanks for your replies!

 

[WaveJumper]

Just beware of 'death by power point' I can think of nothing worse than going to a meeting and sitting through a massive amount of slides, people just switch off.

 

[Mark T Jones]

I'd agree with the above - PowerPoint is accessible and very broad in its scope (far broader than most of us know)

If you are sending it out, it needs to be easily accessible for the recipient.

A word to the wise - Pitch-Decks seem to be the instrument of fashion for any business seeking funding - whereas Business Plans tend to be 70% B/S & waffle, that figure is far closer to 100% in pitch-decks.

The rule for lenders & investors haven't changed. If you want to impress, do so with your evidence of research & facts, not with your lexicon of superlatives & self-congratulation or with your use of graphics (unless you business is all about graphics)

 

[fisicx]

Had someone want to buy a white label version on my software. There was going to be some sort of affiliate scheme.

They sent me a 20mb PowerPoint file with over 100 slides. I didn’t even bother opening the thing.

An investor I know doesn’t want a pitch deck. If you can’t do the pitch on a single page delivered as a pdf he isn’t interested. If you pique his interest with that one page he will ask for more detail.

 

[MRQ]

Just beware of 'death by power point' I can think of nothing worse than going to a meeting and sitting through a massive amount of slides, people just switch off.

They sent me a 20mb PowerPoint file with over 100 slides. I didn’t even bother opening the thing.

whereas Business Plans tend to be 70% B/S & waffle, that figure is far closer to 100% in pitch-decks.

The issue starts with 'Audiovisual Illiteracy'...

Historically PowerPoint is the descendent of the Magic Lantern (which goes back to the 1600s!) ... parented by the tape-slide show and the overhead projector. - Slightly displaced (since about 1890) by - and moving in parallel with - its cousin the moving picture, whose vernaculae and communicative structures go back to the early 1800s...

revelstokereview.com/entertainment/the-art-of-the-magic-lantern/

If you can bear a slightly longer read there is a PDF online: 'Performative configurations of the historical art of projection'

That literacy is almost entirely independent of the technology... When a medium is new and exciting, it's often claimed that it is the message. However once that medium become routine and accepted and part of the everyday, then the lack of technical and structural 'literacy' becomes an issue.

...The childless aunt and uncle who would spend their summers on cruises or other foregn trips; complete with 8mm cine camera, returning with 500' (about 40 minutes) of auntie standing waving in front of some historic edifice, followed by uncle - maybe followed by the two of them if a volunteer could be roped in. - As impressed and fascinated as one might have been with the 'tech', such presentations are the stuff of nightmares!

But of course at the time - as bored rigid with it as we all were - everybody said it was wonderful; unwilling as they were to give offence. - Which only encouraged them!

Powerpoint is fine... it's an essential part of most 'lectures' and in that sense, hard to get away from. Just don't overdo it. Incidentaly; have you ever thought about why 'Dragons Den' generally make people use more 'traditional' audio-visual aids in their pitches... live demos, samples, dancing girls even!

 

[fisicx]

Watch some TED talks. Almost no slides. Those that are shown illustrate the words being spoken.

Went to one presentation and there was one slide. It had one word:

Listen

Also went to a presentation where every single element was animated. And in different colours.

 

[MRQ]

Also went to a presentation where every single element was animated. And in different colours.

...And written in Comic Sans!

Scottish Government 'public information' material is often a bit like that. Usually accompanied by 'that' plinky-plonky Ukelele tune. - They actually seem to imagine none of the great unwashed have a mental age above 8.

 

[Newchodge]

The issue starts with 'Audiovisual Illiteracy'...

Historically PowerPoint is the descendent of the Magic Lantern (which goes back to the 1600s!) ... parented by the tape-slide show and the overhead projector. - Slightly displaced (since about 1890) by - and moving in parallel with - its cousin the moving picture, whose vernaculae and communicative structures go back to the early 1800s...

revelstokereview.com/entertainment/the-art-of-the-magic-lantern/

If you can bear a slightly longer read there is a PDF online: 'Performative configurations of the historical art of projection'

That literacy is almost entirely independent of the technology... When a medium is new and exciting, it's often claimed that it is the message. However once that medium become routine and accepted and part of the everyday, then the lack of technical and structural 'literacy' becomes an issue.

...The childless aunt and uncle who would spend their summers on cruises or other foregn trips; complete with 8mm cine camera, returning with 500' (about 40 minutes) of auntie standing waving in front of some historic edifice, followed by uncle - maybe followed by the two of them if a volunteer could be roped in. - As impressed and fascinated as one might have been with the 'tech', such presentations are the stuff of nightmares!

But of course at the time - as bored rigid with it as we all were - everybody said it was wonderful; unwilling as they were to give offence. - Which only encouraged them!

Powerpoint is fine... it's an essential part of most 'lectures' and in that sense, hard to get away from. Just don't overdo it. Incidentaly; have you ever thought about why 'Dragons Den' generally make people use more 'traditional' audio-visual aids in their pitches... live demos, samples, dancing girls even!

Any powerpoint slide that has more than 3 lines on it is a failure. The slide is there to support the presemtation - reading out a power point slide is not giving a presentation

 

[Mark T Jones]

Any powerpoint slide that has more than 3 lines on it is a failure. The slide is there to support the presemtation - reading out a power point slide is not giving a presentation

I believe that most pitch decks are sent by email, rather than presented.

Whilst similar rules apply, it is important that the slides actually have some content - whilst abounding superfluous graphics and pointless prose

 

[WaveJumper]

...And written in Comic Sans!

Scottish Government 'public information' material is often a bit like that. Usually accompanied by 'that' plinky-plonky Ukelele tune. - They actually seem to imagine none of the great unwashed have a mental age above 8.

Ukulele might be slightly better than bagpipes the latter would have me out of the boardroom quicker than you could say bagpipes ?

 

[Mark T Jones]

Ukulele might be slightly better than bagpipes the latter would have me out of the boardroom quicker than you could say bagpipes ?

A true gentleman is one who knows how to play the bagpipes

But doesn't

 

[numbersrule]

I now have more clarity on my pitch deck content and it will need to include example news film footage.
Can AI generate fictional equivalents of news film footage for a Pitch Deck? The idea would be to present non specific example news items whilst avoiding real events which the audience may have existing opinions on and may detract from a balanced view of my pitch.
I suspect Power Point cannot do this?

 

[Mark T Jones]

2 questions:

1. Are you sure that your pitch deck needs video?

2. How are you planning to use the deck?

How about a simple link to TikTok or whatever?

Remember, you pitch needs to be 5% product 95% you/your business

 

[fisicx]

I now have more clarity on my pitch deck content and it will need to include example news film footage.

Why?

People click though pitch decks, they won't want to wait for a video to load and then click to watch (without sound).

 

[numbersrule]

Thanks for all the replies everybody.
I've been away being busy.

 

[numbersrule]

Why?

People click though pitch decks, they won't want to wait for a video to load and then click to watch (without sound).

It'll need sound. Why do you say no sound? My subject matter can be noisy.

 

[numbersrule]

2 questions:

1. Are you sure that your pitch deck needs video?

2. How are you planning to use the deck?

How about a simple link to TikTok or whatever?

Remember, you pitch needs to be 5% product 95% you/your business

Yes, I'm fairly sure. I can't tell you much about how I am planning to use it because that might give the game away.
I am awaiting the outcome of a patent search so I have gone into radio silence mode.

 

[fisicx]

It'll need sound. Why do you say no sound? My subject matter can be noisy.

Because people view pitches without sound so as to not disturb others.

 

[numbersrule]

Because people view pitches without sound so as to not disturb others.

Oh. Hadn't thought of that. Silence is Golden.

 

[numbersrule]

I've prepared the PowerPoint slides now. There are 14.
I think I'll just go for it and send by email.

 

[Mark T Jones]

I've prepared the PowerPoint slides now. There are 14.
I think I'll just go for it and send by email.

Who will you email it to?

How will you pique their interest sufficiently to leapfrog all the others they receive?

I was having precisely this conversation with the director of an equity firm last week. In Q & A format, it went something like this:

Me: What percentage of proposals end up getting funded:

Him: We look at* about 2,000 proposal each year and invest in 10.

Me: What is wrong with the other 1990?

Him: (in no particular order)

- Personality mismatch (we don't fell we can work with them)
- Lack of credibility in management / plan (we don't believe they can deliver).
- Unrealistic expectations (they want too much for too little)

Me: So essentially you fund 10 out of every 2,000 proposals?

Him: Not exactly. We, the 2,000 figure is those that are sufficiently good for us to open, read and log on the system. Since we don't log the others, we don't count them, but it could be 50 or even 100 per day.

Me: So what do you need to do to get into the 2,000?

Him: Quite often the presentation of the email is so bad we don't even bother to open it.

Other than that what we really look for is:

- The quality of the source. If it's come through a known intermediary, or through an established channel (trade body, official agency etc) we will typically take a look.

- Fits into our industry sector and financial sweet spot.

- It's concise & business-like. (not waffle and bullshit)

 

[numbersrule]

Who will you email it to?

How will you pique their interest sufficiently to leapfrog all the others they receive?

I was having precisely this conversation with the director of an equity firm last week. In Q & A format, it went something like this:

Me: What percentage of proposals end up getting funded:

Him: We look at* about 2,000 proposal each year and invest in 10.

Me: What is wrong with the other 1990?

Him: (in no particular order)

- Personality mismatch (we don't fell we can work with them)
- Lack of credibility in management / plan (we don't believe they can deliver).
- Unrealistic expectations (they want too much for too little)

Me: So essentially you fund 10 out of every 2,000 proposals?

Him: Not exactly. We, the 2,000 figure is those that are sufficiently good for us to open, read and log on the system. Since we don't log the others, we don't count them, but it could be 50 or even 100 per day.

Me: So what do you need to do to get into the 2,000?

Him: Quite often the presentation of the email is so bad we don't even bother to open it.

Other than that what we really look for is:

- The quality of the source. If it's come through a known intermediary, or through an established channel (trade body, official agency etc) we will typically take a look.

- Fits into our industry sector and financial sweet spot.

- It's concise & business-like. (not waffle and bullshit)

Thanks Mark for managing my expectations!
And you've given me some thoughts on how I might be able to improve my chances. Still working on that. Not sent yet.