Earlier this year, I woke up way before my alarm went off with butterflies in my stomach. I was ready to execute a very non-traditional fundraising strategy. Instead of letting doubt creep in or pulling the covers back over my head, I called on the months of practice and preparation I had put into gearing up for this exact moment.

By the end of the day, on International Women’s Day, I had raised over $1.5 million in funding for my business in just under 8 hours, entirely from investors in my home state of Tennessee.

In my experience as an entrepreneur and from mentoring hundreds of other startup founders, I have learned one of the most common sticking points to securing funding lies in the pitch deck. After all, your pitch deck and the narrative you tell with it is the first factor that investors have to determine whether or not to continue the conversation with you. I’ve seen so many incredible ideas stall at this stage and entrepreneurs have to bring in outside capital, as their creators get stuck either holding out for perfection or not telling their story in ways that showcase a potentially great opportunity for an investor.

The fear of failure or the "no" is real, and so are the less-than-promising statistics around fundraising, especially for women founders and businesses still in their early stages. This can be paralyzing—trust me, I’ve felt it. But I’m proof that successful fundraising can be done. Here are some of my favorite strategies that you can use as you tell your own story through your pitch deck.

Your pitch deck and the 3 W's

No matter how much time you are given during a pitch, you have to answer three vitally important questions for your audience that get to the root of your idea’s purpose and approach. In every pitch you make, you need to be able to answer what I call the 3 W’s, regardless of the time limit you’re given:

1. Why does what you are doing matter?

This is where I love to begin, bringing things to life with a story that illustrates the problem an idea is solving.

For example, for my own fashion technology company, I typically use a story about the all-too-common “I need an event outfit yesterday” story. Most women have at some point searched online and bought 20 black dresses, only to return 19 of them. This story clearly illustrates the common experience of people buying more than one size in an item because they aren’t sure how a garment will look or fit on their body.

The intro immediately connects the audience to the problem, relates it back to their own experiences, and sets the stage for the solution I’m ready to offer them.

2. What does your company do?

After you’ve set up the problem and illustrated the pain point people are experiencing, how is your company able to alleviate the pain and bring positive value to your customers? Here is where you to talk about what your company actually does.

Note: if you have a complex suite of services or offerings, you’ll want to put them into buckets so you don’t confuse your audience. Your audience should have a clear understanding of your core offerings, even if it means that you leave out some ideas that are in the works or not directly connected to the problem you’re solving. Sometimes less is more, and if you have plans to expand your offerings and add new products, you may not want to include them, at least not at the beginning of your pitch.

3. Who is on your team and whom do you serve?

You want your audience to understand why you and your team are the best people to provide a solution. This can mean highlighting your credentials, past employers, past venture experience, etc. You also want your audience to be clear on whether you are a B2B or B2C, and that you know who your ideal initial customer segment is.

If you can answer the 3 W's clearly, concisely, and in a way that makes your story relatable for your audience, you are well on your way to an effective pitch.

Additional items to include in your pitch deck

Pitches I've given have ranged in time from 90 seconds to over an hour. If it turns out you have more time, here are other elements you may want to add to your deck:

• Market size—Maximum number of potential customers that would be interested in your product shown in terms of potential revenue.

• Burn rate—How quickly your business is spending money/capital, usually shown as the average dollar amount spent per month.

• A brief competitive analysis—Strengths and weaknesses of current and potential competitors; this is often displayed in a grid format with your company listed in the first column, and three to five of your main competitors listed to the right.

• Traction—The progress and momentum your company has achieved. Here, showcase customers that you have, letters of intent, upcoming contracts, subscribers, those on a waitlist, preorders, etc.

• Projections—Estimates for your company's future financial performance; early-stage companies usually will show up to three years.

• Runway—Length of time your company can continue operating before running out of money; the amount of capital you have divided by your burn rate.
  

• Amount—how much money you are raising and how you will use the funds.

Depending on your business, you also may want to include a quick demo which explains exactly how your product works and how customers will use the product. You could also play a short video that showcases your product or service.

If you are pitching in a competition and are given a rubric, follow it, since this is exactly what you’ll be judged on. If the meeting will be having a Q&A, think ahead of time about additional points you'd like to add about your business that can be woven into your responses.

This all may sound like a lot, but these are things that really add value to your pitch and speaks directly to the concerns investors will have.

Keep visuals and formatting front of mind in your pitch deck

When creating an effective and engaging pitch deck, you want to prioritize the way you display your business through captivating visuals. If you’re creating a presentation deck, rather than using standard labels for sections, such as “Our Story” or “The Team,” turn your slide headings into powerful statements: “The Solution For X” or "Our Team Has Over 20 Years Of Combined Experience." Headings are the largest lines of text on a screen and provide the best opportunity to state what you want the audience to take away from the slide.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so try to include visuals wherever possible; bullet points can be the script that you deliver verbally. A visually focused deck works well during your presentation, but also create a version of your deck that's more text focused and can stand alone for sending out. If your solution involves a physical product, bring it to your presentation, even if it’s only a prop that sits to the side that you can point to.

Prepare and speak with confidence

Speaking in front of people can be nerve-racking no matter how many times you do it—I still get butterflies. However, being a strong speaker establishes trust and sets you apart as a true expert in your field. Here are a few ways to perfect your presentation:

• Do at least 10 timed run-throughs of your deck, and actually say the words out loud.
• Prepare a script, but don’t lean on it or read it verbatim when you present.
• Film yourself presenting and evaluate your body language and speed of delivery. Watch for awkward body language or the all-too-common too-fast delivery.
• If you have a choice between sitting and standing while presenting, it is better to stand.

Bring supporters to the meeting

Take some team members to a pitch meeting and coach them ahead of time on how you'd like them to contribute. Play to their strengths and their roles within your organization.

If you are a solo founder and pitching to a group of investors, take one to two supporters or mentors, even if they are mostly silent during the meeting.

Communicate the value of your business

Ultimately, the most important step is to take a breath, smile, and connect with the audience. You are telling the story of the business you believe in, and no one knows it better than you!

You already know the value of your business, but a pitch deck is key to communicating that value to others. Following these tips in my own entrepreneurial journey helped me find success. Through intentional and relatable storytelling, clear visuals, and practice, you’ll develop a strong pitch that will help you achieve your goals for your venture.

FAQs on creating the perfect pitch deck

About the Author

Deanna Meador

Deanna Meador is the CEO and co-founder of Couture Technologies, an AI-powered virtual fitting technology that helps apparel businesses reduce returns, increase conversions, and grow their brand by ensuring customers get the right fit the first time. The company empowers direct-to-consumer fashion and workwear apparel brands with virtual try-on technology, 3D garment creation services, and enhanced data analytics designed to reduce returns and increase conversion rates.

Company: Couture Technologies
Website: www.couturetechnologies.com
Connect with me on LinkedIn and Instagram.