MARKETING 201 – THE PITCH DECK Bring your product, service or company to life in a concise, clear way with a PowerPoint slide presentation or “pitch deck”.

THE PITCH DECK Define Your Product or Service Identify Your Customer Develop Value Proposition What’s covered in this presentation? WHAT is a Pitch Deck? WHY do I need one? WHO do I show it to? HOW do I create it?

WHAT WHAT IS A PITCH DECK? A Pitch Deck is a visual summary of your business. It forces you to concisely articulate the important facts about your business.

WHAT CAN I DO WITH A PITCH DECK? Define Your Product or Service Identify Your Customer Develop Value Proposition Product or Service Overview Business Description Present New Idea Why does Company exist Investor Presentation

WHY WHY DO I NEED A PITCH DECK? FIRST: To provide a consistent picture of your company and what you have to offer SECOND: To make your presentation easier THIRD: To get to the next meeting with your client, customer, or investor FOURTH: Ultimately A Pitch Deck will help your company grow and realize your vision.

WHO WHO DO I PRESENT IT TO? InvestorsCustomers

WHAT SHOULD IT CONVEY TO A CUSTOMER? Define Your Product or Service Identify Your Customer Develop Value Proposition The customer is ultimately going to buy your product or service. It is important that they learn the following: 1. Why does this company need to exist? 2. What is your idea or product? 3. What are the features and benefits? 4. Help your customer to understand the entire business concept.

WHAT SHOULD IT CONVEY TO AN INVESTOR? Define Your Product or Service Identify Your Customer Develop Value Proposition The investor needs additional information to make an informed decision. They also need more detail about your product or service than the customer. 1. How do I run my business? What does my business model look like? 2. What financial aspects are important? Initial funding needed Current cash flow Sources to raise capital 3. What Marketing and Sales strategies do I use? How do I get business or sell my product/service?

HOW HOW DO I CREATE A PITCH DECK? Pull all of your information together in an organized and visually awesome way.

HOW TO SET IT UP AND GET STARTED Define Your Product or Service Identify Your Customer Develop Value Proposition General rules for the entire presentation o Be consistent. Use the same fonts, font sizes/styles, color combinations, design effects, graphic types. o Be concise. Tell your story using a maximum of 18 slides. o Make it interesting. Use pictures and graphics. A great visual presentation will better engage your audience. o Keep it simple. Keep it clean and simple to keep your audience focused. o Less is more. Keep the words to a minimum with one main idea per slide.

HOW TO SET IT UP AND GET STARTED Define Your Product or Service Identify Your Customer Develop Value Proposition Keep the following in mind as you create your pitch deck:  This is not a sales presentation. The purpose is to convince someone that your idea has merit.  Tell a story. The presentation should flow naturally from one slide to the next.  Why do you exist. Make sure to convey the answer throughout the presentation.  First Impression. This may be the first thing a potential investor or customer sees on your company. Make it count visually and in how you verbally present each slide.

STEP BY STEP Define Your Product or Service Identify Your Customer Develop Value Proposition Introduction Intro Use an introductory slide. Feature your logo or other recognizable graphic. Who & Why Who can be as simple as your name and position. Why does your company exist? 1 Slide One

STEP BY STEP – cont’d Define Your Product or Service Identify Your Customer Develop Value Proposition Problem Address the problem your product or service solves. Target Identify your target market. For investor slides, provide an overview of the market size and the ideal customers. 3 Slide Three 2 Slide Two

STEP BY STEP – cont’d Define Your Product or Service Identify Your Customer Develop Value Proposition Solution What is the solution. What result will be realized by the customer if they buy your product or service? Team In a small business, especially a service, you are selling your team. Describe your core team and what their experience provides to the product or service. For investors, you may need to show how you plan to expand your team as you grow. 5 Slide Five 4 Slide Four

STEP BY STEP – cont’d Define Your Product or Service Identify Your Customer Develop Value Proposition Competitive Advantages Differentiate your product, service, company. List a few items that make your stand out and be able to back up the statements. Support, quality, response time, green product…etc Benefits How does your customer benefit from buying your product or service. More functionality, colors, experience, …etc. 7 Slide Seven 6 Slide Six

STEP BY STEP – cont’d Define Your Product or Service Identify Your Customer Develop Value Proposition Traction For investors, explain what you have developed to this point in your enterprise. Major plateaus you’ve reached and plans for the next steps. A timeline may be helpful to show past accomplishments and future goals. Business Model For investors, demonstrate the legal structure of the entity. Funding needed and how it will be utilized. Sources and means of raising this capital. Will this be ongoing or will entity sustain itself after initial funding? Show ongoing income sources and cash flow projections. This is an overview and not detailed. 9 Slide Nine 8 Slide Eight

STEP BY STEP – cont’d Define Your Product or Service Identify Your Customer Develop Value Proposition Marketing & Sales Strategy For investors, define a marketing goal a date to achieve it. Identify the marketing plan or campaign that will achieve these results. Summary For customers, include a high point of the presentation and a call to action. For investors, include the opportunity presented, significant traction to date, strength of the team, and the “ask for funds”. 11 Slide Eleven 10 Slide Ten

STEP BY STEP – cont’d Define Your Product or Service Identify Your Customer Develop Value Proposition Closing Include logo and contact information. Additional Slides Throughout this presentation you may need to add slides to convey the information. Remember to keep it straight forward and provide enough information to stir up interest. The objective is to get another appointment during which you can provide additional detail in all areas as needed. Additional Details 12 Slide Twelve