17 Common Pitch Deck Mistakes by Startups

Pitch decks are used by startups when they want to announce their company or product in front of potential investors.

14:29 18 January 2022

Pitch decks are used by startups when they want to announce their company or product in front of potential investors.

Investors all have different preferences, so it is important to know what most look for in a good pitch deck. Here are the most common mistakes that most entrepreneurs make when coming up with their pitch deck:

 

1. Not Telling A Story

Good pitch deck examples tell the investor how they will make money by investing in your company.

 

Many entrepreneurs do not think of their decks as stories that need to be told, but any person presenting an idea or concept needs to have a beginning, middle, and end. If you can connect with the investor on an emotional level, all the better.

 

2. Boring Visuals

Your pitch deck template should provide some interesting and captivating images and diagrams to compliment your story and simplify your concept.

 

An investor might be inclined to look past a boring or uninteresting slide, but it will be harder for them to get on board with something that does not catch their attention.

 

 

3. Not Using Graphs, Charts, And Other Visuals

Graphs and charts can be great ways to explain complicated ideas such as data analytics or market potential.

 

You need to provide some kind of picture or diagram in your investor pitch deck that will help simplify your concept for the investor, so even if you are just explaining a complicated idea such as how an app works, try and include something that makes it more tangible.

 

If you need a pitch deck and a wide variety of graphics for it, go to Venngage. 

 

4. Too Busy With Too Many Words

You should avoid cramming your deck with words or putting so much text on a slide that it becomes hard to read.

 

5. Not Including A Call To Action

A good startup pitch deck will always have a call to action for the investor, whether it's coming up with a potential structure of an agreement or asking them what they think of your company.

 

6. Weak Portfolio Links

Your pitch deck design should give your potential investors all the information they need to know your company, but you should also provide links to outside sources that they can use to find out more about you.

 

7. Terrible First Impression

Investors do not have time for a terrible first impression that does not grab their attention or engage them in an interesting way. If your pitch deck is full of mistakes like the ones listed above, you might be putting your company in jeopardy when it comes to securing funding.

 

8. Unprofessional Design

Much like your business proposal, your pitch deck should always be clean and professional looking so your potential investors know you take your company seriously. 

 

9. Not Including The Cost Of Goods

You need to show how much it costs you for one unit of whatever product or service that you are offering because every investor wants to know that they will at least make their money back.

 

10. Poor Audio And Visual Quality

It goes without saying that you need professional equipment if you want to give a good presentation.

 

11. Not Understanding Investor Preferences

Investors might have different interests and desires, so you should know what they look for in a pitch deck before making one yourself.

 

12. Trying To Explain Too Much

You need to make your pitch deck simple yet compelling, because if it is too long, you might lose the attention of your audience.

 

13. None Or Not Enough references

An investor needs to know the market for whatever you are trying to sell, so give them some key points about the industry that they can use to do their own research.

If you are going to include some key points the investor can use to do their own research, make sure you give them plenty of sources to choose from.

 

14. Unprofessional Design

Do not make your pitch deck look like something you slapped together at the last minute. It needs to be clean and professional looking so your potential investors know you take your company seriously.

 

15. Including Too Much Jargon

It is important to use language that makes sense to your audience, so make sure you are not talking over their heads with tons of jargon or using complex vocabulary they might not understand.

 

16. Too Many Promises

An investor only needs to hear about the potential of your company, so keep focus on selling the idea of what you are selling, not about what it is going to do for them.

 

17. Not Having A Personal Connection

Having some kind of personal connection to your company can go a long way in securing an investor's trust, so try and at least include information about yourself on your pitch deck if possible.

 

In Conclusion

These are just some of the most common mistakes that entrepreneurs make when they come up with their pitch decks, but there are plenty more out there. Do not let these hold you back from making a great impression on potential investors. Once you remove these mistakes from your deck, you will be able to get on the right track and hopefully secure some funding.