Written by: Michelle Margaret Marques, Senior Level Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Michelle Margaret Marques, the dynamic founder of Marques Ventures, unravels the complex anatomy of an investment pitch. She imparts her straightforward wisdom on creating an irresistible pitch deck and the must-haves when seeking investment. So, how does one master the intricate art of a pitch?
To simplify the process and eliminate the intimidation, Marques suggests viewing pitching as an art of storytelling. She compares it to an iceberg, a potent analogy, and dissects it into five digestible steps.
Your Story: This is the soul of your venture, the driving force behind your startup journey.
The Problem You're Tackling: What's the challenge you're addressing?
Your Unique Advantage: Marques firmly advocates that your unique life experiences are your most potent competitive edge.
The Investment Request: What's a pitch without the ask? Here, we're talking about a significant investment.
The Follow-up: Remember, you'll have two outcomes – funding or feedback. Both are invaluable.
So, what precise information should your deck encompass?
Begin with the problems, neatly outlined in a 1-2-3 format, followed by your solutions. Offer a comprehensive understanding of how you're tackling these issues and outshining your competitors. Pro tip: Never assert to have no competition. Always be cognizant of your competitors and how you're outperforming them. This is your competitive advantage. Also, be unambiguous about your target audience and your brand identity. Add a dash of dazzle by spotlighting what sets your product or service apart, and sketch out the market opportunity. There's a plethora of free statistics available to help investors comprehend the size of the opportunity.
Incorporate a section on brand traction to prove that your startup is gaining momentum and that you're capable of delivering on your promises. Even pre-launch, you can include milestones like your first press piece or your first hire – anything that exhibits progress. Keep the spotlight on the pipeline of new developments.
Let's explore the concept of the embargo and its importance. An embargo is a confidential sharing of information, with the hope that they'll find it intriguing but won't disclose it yet as it's not ready for public consumption. It's a secret between you and the reader of your deck.
Always include a boilerplate that specifies confidentiality, who the deck is being presented to, and the date, to avoid any confusion about who should have access to the deck. If you're concerned about where your deck might end up, consider using tracking software. Marques Ventures seldom emails their decks as PDFs. They prefer tracking software which allows them to control link distribution, monitor viewership, and even see if someone dropped off at slide 8. This helps them identify slides that may need revising and provides an opportunity to reach out to the viewer for feedback.
As a founder, Marques finds the tracking feature quite intriguing. Sometimes people don't respond to emails, but they forward them, and she can see it. This is a crucial part of the follow-up and feedback process because you can see where your deck ends up, even if they don't respond to you. And now, the grand finale – the money slide. A pitch deck is incomplete without specifying your ask.
Marques is always explicit about how the funds will elevate their business, whether it's hiring full-time employees, bringing on more contractors, or allocating more funds toward marketing or inventory. It's vital to be transparent about how you intend to use the funds.
Michelle Margaret Marques, Senior Level Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Michelle Margaret Marques, is an Identity Transformation Catalyst (identity shifting coach), Women Centred, International Speaker, Author, Rebel woman, and mother, and an Education junkie.
Michelle offers unique identity shift coaching services to help women gain insight into who they are, and create the life they want.
