Something every product business needs is a pitch deck. Whether it’s to get retailers on board with your brand, win investment, or simply spread the word – an outstanding pitch deck is a crucial part of your toolkit.
We’ve put together some tips on how to make yours as polished and engaging as it can possibly be – to set you up for the next level of success.
Plan it out
Before you start putting your pitch deck together, you need to plan the layout. Think about what content should be included, and in what order. You can sketch out a grid and make a rough plan to give you a structure – this makes writing content a lot easier.
Wizz Selvey, former Selfridges buyer and retail expert at WIZZ&CO, says, ‘Less is more – remember this may be the first time someone has seen your brand.’ Stick to the key information about your business, the headlines and details that your audience really wants to see, and leave the rest. ‘If you overwhelm with information the reader may miss the most important part you are trying to communicate,’ says Wizz.
Get clear on your USP
Retailers and investors see hundreds and hundreds of pitch decks. So yours needs to communicate what’s amazing about you, and quickly. Wizz recommends writing a one-sentence mission statement for your brand (elevator pitch) so buyers (and customers) can clearly understand what your brand does, why it’s different and why they need it. This message should be front and centre in your deck.
Design
‘A clean, on-brand layout makes a deck easier to digest and positions your brand as a market leader,’ says Wizz. It’s worth putting time and investment into this crucial part of your brand kit – if your intended target is leafing through multiple pitches a day, make yours the one that grabs their attention with an intentional and beautiful design that elevates and communicates what your brand is about.
Why should we take notice?
Nine out of ten times what is missed from a pitch is the commercial opportunity. What makes your brand hot? List your top achievements – this could be awards, press recognition, social media stats – include all your successes.
To chat with us about creating a next-level pitch deck for your brand, get in touch.
Wizz Selvey spent 12 years buying at Selfridges so has been pitched to thousands of times. She is the founder of WIZZ&CO, a brand and retail strategy agency working with global brands and retailers and indie brands through online education and coaching. Her training course ‘What retail buyers look for’, is open now.