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Investor Pitch Deck – How to Write One

In the mobile app development world, start ups have the tendency to assume that they will begin making money immediately. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. So, having a solid and realistic timeline and plan at the beginning is crucial to the success of the app or product, including putting the money in up front for return on investment (ROI) down the line. Admittedly, investors typically want to put the least amount in up front, with large returns on the back end. Therefore, marketing professionals must work with both sides and effectively communicate the value of their client’s product to the investor in a limited amount of time. Knowing what each party wants and needs to move forward with the financial investment is vital to a well-crafted investor pitch deck and comfortable working relationship between the parties.

So, then how do you captivate potential investors? We like to look at it like we’re telling them a story. In other words, your investors need to know the product and its narrative to feel like they’re making a sound investment. Any good story has a spectrum of characters, a setting, plot, conflict, and a final resolution. So, your investor pitch deck should have the same. Let’s break it down.

Pitch Deck Plot

To begin, the plot is the outline or backbone of your narrative. A good plot will start with research and surveys. You will need these two things to successfully create content for your story. This includes statistics, competitors, and your client’s backstory. If your client is relate-able and knowledgeable of the industry in which their product lives, and you additionally show the facts and data around the product (what it does, why it’s needed, etc.), this strengthens your pitch. A string plot is what you build everything else off of.

 

Characters

Next, your characters are the customers who are buying the product. If it is a mobile app, who is downloading the app? Shine a light on the characters and who they are, rather than the investors. The investors are your audience that will need to be informed on who’s in need of the product.

 

Setting

After that, the setting is the backdrop in which the characters and plot play out. Is your client’s product a platform for sharing media? If so, briefly describe the digital world in which this product lives. This will help investors understand the relevance of the product.

 

Conflict

So, what is the problem that the particular product is solving for the customer? Remember to focus on this. It’s the meat of the story and sets up the resolution, which will ultimately portray the value of the product to the pitch audience. The conflict coupled with the resolution are the dynamite that illuminates the story and solidifies the audience’s interest.

 

Pitch Deck Resolution

Finally, wrap up the story by describing how the client’s product is of value to the people who buy it. How does the product solve the conflict or problem? What sets it apart? Briefly line out the two year business plan and projections. This final resolution is the piece of the story that you’ve been building up to. With the audience on the edge of their seat, this information will have them sigh relief and rest assured that this will be a successful investment. Additionally, it will be the last piece of the pitch that sticks in their mind.

In short, APPSPIRE.me frequently works on Investor Pitch Decks for our clients and find that the story telling method is an effective way to bridge this relationship between our clients and their partners. Last of all, some points to remember are: don’t forget to add video(s) or other multi-media content to get your point across and to better set up the narrative. Using visual tools to paint the picture for your audience can be a great way to ensure a successful outcome. However, too much can take away form the point of the presentation, so take the time to outline your ideas and step back and visualize the pitch from an investor’s perspective. A good way to stay on track is to use a storyboard template like Storyboardthat.com offers. A great story teller outlines and proofs their story.

To see what Investor Pitch services APPSPIRE.me offers, visit our Investor Pitch Deck Packages page.