Pitch Decks Explained

The varied versions of a business pitch can be characterized by diverse factors, including focus (such as business strategy pitch, team pitch, product-solution pitch, vision-opportunity pitch, and others), duration (from brief pitch lines, elevator pitch to comprehensive investor pitches), and timing (such as a presentation deck or email deck).

Several additional categories have sprung up in recognition of the reality that business proprietors frequently present their ideas to diverse audiences for varied periods. Occasionally, these pitches are communicated to non-experts, which reduces the requirement for technical jargon. Alternatively, they may have to illustrate a technological superiority to a committee of highly trained engineers and scientists.

In a nutshell, the content integrated into the business pitch deck is contingent on the specific situation, hence the need to further explore the definitions of the varied types of pitch decks.

1. Focus 
   The composition of pitch decks and the volume of information they contain often depends on their focus. That could range from elucidating the business strategy, team expertise, product brief, total market potential, and more. Although the discrepancy between these presentations might seem noticeable, business proprietors frequently confuse them, losing the essential focus – they might incorporate excessive business info in a technical deck or over-clarify their product to non-tech investors.
   
   • Business strategy pitch deck – The prime focus of this deck is your revenue model, additionally zooming in on customer demographics, market penetration strategy, and customer acquisition and retention plans. Essentially, it further elaborates on how the business aims to achieve sustainability and growth
     
   • Team pitch – This presentation focuses on the team’s skill sets and experience, showcasing how each member adds value to the project and why they’re the perfect fit for the startup at its existing stage and in its sector
     
   • Vision-opportunity pitch – Preferred by novice or new market entrepreneurs, this pitch sustains focus on your startup structure and objectives without being sidetracked by temporary setbacks
     
   • Problem-solution pitch – This specific pitch presents the specific problem your product or service resolves. It might become technical, particularly if the solution results in market upheaval, but primarily it should answer what makes your business unique and the kind of issues it resolves
     
   • Traction pitch – The essence of this pitch deck is your startup’s performance. Performance isn’t limited to profit, but any metric demonstrating interest that could be converted into revenue
     
   • Startup pitch – This comprehensive company overview pitch integrates all the above elements, providing a holistic view of your startup. This pitch usually consists of 10-11 slides, each addressing aspects including:
     • Vision and unique value proposition
     • Problem
     • Target market and opportunity
     • Solution
     • Product
     • Competition
     • Competitive advantages
     • Team
     • Traction
     • Business model (revenue)
     • Required Investment
     • Exit strategy

The text to be revamped: Essentially, these are different types of pitch deck classifications based on their distinct emphasis. As highlighted earlier, numerous decks are mere in-depth versions of the elementary startup pitch, offering an encompassing summary of the company’s goals, strategies, strengths, team, growth, and other aspects. While a general startup pitch is usually adequate for your first interaction with investors, some may request more profound insight into your business’s foundation. Hence, it’s prudent to have distinct pitches at the ready for each of the emphasized areas

2. Length Of The Pitch

• Capsule/ready-for-network pitches – It’s essential to comprehend your enterprise well enough to distill it into one sentence. This practical advice holds true for any domain knowledge or system. A well-crafted single-line summary must encompass key components: the startup’s moniker, a well-defined proposition, the target market, and a problem-solution perspective. Strikes against over-usage of extravagant adjectives like “first”, “only”, “best” or “massive”, as these may betray novice status. Ensure that your target audience is specifically mentioned, eliminating industry jargon, acronyms or sector-specific language from the discourse. Striking a balance of brevity and clarity is crucial. While wording a detailed sentence is easy, incisiveness and brevity are the targets.

• Elevator pitch – Fundamentally, this is a concise summary of your venture. It’s a slight elaboration on the capsule pitch. As the name implies, this pitch should sum up the business thought in the span of an elevator ride, typically between 15 seconds to a couple of minutes.
  Generally, elevator pitches are limited to 30 seconds, hinging on the presenter’s objective, the core idea, and the startup’s unique selling proposition.
  Adding a question at the end to encourage interaction is a smart move. Generally, the elevator pitch follows the capsule pitch, particularly if investors show interest in more details about the project
  
• Competition pitch – Unlike the previous two, this type of pitch necessitates a presentation pitch deck, akin to what’s needed during investor presentations. It barely differs from an investor pitch, hence the same rules apply: more visual content, less textual details. Leverage the power of visuals to captivate your audience, avoiding text overload that may distract them. Be conscientious of the limited time at your disposal
  
• Investor pitch – While competition and investor pitches share a common presentation format, their proceedings unfold at different paces. Unlike a competition pitch that has a strict time limit, an investor pitch can extend to cater to investor queries. Capturing enough investor interest to trigger more inquiries and discussions is your primary objective. During these pitches, thoroughly cover the problem, unique solutions, and your progress to date

3. Timing Of The Pitch Deck

• Audience-facing Deck – This serves as a visually arresting element to engage your audience’s interest. Prioritize its graphical appeal rather than cluttering with loads of data.
  
• Email/Send Deck – Even though this deck requires a more detailed portrayal of your business idea, compressing all possible information about the company would not be wise. Simplify it and include only relevant details to secure possible follow-ups with keen investors. Detailed documents, like business plans and due diligence papers, become pertinent only when detailed scrutiny of your company becomes a prospect for investors.

The classifications of pitch decks are adaptable and can be tailored according to your audience’s preferences.

There could be overlaps and the number of slides may vary (for instance, an investor might specify slide counts). Equally, the detail depth can adjust based on your audience’s preference. Nevertheless, the aforementioned tips serve as a basic touchstone upon which to craft your dream.