Pitch decks

5 Free Must-Haves Every Investor Wants in Your Pitch Deck

5 Free Must-Haves Every Investor Wants in Your Pitch Deck (But Almost No One Uses)

Founders, sponsors and fund managers who are building or fixing a pitch deck, one-pager or website before approaching family offices and other investors.

Quotes from the session

Summary

Richard C. Richard says a founder video of one to three minutes is the first free item every pitch deck needs. He recorded his own 13 times on a $300 webcam. He says the video belongs on the website, in the first three pages of the deck and on the one-pager. Mark, who runs an investor club of 62 investors, will not look at a deal without a one-pager.

The rest of the talk covers packaging and clarity. Richard describes how renaming Dynastic Development as CRA construction partners, and Iron Toro Capital as Motel to Apartment Conversions, made each firm easier to understand. He also asks for real photos of assets, a one-liner built on hard numbers, professional team photos and a timeline of milestones. He puts the cost at under $1,000 for all of it.

Facts from this talk

• Richard needed 13 to 14 takes to record his own two to three minute video, using a $300 webcam.
• One club member's one-liner said the firm closed 475 hard money loans over 13 years and lost money on only two.
• A key visual can cost about $20 on Fiverr, and a higher-end designer can cost less than $1,000.

General education only. Not legal, tax or investment advice.

Five points worth keeping

1. Put a founder video up front. A one to three minute video of the founder should sit on the website, in the first three pages of the deck and on the one-pager. Richard says investors often judge trust, credibility and relatability within a couple of seconds, and he found a $300 webcam good enough.
2. Packaging adds perceived value. Richard says the packaging of what you present imputes value upon the thing. An AOL email address, clip art logos or odd fonts can undersell 20 years of experience.
3. Make the name explain the business. Richard says that if people cannot recall what a firm does after an event, they are less likely to respond. Motel to Apartment Conversions is easier to remember than Iron Toro Capital, and CRA construction partners is clearer than Dynastic Development.
4. Show real assets, not stock images. A grainy photo or video of you walking the actual site beats clip art skyscrapers on a multifamily deck. A visual should show your value add without a paragraph and seven bullet points.
5. Use a specific one-liner and timeline. Phrases like best-in-class team mean almost nothing because everyone says them. A line such as 475 hard money loans over 13 years with only two losses gives a reason to respond. A milestone timeline also tells the story of the firm.

Related questions

• How long should an investor pitch deck be?Keep your investor pitch deck to about 10 to 19 pages.
• What financial slides should a fund manager's deck include?A fund manager's deck should show the numbers an investor tests first.
• What is an investor teaser and what goes in it?An investor teaser is a one-page, one-sided PDF that tells an investor what your deal is and why it is compelling in two or three ways.

Questions about this video

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