Pitch Decks and Capital Raising Materials: Keep Them Short and Visual
Investment Pitch Decks & Capital Raising Materials | Ep 6
Founders and fund managers who are preparing a pitch deck, one-pager or other materials for investors.
What you will hear
A 12 to 19 page pitch deck works better than a 44 page one, according to Richard C. Wilson. Recorded at a lunch break during a Family Office Club workshop in New York City, this module says the more valuable the investor, the less time they have. Materials must be concise, which also applies to a one-pager, a one-liner and the brand name.
Richard also covers extra materials such as a founder video of two to five minutes, a website, a data room and a "shock and awe" package. He explains how the size of the raise should set the amount of material, and why the best visuals from the deck belong on the one-pager.
- 1Build a strong, visual pitch deck
- 2Move best visuals to one-pager
- 3Write a one-sentence one-liner
- 4Record a 2 to 5 minute video
- 5Add website and data room
What stood out
- Keep the pitch deck short. Richard says a pitch deck should run 12 to 19 pages, not 44. Valuable investors have little time, so concise materials matter.
- Use a one-pager and one-liner. A one-sided PDF teaser should explain what the investment is and why it is compelling in two or three ways. A one-sentence one-liner should say what you do and why someone should work with you.
- Add a short founder video. A video of two to five minutes at the longest can show the strategy, how the founder adds value and why they are credible. Richard suggests placing it on the one-pager and maybe on page two of the deck.
- Match materials to raise size. A raise of a quarter of a million dollars in a few weeks might need only a one-page teaser and a video. A raise of 2 million or 5 million dollars calls for the full set, including deck, website, one-liner and logo.
- Make the one-pager visual. Build the pitch deck first, then move the best one to three visuals onto the one-pager. A reader should understand what you do at a glance and want a call or meeting.
In their words
"The more valuable the investor you're after, the less time they have, so your materials need to be very concise."
"If your brand name says what you do and where you do it, or why someone should work with you, then it makes it more appealing."
"The larger the amount of capital you raise, the more sophisticated and in-depth your materials will need to be."
Key facts
- Richard recommends a pitch deck of 12 to 19 pages instead of 44 pages.
- The founder video should be two to five minutes long at the very longest.
- The Family Office Club workshop on materials runs five and a half hours and covers 120 PowerPoint slides.
Sources
From Richard C. Wilson's Centimillionaire Strategies YouTube channel: Investment Pitch Decks & Capital Raising Materials | Ep 6. Quotes come from the video captions, lightly edited for readability. Figures are the speakers' own estimates and experience.
General education only. Not legal, tax or investment advice.
Related questions
- What financial slides should a fund manager's deck include?A fund manager's deck should show the numbers an investor tests first.
- How long should an investor pitch deck be?Keep your investor pitch deck to about 10 to 19 pages.
- 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
How long should a pitch deck be?
Richard C. Wilson recommends a 12 to 19 page pitch deck. He says a 44 page deck is too long for busy investors.
What should a founder video cover?
It should run two to five minutes at the longest. It should explain the strategy, how the founder adds value, their years in business and why the investor should work with them.
Do small raises need a full set of materials?
Not always. For about a quarter of a million dollars in a few weeks, a one-page teaser and maybe a video may be enough if the deal is strong. Larger raises need more materials.
Put this into practice with the pitch deck grader. See all pitch decks resources.
