How to Formulate Your Pitch Deck with Sales Psychology in Mind

1. How to Formulate Your Pitch Deck with Sales Psychology in Mind According to notable Harvard professor Gerald Zaltman, 95% of purchasing decisions are subconscious. This applies to whether someone is purchasing a toothbrush or investing in a business. Investors are constantly seeing new investment opportunities. The most common way to introduce your business to a potential investor is through a pitch deck. As with any other form of a sales pitch, approaching a Pitch Deck with sales psychology in mind can go a long way to ensuring your business stands out from the rest. First Impressions Matter The entirety of your pitch deck should feature and complement your branding. While you want the theme to be consistent throughout, this is most important on the cover slide. Once your pitch deck presentation is loaded on the screen or comes across an investor’s desk, they are beginning to make assessments about your business before you ever say, or read, a word. Make sure your logo and branding elicit an emotion or give some insight to your business–preferably both. Use Emotional Appeal You’ve likely heard the popular saying in business that “people buy from people.” Science shows that people are far more likely to buy from someone they know and like. One of the quickest ways to achieve this is to incorporate the art of storytelling into your pitch deck. Don’t just talk about what the business does; talk about why you specifically started this business. What does it mean to you? How did it come to be the idea it is now? Any small glimpse of the story behind the business can create an emotional connection that will increase your chances of a successful pitch.

2. Appeal to Need for Logic & Order Part of the secret to a winning Pitch Deck is keeping the attention of your audience. You don’t want their mind to wander during your presentation. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to appeal to something the human brain craves: logic. Not only should the presentation follow a logical order from the beginning, but you should also let the investor know what that order is. This can be achieved by having an overview at the beginning as well as using cues during transitions to let them know what you are talking about next. If it follows a sensible order and your presentation is proactively answering many of their questions, you’ll keep their attention. The longer their minds and eyes stay on your presentation, the higher the likelihood they will invest. Ask for What You Want Individuals who do not have an inclination for sales can often be reluctant when it comes to closing the sale. Don’t be afraid to literally spell out what you want by including it in one of the pitch deck slides. This ensures you make the ask but also takes some of the pressure off of strictly communicating this verbally. While it is unusual to get an immediate answer, as investors will want some time to do their own research and due diligence, they should leave the presentation with a clear understanding of your business as well as what you are asking for from them. If possible, try to nail down a specific date for when they will get back to you instead of leaving it open-ended. Don’t let the presentation conclude without both you and the potential investors knowing what is to come next and when. A great pitch deck is engaging and has a clear presentation of your business goals, vision, plans, and finances. It will help you capture that initial interest you need to secure that next meeting. It can be difficult to strike the right balance between identifying and summarizing the most pertinent business information, having a strong visual appeal, and tapping into sales psychology. That’s why it’s worth trusting this task to professionals who are skilled at striking the balance between all of these factors. In addition to Joorney’s team of Professional Business Plan Writers, our advisory service provides Professional Pitch Deck creation for businesses seeking to raise more than $200,000 in capital.