Pitch perfect: Hitting the right note with investors isn’t easy

You’ve kept your eye on the ball, you’ve practiced, visualized the field, maybe you’ve even studied your target and know what they might swing at. You step up, take a deep breath and make the one pitch that could change everything. And no, we’re not talking about baseball.

When it comes to attracting investment to a start-up company there is a lot of homework to do. After you understand some of the basic terms and starting points, it’s time to start developing the materials and presentation you will need to convince investors they should do business with you. Often referred as a ‘pitch deck,’ your presentation needs to be much more than just some words on a screen. Preparation, the right combination of information and plenty of practice can make the difference between striking out, landing on base or hitting a real dinger.

Omi Velasco, Principle with Graphite Ventures, an early-stage venture fund with operations in Alberta and beyond, has seen countless pitches over the years and knows what’s worth swinging at and what is better left to ignore. 

Each venture capital fund or private investor can have a unique focus or sector they like to operate in. Some funds invest at different stages of a company’s growth or have a specific geographic focus. Founders and entrepreneurs should avoid a spam mentality, sending the same pitch to as many places as possible, says Velasco.

“The first thing is I don’t like it when people pitch me something that’s clearly out of our scope. It shows me you haven’t done your homework,” she says.

Pitch Deck Template

Each company is unique; however, when it comes time to craft that crucial pitch deck, that foundation of information for investors, there are some basic elements to include.

Not everyone is a natural at sales work or promoting themselves and their company. Founders should look across their team to see who may have some of the best experience as a presenter and not be afraid to share the spotlight, while being available for specific questions, advises Velasco.

“Communication skills are key. Something I consider, how you pitch to me is how you’re also pitching to customers.”

Beyond the numbers, the best and most memorable pitches are also ones that tell a strong story, have a narrative, she says.

“The storyline of why you’re doing this is very important.”

While there can be a lot of ground to cover in a pitch, and founders are naturally proud of their work. It’s important to be concise as well. A good pitch deck should aim to be between 10-15 slides with strong visual elements such as graphics, charts or images – avoid text heavy or text only slides when possible.

Investors will be looking for what is a good fit for their own investing philosophy, says Velasco. Ensure you leave time in any presentation for investors to ask questions, don’t suck up the full time.

“If I know it’s going to be a no, I’ll tell them on the spot,” she says. “They should be interviewing the investors as well…be open to hearing different perspectives from venture capitalists but don’t take it (advice) as the Bible.”

Graphite Ventures is a member of the Venture Capital Association of Alberta and has received investment funding from the Alberta Enterprise Corporation with a focus on seed and series A funding rounds.