Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

In developing the pitch deck, there are several mistakes I often see.

One of the most common is trying to explain in great detail how the product or technology works.

Instead, focus on the benefits of the product and what it does for customers.

Save the detailed explanations for later when you are in diligence.

Other mistakes include: 

— Not identifying the competition or claiming there is none.

— Making the font so small that no one beyond the first row can read it.

— Using too many words so that readers get distracted by reading it.

— Not setting up a flow so the slides follow a logical story form.

— Using market sizings to distract the audience from the fact that you have no traction.

— Forgetting to put the investment ask at the end, so investors are left wondering what you want from them.

— Using cut and paste from Excel for financials, rendering the slide unreadable.

— Trying to tell the investor everything in one sitting.

The pitch deck should focus on your core product, team, customer and fundraise.

The details can be fleshed out later. 

Finally, the biggest mistake is not asking questions and listening.  

Most startups spend their time talking when they should be listening for objections and concerns. 

Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let’s go startup something today.
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Disclaimer:
Hall T Martin is the director of Investor Connect, which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to the education of investors for early-stage funding. All opinions expressed by Hall and podcast guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of Investor Connect. This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon for the basis of investment decisions.