How to write a pitch deck for your startup investors

This week I wanted to share a resource with you that we normally only give to our customers on Angel Investment Network

It’s a short e-book that sets out in as simple as possible terms what should be included in the pitch deck that you send or present to prospective investors. An important point to be noted here is that ‘what should be included’ is, more often than not, ALL that should be included. In your pitch deck you’re trying to engage and persuade – to blow minds not to numb them. So the details you give should be the ‘minimum effective dose’ to get investors thinking and wanting to find out more.

The purpose of our site is to connect entrepreneurs and investors, so you might say that teaching people about pitching falls beyond our remit; but you’d be wrong.

1. We like to make sure our entrepreneurs are as well prepared as possible for the result of any connections made through our site (or elsewhere), so that down the line they can write to tell us how successful they’ve become.

2. We see so many bad pitch decks and so many good’uns (literally thousands a week!) that we know what gets investors giddy…

It’s yours if you want it!

Download from here

How a good first impression can make you more money and your users happier

This week I wanted to share with you a great little article about user onboarding. While it’s primarily useful for web-based companies, there’s an important lesson in there for anyone who cares about driving success.

In brief, the article demonstrates that the most effective way to increase user retention, is to focus on onboarding – that first day or week in which a user is experiencing your product for the first time. By focussing on this ‘handshake’ moment not only will you retain a higher percentage of users/customers in that first day/week, but there will be a knock-on effect from this in the subsequent days/weeks; with the result that your churn will be significantly reduced across the entire user lifecycle and your revenues will have increased accordingly and significantly. Even though you only made changes at the start of the lifecyle.

Imagine two scenarios in which you are entering a hotel…

In the first, you go through the swivel doors into a silent and dimly-lit atrium across which you can just make out a receptionist slumped behind the desk. You lug your bags over to the desk gasping audibly from the effort. The receptionist does not even look up etc…You get the picture.

In the second, you go through the swivel doors into a dazzling atrium buzzing with fellow guests cheerfully chatting away whilst relaxing in comfy chairs as handsome waiters and waitresses serve them Prosecco and canapes; and have their luggage taken up to their rooms.

Obviously the second scenario is intended to create a ‘WOW’ factor. This ‘WOW’ factor is important because it creates a perspective in the mind of the customer which will set the tone for how they perceive the whole experience. In other words, the happiness created at the start will mean that the customer is more likely to use more of the various facilities and services, tip more and return in future.

So whatever business you’re in, remember you never get a second chance at a first impression; and the first impression is most important one you can make.