Mastering PowerPoint isn’t something to be proud of. But it’s a reality of a startup CEO’s job if you’re trying to raise capital. Why?
Because sex sells.
Pitching is hard. It’s intimidating, frustrating and stressful. I still can’t eat for a few hours after I pitch on stage because of the nerves involved. No one can say that pitching is easy. But there’s just no excuse for having an ugly investor presentation (or “deck”). Your pitch needs to be sexy.
And if you think the design and style of a presentation doesn’t matter you’re dead wrong. There’s certainly a whole lot more involved in a pitch than the style and design of the PowerPoint slides you present, but damn, do they ever matter!
Back in May I posted a few sample slides for a Standout Jobs presentation I had given a number of times. I was using them as an example of “sexy slides”, but in retrospect they weren’t good enough. And I’ve spent a lot of time trying to make my slides sexier.
Don’t forget: Sex sells.
I’m not selling sex (far from it) but you can be damn sure that the style and design of your slides matters. And it’s an easy problem to fix.
Here’s an example of a slide from my old presentation compared to an upgraded version from my recent presentation at the Banff Venture Forum:
Old Version of the Slide
New Version of the Slide
Two key things — there are no words and the image is presented in a slightly more interesting way, at an angle. Very simple things to do that seriously make a difference in how you present.
Here are four other slides from my recent presentation that I think are good. They’re very visual, use very few words and sequentially they tell a real story that resonates (hopefully!) with viewers.
Why do sexy slides matter?
It’s simple really:
- They engage the audience more. You’re trying to convince an audience of venture capitalists to care about you. And that’s not easy. You need to catch their attention, grab their eyes and engage them instantly, with every single slide presented.
- They give you more confidence. I really believe that the nicer your presentation is visually the more confidence you can gain from it. You know that your presentation is “damn nice” and that even if you stumble or don’t give the “perfect pitch” your slides will help carry you. It might sound silly, but it’s absolutely true.
- They prove you can tell a good story. Sexy slides are a good indication that you’ve put a lot of time and effort into your presentation and that you’re able to tell a good story. And if you think pitching is anything but storytelling, you’re in trouble.
- They give you one less thing to worry about. Pitching is extremely hard. Asking for money is hard. Having sexy slides is just one thing that you can check off on a long list of things you need to do extremely well to raise capital. There’s no good reason to leave sexy slides to chance or ignore them completely. VCs will have a million questions about your business and poke holes in you until you look like Swiss cheese, but don’t give them a reason to ignore you because your slides were crappy and your presentation was boring.
Sexy slides.
I know it sounds silly or trite, but it matters. A lot.
If you want your pitch to be successful you need to start with a strong foundation for your pitch, and a big part of that is the quality of your slides.
Some sort of visual aid is definiately needed I think otherwise people lose focus
Some sort of visual aid is definiately needed I think otherwise people lose focus
'm sure this can be explained scientifically. i guess you've all heard about subliminal messaging? Something in the picture that you don't quite understand, but your subconscious mind not only understands it, but puts more effort into remembering it.
what is sex??
i realy like it..
read before..=)
what is sex??
i realy like it..
read before..=)
what is sex??
i realy like it..
read before..=)
what is sex??
i realy like it..
read before..=)
Some sort of visual aid is definiately needed I think otherwise people lose focus
That's a great analogy, Julia. I've caught myself looking at the magazone's with the most “beautiful” model on the cover while in checkout lines, even though the cover model has nothing to do with the content of the magazine. Hell, I even knew I wasn't going to like the content when I picked it up.
That's a great analogy, Julia. I've caught myself looking at the magazone's with the most “beautiful” model on the cover while in checkout lines, even though the cover model has nothing to do with the content of the magazine. Hell, I even knew I wasn't going to like the content when I picked it up.
That's a great analogy, Julia. I've caught myself looking at the magazone's with the most “beautiful” model on the cover while in checkout lines, even though the cover model has nothing to do with the content of the magazine. Hell, I even knew I wasn't going to like the content when I picked it up.
That's a great analogy, Julia. I've caught myself looking at the magazone's with the most “beautiful” model on the cover while in checkout lines, even though the cover model has nothing to do with the content of the magazine. Hell, I even knew I wasn't going to like the content when I picked it up.
Thanks, nothing is worse than a boring powerpoint: lights dim, no visual stimulation = catch up on jet lag! For the seller, nothing is worse than spending a lot on a great product, only to take shortcuts on the pitch. I saw powerpoint used in a religious discussion once, and even having great looking graphics there made for a much more stimulating dialog.
Thanks, nothing is worse than a boring powerpoint: lights dim, no visual stimulation = catch up on jet lag! For the seller, nothing is worse than spending a lot on a great product, only to take shortcuts on the pitch. I saw powerpoint used in a religious discussion once, and even having great looking graphics there made for a much more stimulating dialog.
Thanks, nothing is worse than a boring powerpoint: lights dim, no visual stimulation = catch up on jet lag! For the seller, nothing is worse than spending a lot on a great product, only to take shortcuts on the pitch. I saw powerpoint used in a religious discussion once, and even having great looking graphics there made for a much more stimulating dialog.
Thanks, nothing is worse than a boring powerpoint: lights dim, no visual stimulation = catch up on jet lag! For the seller, nothing is worse than spending a lot on a great product, only to take shortcuts on the pitch. I saw powerpoint used in a religious discussion once, and even having great looking graphics there made for a much more stimulating dialog.
Thanks, nothing is worse than a boring powerpoint: lights dim, no visual stimulation = catch up on jet lag! For the seller, nothing is worse than spending a lot on a great product, only to take shortcuts on the pitch. I saw powerpoint used in a religious discussion once, and even having great looking graphics there made for a much more stimulating dialog.
Using Powerpoint can work in the right circumstances.
This example is not particularly graphically brilliant but it gets the message across quite well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8zzM1YYOYU
Using Powerpoint can work in the right circumstances.
This example is not particularly graphically brilliant but it gets the message across quite well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8zzM1YYOYU
Using Powerpoint can work in the right circumstances.
This example is not particularly graphically brilliant but it gets the message across quite well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8zzM1YYOYU
Using Powerpoint can work in the right circumstances.
This example is not particularly graphically brilliant but it gets the message across quite well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8zzM1YYOYU
Using Powerpoint can work in the right circumstances.
This example is not particularly graphically brilliant but it gets the message across quite well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8zzM1YYOYU
Sex sells because people link sex to feeling good which is ultimately what people want to feel, if you can link your product to sex it has a higher chance of selling.
I have to admit that I had no idea where you were going with the post when I first clicked on it. I completely get it however, after reading it and completely agree with you point. I can’t think of anyone eager to hand out their money after being put to sleep by a bad power point presentation.
Yeah PowerPoint is great for presentations, it so easy to create and easy to use in the presentation
I wonder what it is about humans that are so intrigued by beauty and why we take more notice when something looks good?
I do agree with the sex sells concept. But I couldn’t see the pics in this posting…is there a way to post them again so that I can see? Thanks.
@Stephon: Sorry about that. When I moved host environments I lost some images. They’re back now on this post…
Let me know what you think.
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I feel so horny.
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The chiropractic story has been re-told by millions of satisfied patients.
It sells itself !
Dr.David Black
http://www.blackchiropractic.com.au
I am completely agree with you, after reading it.. Each pictures are looking cool and admirable..I think once the religious discussing once used the powerpoint for their maintenance with great graphics..
banff
Good post Ben. I read Guy Kawasaki's book The Art of The Start last year and he was harping on this point as well. Your right, design matters.
Good post Ben. I read Guy Kawasaki's book The Art of The Start last year and he was harping on this point as well. Your right, design matters.
Car HID Kits
Sex certainly sells but let's not forget that you have to have the substance to back it all up.
Sex certainly sells but let's not forget that you have to have the substance to back it all up.
I remember reading Guy Kawasaki had some good pointers for pitching VC and Powerpoint presentations.
From what I remember, the less words the better