Traction slide pitch deck: What to include

In this past entry, we defined how to structure a pitch deck in terms of the intro, which includes the cover, problem, solution and product demo, and we even covered the market size and business model slides. 

To re-cap, the most recommended pitch deck structure is comprised of the following elements overall:

1. Cover
2. Problem*
3. Solution*
4. The Product Demo
5. Market Size
6. Business Model*
7. Competition*
8. Underlying Magic
9. Go-to Market
10. Team*
11. Traction/Milestones
12. Fundraising Information*
    

As we noted in Part I of this topic, the highlighted areas refer to key elements that need to be on your pitch deck. Consensus on the advice by knowledgeable accelerators, venture funds, successful startups, authors and internet personalities seems to make of these slides fundamental aspects for pitch decks. 

So let’s get to the second half of these amazing content slides for pitch decks.

How to Talk About Your Competition

It’s always a great moment when we can draw back on Steve Jobs to get a point across. And he really does take it home when you consider he was already comparing the iPhone in its earlier renditions to other phones. That is just the luxury you can afford if your product stands far out from its competitors. Use the competition slide to make it clear! 

Moreover, be practical about your differentiators to make it visually clear just how far your product or company lies in terms of significant competitive advantage. 

The Underlying Magic: What Exactly Is That?

Tied to above, the competitive advantage stands at the center of this precise slide. The difference to just talking about competition, however, is that you actually get to define and describe exactly what your competitive advantage is, which means making clear what technology or patents you have developed that make you unique. 

Do you feel you’ve been burdened with leaving important technical details aside so far? Make it up with the underlying magic slide. Here you have a bit more room for technical details that clarify your competitive advantage just right. 

Create your Pitch Deck

How to Best Go to Market

Without actually taking a stroll anywhere on this one, we’re presenting exact plans to insert your brand, product or service into a widespread market. What are your plans to acquire a mass audience? 

The advantage to a custom slide template on which you can rely are easy edits to varying content, such as your go-to market slide. As you attempt to insert your product through diverse tactics, this slide will be requiring constant edits, so it helps to make sure you’re working on a platform that lets you get in and out as your needs arise. 

Do you need to know perfectly well how you’re going to grow your business to feed this slide? You need to have a plan. Clear your tactics, expand your vision and make it clear that you have an idea how to go about growth. 

It’s not just about coming up with perfect ideas; it is moreover a matter of knowledge of execution of the plans you’re laying out through your updated go-to market slide. 

Need some inspiration? We recommend: Pitch deck examples from successful startups

What Makes A Great Founding Team

Hoping your team has had a professional headshot photoshoot, this is the slide where we get to meet the shiny faces of your founding team. Ever heard of the hustler, hacker, hipster trio? Bear that in mind. Of course we are here working on that ideal. Yet, beyond the great presentation of a team’s appearance, seek to make it clear why the combination you’ve put together as the professional leaders of your company is just the ideal founding team to grow your company.  

For as much as we side on empathy, stay away from including anyone that is not 100% your company. Advisers, early employees, muses and pivotal directives that are not fully dedicated to making your company grow can be kept away from what should otherwise be a truly simple slide. 

Engaging with A Lethal Blow in Traction 

Are you still with us? Most possibly you want to move this slide in its sequential order from what you see here. In fact, during a public presentation, your traction slide can grab attention as an opener. Nothing will replace your cover, but your milestone slide can directly follow that start of your pitch to enhance your credibility while capturing your listeners’ focus. 

Whether as slide 2 or second to last, the main purpose of your traction slide is to provide that lethal punch to your overall presentation. If we compare slides to dramatic plot, the milestone slide would be your climax. 

With growing revenue, actually, your task here is way simpler. Let us have a graph of your growth in revenue and let that speak by itself. That is truly all we’ll need to see here. Congrats! 
If you’re on the other side of scaling, whereby sales are not really coming in and you are no longer put a hold on looking for investors for a forceful reason, speak of other numbers that are hopefully also peeking, such as number of active users per certain period or any other growth indicator that will shed positive light on your traction. Best of luck in what’s coming for you, by the way.

The Privacy of Fundraising Information

Okay, let’s take this one home now! Excellent that you’ve stayed with us this far. 

The truth is that, if you’re going to Demo Day or taking your pitch up in public in any way, you’ll want to leave this final data out of your pitch deck. Are you using this for private purposes and sending this directly to an investor’s inbox or another private party? You might just be okay with including your fundraising information slide in that case. 

Nothing more other than a piece of advice to check on the diverse rulings that apply to fundraising information sharing. It’ll be good to have some background knowledge on when it is advised and allowed to share your fundraising information and when it is best to just keep it private, or to yourself altogether.

Liked what you read this far? Give your next pitch deck a try with Slidebean’s pitch deck templates.