The Power of Having a Pitch Deck Accompany Your Bank Business Plan

1. The Power of Having a Pitch Deck Accompany Your Bank Business Plan Pitch decks are most commonly used when approaching potential investors. However, they can make a powerful accompaniment to your Bank Business Plan as well. Although they are rarely requested and almost never required, including a pitch deck when you submit or present your full bank business plan can increase your chances of securing your desired business loan or line of credit. Introduction to Your Business Given the sheer number of bank business plans that business loan officers review, they are unlikely to read every single page, especially as a bank business plan tends to be around 20-40 pages on average. Including a Pitch Deck gives you the ability to give them a quick overview of the most important aspects of your bank business plan so they have the full picture prior to reading through your full plan, regardless which sections they choose to fully read. The pitch deck can be a great way to introduce the business in a way that allows you to better control the narrative and set the tone before your full bank business plan is reviewed.

2. Emotional Appeal Even bankers and loan officers are human, and we know that humans cannot completely eliminate emotions from their decision-making process. The pitch deck allows you to appeal to emotions in two ways. It can create excitement but, it also allows you to weave more of a story around the business. This is a helpful contrast to the presentation of the formal bank Business Plan. Naturally, bankers will want all the details but, starting them off with a pitch deck constructed to appeal to emotions can be a powerful tool. Visual Appeal Some people are more visual than others. You should definitely have visual elements in your bank business plan but, they should be limited to adhere to the standard expectations and level of formality. A pitch deck gives you more leeway to focus more on the visual appeal and present your business briefly in a visually stunning way. Strengthens Weak Plans How a loan officer will perceive your Pitch Deck will vary person to person. However, for those that do welcome and review it, it can help strengthen your strongest points and draw attention away from weaker points. As an example, say you only have fair personal credit. Personal financial position is very important when it comes to a bank business plan because, in most cases, you will be personally responsible for the loan even if the business fails. If your personal financials are borderline for approval, the pitch deck could be what pushes it over the line and helps you secure your loan. Although rarely requested or required, the pitch deck can be a powerful addition to your Bank Business Plan. It helps you strengthen your business case and present information in a way that might be more favorable to the person responsible for approving your loan. While it may not always help, it

3. certainly doesn’t hurt. If you want to make sure it’s appropriate for your audience, consider having a professional create your pitch deck, whether or not you completed the business plan on your own.