What is a Pitch Book?

A pitch book is a tool mostly used by investment firms and banks to market and position themselves towards potential clients. It usually contains information about the organization, its history, and even some of its achievements. There are different types of pitch books, based on their purpose.

The main pitch book is the type that contains detailed information about a firm or a bank. This can include many of the firm’s background details, such as mission statements, vision, history, and significant people within the firm. It can also include either a brief or an extensive list of activities and achievements garnered every year. Statistics and figures related to completed deals, profits, and successful investments can also be illustrated; some firms even list previous and present clients to assure potential clients of their efficiency. Pitch books such as these should be regularly updated, since employees are constantly changing, and clients are continually coming in.

The second type is the deal pitch book, which is used specifically for a particular deal. Through these pitch books, firms can present to their clients how they can specifically cater to their financial and investing needs. Firms planning to publicly expand can also include their initial public offering (IPO). In cases of mergers and acquisitions (M&A), firms can state their initial proposals and future plans to the firms they would want to buy in or work with. As with main pitch books, the deal type can also list down the firm’s achievements and impressive clienteles to guarantee good profits and partnership.

If the client is on board with the deal, the firm can now show another pitch book called the presentation. This includes the proposed details for the specific project, with the agreed changes the client has requested, if any. This presentation largely veers away from discussing the firm in such detail, and instead focuses on the client’s goals and how the firm can help achieve them. This pitch book can be printed on paper and individually presented in folders, but it can also be displayed in a computerized slide presentation using computer programs. This technological assistance allows convenience, as clients do not need to flip the pages and look at the smaller-sized fonts to browse through the proposal.

A pitch book is a marketing strategy that tangibly represents a firm, so it should be done with accurate details and no mistakes. Even small typographical errors can create a negative view towards the company. With computerized presentations, statements should be brief and to the point, and the layout should be simple to suggest professionalism.