As a founder, your pitch deck is one of the most important tools in your arsenal. Whether you're seeking funding from investors, selling a product to a customer, or even presenting your vision to your team (or recruiting), a well-designed pitch deck is critical for the success of the company.
A pitch deck is the first impression investors get of your company and the story you want to tell. While it's important to have a clear and concise message, what makes a pitch deck truly memorable and impactful is the ability to craft a compelling narrative (compelling story) that brings your vision to life.
Mistakes founders do in their pitch decks
We've gone through more than 500+ (Seed, Series A+) pitch decks, and almost 95% of those are fraught with deadly mistakes, ranging from boring text-heavy slides to those full of technical features and jargon, to independent lifeless slides without any narrative.
Here's one such example, highlighting 4 key slides:
Title: "Hadoop for the Enterprise" - Presumption that investors should understand what Hadoop does. Or they wait for the 4th slide to understand the concept.
Problem: "Data Growing Much Faster .." Nice, but how vast/difficult is this problem for the Enterprises (target audience)? What is missing in the existing solutions?
Solution: Workflows are the worst way to depict a solution.
Concept: "What is Hadoop?" Quite frankly, only the founder would understand what s/he meant.
Also, don't write an essay, investors don't want to read it. Remember, less is more!
Download a template, and customize ... the usual practice.
Usually, the founders download a template, customize the content, and push on to every investor without realizing that these investors go through 1000s of pitch decks, only to toss away the majority of those, where the key narrative (story) is missing on what you're building, and why?
Need a compelling pitch deck for your venture? Click here.
VCs are now less patient in reviewing pitch decks
Recent research by Docsend suggests:
VCs spent 24% less time reviewing the pitch decks in 2022 (2m:42s) than in 2021 (3m:32s).
So, you now have less than 3 mins to make a first and lasting impression.
But with so many templates, guidelines, and best practices to choose from, how do you create a pitch deck that stands out from the crowd?
The secret lies in storytelling.
Storytelling is a powerful tool for communication and can be used to engage and captivate your audience (nee investors). It helps build an emotional connection and allows you to present your company's vision in a way that's memorable, relatable, and easy to understand.
That's why, as a pitch deck expert, I strongly advise founders to leverage the power of storytelling when creating their pitch deck.
The Art of Storytelling in a Pitch Deck
When creating your pitch deck, focus on the following key elements of storytelling to make it truly impactful:
Identify the problem you're solving
Your pitch deck should start by identifying the problem you're trying to solve and why it's important.
This will help you connect with your audience and show that you understand the needs of your target market.
If you've experienced this problem yourself, the better are your chances.
Tell a story
Your pitch deck should tell a story that captures the attention of your audience and presents your company in a positive light.
An example of this story could be how you started your company, why you're passionate about the problem you're solving, or the story of how you plan to change the world.
Present a compelling solution
Clearly explain how your solution works (show off the creativity and innovation), what sets it apart from other solutions, and the impact it will have on your target market.
Use visual aids
Visual aids such as images, charts, and videos can help bring your story to life and make it more memorable.
Make sure your visual aids are clear, concise, and easy to understand.
Steve jobs nailed the art of storytelling in his iPhone presentation in 2007. Here's how he did it!
Highlight your team
Your team is the backbone of your company, and highlighting their skills, experience, and passion will help build trust and credibility with your audience.
Share deep insights into the industry to prove a point.
Show traction
Investors want to see that your company is making progress, so be sure to highlight any traction you've achieved so far, such as customer acquisition (+ funnel), user/revenue growth, or partnerships.
In conclusion, by leveraging the power of storytelling in your pitch deck, you can engage and captivate your audience and effectively communicate your vision. Remember, your pitch deck is your chance to make a lasting impression, so make it count.
For the benefit of readers, the 2 associated posts would further guide you to create a winning pitch deck for your venture.
To get a free review of your pitch deck, click here.