Research has shown that everyone loves a good story and that our brains are built to enjoy and remember stories. Today I am going to show you how you can include stories in your pitch deck that are guaranteed to get your investors not only thinking your idea is great but also feel passionate about it too.
Read on to find out more, or watch the video below for more information.
Storytelling is a powerful marketing technique that has been used in advertising for a very long time because it is known as an effective way to present a message that people remember and also engage with.
HOOK INVESTORS ATTENTION
Everyone has a story to tell and everyone loves a story - and your pitch presentation is the perfect time for you to tell YOUR story.
It’ll take a heck of a lot of practice too - so don’t expect to become a genius storyteller and presenter overnight. But my tips today are going to be a good starting point to help you along your storytelling journey.
Your first goal is to give investors a reason to listen. You may be standing in front of them but you can’t assume they are actually listening - your job from the start is to convince them that they must. So starting your presentation with a statement that hooks their attention is a great idea.
SAY SOMETHING SHOCKING
Can you start your presentation off with something shocking - like a statistic that will have them so gobsmacked they’ll have to listen.
For instance; 'Last year dog owners spent over 58 billion dollars on chew toys. Next year that number is expected to grow by 200%.'
Or incite curiosity in your opening statement by asking a question.
'Did you know your business data could be worth millions?'
This will get your presentation off to a good start with an audience who will be more engaged and want to keep listening.
SO NOW YOU’VE HOOKED THEM - IT’S TIME TO GET PERSONAL.
Can you weave something personal into your story to add an extra element to your pitch?
For example, that new technology app you've developed aimed at children - did you get one of your kids to test it and find out it was a huge success? Including a photo of her engaged on the app will make the experience more genuine.
Or perhaps your business idea came from a personal encounter or experience? Telling your story will bring your idea alive for your investors.
LEADING CHARACTER
Now a story is nothing without a leading character. So you might want to consider creating a character to introduce your product or service.
They can be fictional or real but investors will relate more to Peter who is a car fanatic and is looking for a better way to shop for cars online than ‘person X who requires product Y’.
Introducing a hero is a great but simple way to tell a story.
ADDING STRUCTURE TO YOUR STORY
Right, so you now have three engagement strategies up your sleeve; a hook, a personal story and a leading character, now it’s time to look at the structure of a story.
A pitch deck is actually one continuous story about a business or idea split up into strategic bite sized chunks. But all stories need a beginning, middle and end.
Did you know AirBnB used storytelling in their pitch deck? And look where they are today.
Their beginning was the gap in the market... ‘price sensitive travellers who were feeling disconnected from the city and its culture’.
The middle? A platform designed to book a room with a local that could save them money and share culture.
Then they told investors about their online booking system - AirBnB, which solved the problem. The end.
In simple terms you need to highlight the problem - the beginning.
Explain why the problem matters at all - the middle.
Introduce your product or service as the solution - at the end.
YOU CAN’T TELL A GOOD STORY WITHOUT PICTURES
And finally, you can’t tell a good story without pictures. Think about the core messages you want to get across and ensure your presentation designer illustrates these in different ways throughout the slides.
If you have complex information, you may need to find a way to make it easier to digest - particularly data and finances. Infographics are an easy way to illustrate facts and figures but the humble chart and graph works well too.
get your free pitch deck content guide
If you want a great road map to what the slides you should include in your pitch deck, download my pdf guide. It has the key points investors are looking for and some great tips on how to expand on those points.
If you need help adding some WOW to your pitch deck email me your current presentation. I’ll take a look at your content and overall message and let you know if you have missed anything or if you are on the right track.
Enjoy the art of storytelling, especially when it comes to you and your business. That will mean you need to practice, practice, practice.
Creating a story for your pitch deck will definitely make your story come to life and be guaranteed to grab investors’ attention.
Finding investors isn’t easy so remember to keep on pitching with passion!
You are just one pitch away from success!
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