The art of storytelling in pitch decks
Presenting a pitch to a potential investor can help show investors what your business is all about.
The ultimate goal of a startup after pitching the idea is to attain funding from the investors; this can, however, only be achieved when the investors believe that the startup is worth their time and money.
The decision to make the investment lies in the hands of the investors, but what you can do is create an impressive startup pitch. The manner in which you present your product in a pitch deck is extremely important.
When an idea is pitched to an investor, the data, figures, and numbers could be forgotten but a great story could have a lasting impact.
For instance, imagine that you are an investor and a founder of a startup is presenting his product to you. He only talks about the market opportunity and the customer base that the product could be sold to. Would you be interested? Probably not.
On the other hand, if a founder is pitching his/her product to you and does not startle you with numbers and his customer base at the very beginning but tells you a great story about the company’s origins and so on. This could make you feel curious to know more about the product.
A great story in a startup pitch deck could definitely be more interesting than in the previous instance.
While creating and setting up a startup, you have to research extensively on every single element that is relevant to the product. While every little detail may seem important to the founder, it is impossible to convey the same to an investor within a span of around twenty minutes.
Moreover, if you are able to convey every little detail in those twenty minutes, it is likely that the investor may feel overwhelmed with the influx of information in your startup pitch deck.
This is where framing your pitch in the form of a story can help. Doing so can create a connection between the one pitching (you) and the investor. It allows the investor to go on a little journey through your story and become more interested in your idea. It draws them in and keeps them focused throughout the presentation.
Here are a few things you can consider for a successful startup pitch deck:
Point out the problem in the market
Instead of beginning the pitch by showing the product, start by pointing out the problem. Try to point out the problem in such a way that the investor connects to it and feels like he faces the issue too. This instantly grabs the attention of the potential investor.
Focus on providing the solution
While presenting the solution, you have to ensure that the solution is clear and to the point. A complicated solution will do nothing but confuse the investor. For example, the Airbnb pitch to their investors had only three solutions, i.e., users can save money while traveling, make money while hosting, and connect to the locals of the city. With a clear and focused solution, you will be able to convey to your investors how your product or service can effectively solve the problem faced in the market.
Keep it concise and simple
Every piece of information that you stumbled upon while researching is not what the investor should be hearing in the first meeting.
It takes several meetings before the investor makes a decision and information like this can be stalled for future meetings. The first pitch is what leads to the next one which is why it is important that your pitch deck should be concise.
While the idea or product might be relevant to the niche of the founder, an investor might not know everything about it; therefore, using a lot of tech jargon is not the ideal way to go.
The point of the pitch deck isn’t to sound smart but is to convince the investor that the idea is worth investing in and, for that, the investor needs to understand the idea. Keeping the presentation to the point and easy to understand is, therefore, essential.
Provide an exciting glimpse into your product
If your product is a physical one, adding visual aids of the product into the presentation can be helpful. If it is a website that is already up and running, show the investors a glimpse of it. Include your product in the process of your storytelling.
Creating a startup pitch deck can be daunting; it can be scary to put up an idea to a room full of people who could help fund your business towards its growth.
It is important to pitch the idea or product in a manner that sticks with the investor long after they have left the meeting room.
The art of storytelling can help engage your investors and make them feel like a part of the solution to a problem faced by many. While the long-term goal is to acquire funding, the goal of the pitch should just be to get the call-back for the next meeting.
Setting up a business in Dubai
If you are looking to set up your startup or next venture in Dubai, it is essential to have the right guide working alongside you so you can strategise, start up and scale your business the way you desire.
We, at Ascent Partners, understand a business’ setup needs and work towards providing bespoke solutions to help you realize your business dreams. To know more on how you can get started with setting up a business in Dubai, get in touch with us at ask@ascentpartners.ae or at 04 422 7339.
Frequently asked questions
1. What should a startup pitch deck include?
A startup pitch deck should give a holistic idea about the business being pitched. It should start with an engaging introduction, details about the product/service, the target market, competition in the industry, etc.
2. How do you make a startup pitch deck?
Give an aerial view of your business in the pitch deck to your investors. Go into the details of the aspects that could influence their decision and help them come to an informed conclusion with your business pitch.
3. What should a pitch deck look like?
A pitch deck should ideally have a lot of visual content while presenting. This includes PPTs, videos, statistics from reliable authorities, and the like. Your verbal pitch should complement the presentation.
4. Why is a pitch deck important?
A pitch deck becomes important owing to the factor that it is essentially the first communication between the business founder and the potential investors. It helps them understand the venture and make an informed decision.