How Compelling Pitch Deck Narratives Gain Attention for Startups

How do you create a winning pitch deck narrative that will land your startup the funding it needs?

Pitching is a crucial tool and skill that makes all the difference in not only getting funded, but getting the most desirable investors on board, and the viability of your entire startup. 

Without a narrative that nails it, you can’t expect your startup to stay in business very long, or grow as you hope it will. 

So, what should your pitch narrative do for you and your company? How do you make it great? And, how does a safe note work?

What Is A Pitch Deck Narrative?

Your pitch deck narrative is your story. It is how your pitch deck flows and tells the story of your startup. 

This is interwoven in your pitch deck slides themselves. Though is also specifically how you verbally pitch your startup and fundraising efforts to others. Including investors at each fundraising round. 

It is all about storytelling. Which is now recognized as a key part of the DNA of any successful startup, fundraising campaign, and marketing strategy. 

How Your Narrative & Pitch Deck Work Together

Your narrative or verbal pitch can stand alone. As a way to tell everyone you meet about your startup. Which can range from a one-line elevator pitch to a brief speed pitch, to a full-length presentation. 

Your story can be told in conjunction with presenting your pitch deck slides. Either in person, in a variety of settings, or online via video. 

Knowing your story by itself can save your investor opportunities in case your pitch deck isn’t cooperating at the time. 

You may either create your pitch deck slides first and then wrap your narrative around them. Or vice versa. You might want to begin focusing on the story, or on the specific data points, you want to convey. 

How Important Is The Narrative Of Your Pitch?

Storytelling is everything. 

That’s true of getting off the ground in the early days to, finding your exit. 

Humans are still story driven. They have been for at least thousands of years. As much as business and investing have become about data and metrics, sales and getting funded are still very much about the story. 

You can have great digits on the screen, but it is the story that really compels people to act. 

What Should Your Pitch Deck Narrative Do?

There is a lot that your pitch deck narrative and story can accomplish for you, and that will rely on this part of your business. 

Cofounders

A strong narrative will be instrumental in securing great cofounders and bringing them along for the journey. 

It will make all the difference in them sticking with you through the trials and tribulations on the way and continuing to put in their share of the effort. 

Without that glue, you can easily find you begin fighting each other instead of sticking together to work through the challenges. Then they may take off, and continue to profit from you doing all the work. 

Recruiting

The best talent doesn’t come just for the amount of money you are paying, but because they want to be a part of something. They want to be a part of a great story. 

Having this narrative right can make all the difference in what talent you can attract, how hard they work, how much value they will deliver, and what it will cost you. 

Advisors

The same applies to attracting and convincing the best startup advisors to get involved in your business. Is the story you are telling going to compel them to want to be involved, be willing to invest their time, and gamble their name and reputation on?

Customers

This narrative is going to be a part of your overall brand, and will certainly be showing up in your marketing efforts. 

People buy stories, not products. 

That’s true whether it is a $1,000 iPhone, instead of a free Android that does the same thing, shopping at Walmart versus Publix, or where they choose to buy homes. 

Keep these factors in mind when creating your pitch deck, and you’re sure to impress you targeted audience with why your company is the best investment opportunity ever.

BIO

Alejandro Cremades is a serial entrepreneur and the author of The Art of Startup Fundraising. With a foreword by ‘Shark Tank‘ star, Barbara Corcoran and published by John Wiley & Sons, the book was named one of the best books for entrepreneurs. The book offers a step-by-step guide to today‘s way of raising money for entrepreneurs. 

Most recently, Alejandro built and exited CoFoundersLab, which is one of the largest communities of founders online. 

Prior to CoFoundersLab, Alejandro worked as a lawyer at King & Spalding, where he was involved in one of the biggest investment arbitration cases in history ($113 billion at stake). 

Alejandro is an active speaker and has given guest lectures at the Wharton School of Business, Columbia Business School, and NYU Stern School of Business. 

Alejandro has been involved with the JOBS Act since its inception and was invited to the White House and the US House of Representatives to provide his stands on the new regulatory changes concerning fundraising online.