- Persuade & Raise
- Posts
- ♞ Tell a Story, Don't give a Lecture
How to tell a story and not give a lecture
One of the biggest mistakes that founders make when fundraising is that instead of telling a captivating story that can draw in investors, they give a boring lecture that makes them zone out.
Today, I'd like to share a few easy-to-follow tips on how to avoid this pitfall and make your pitch more engaging for investors.
Know your main character - Every pitch should have a main character, often it is the company which has faced obstacles, overcome them, and helped others in the process. You can present your company as the ultimate superhero, saving those in pain from whatever problem you solve with your unique solution. In other cases, you may be the main character, or a sample customer might be the main character. No matter the case, you should be able to easily identify the main character (at least in the first few slides when you go through the problem/solution). If you can’t, then you haven’t built a story.
Avoid Educational Slides - When you can, try not to have slides that are intended to provide background or technical information; as much as possible, you should try to stick to a story and allow the technical information that needs explanation to be discussed at the end of the pitch. Using this format will avoid creating lulls in your pitch where you jump out of the story to provide context.
Use a demo - Having a live and interactive demo makes investors feel like they are part of the experience and not just being talked to. Getting them physically involved and seeing the benefits you are talking about can have a significant impact on your fundraising efforts.
Make Investors Part of the Story - Finish the story by giving investors the chance to join the narrative. By telling them that you are on a rocket and that there is a seat open for them, you are inviting them to be part of the journey. This not only allows them to picture themselves as part of the team but forces you to close your pitch in a narrative manner that connects the investor to you.
Do you tell stories? |
Are you looking to grow your business? Here is how I can help:
📱 Book a Strategy Call to get 1:1 feedback on your pitch, pitch deck and/or fundraising strategy. (If you need general startup advice, then reply to this email, and I’ll let you know if/how I can help.)
Onwards and Upwards,
