How To Write A Pitch Deck Script

How to write a pitch deck script? In other words, how do you go about writing the script for your startup’s pitch deck?

If you need to raise funding for your startup, or even just recruit for help for the mission in terms of advisors and talent, then you are going to need a pitch deck. 

Having a script to help you support your slides with a great verbal presentation can make all the difference when it comes to getting results. 

So, where do you start with writing a pitch deck script? What are the best practices if you really want to nail this? 

Pitch Decks

Pitch decks are the most fundamental tool for startup fundraising today. It doesn’t matter how great your connections are, or the tangible progress you are already making. You still need to present it well in a slide based pitch deck. 

However, pitch decks have also become a vital step to virtually everything else on the journey to launching a successful startup venture too. 

A pitch deck can be a solution to crafting a basic business plan fast. It can give you personal clarity and direction on your venture. 

It can show you all of the pieces you need to put together as you create it, and where you and your team need to be applying focus. 

The process of creating your pitch deck and presentation will also help you work through your marketing strategy, your branding, go to market plan, fundraising pitches, sales, the product roadmap, company needs and goals.

This is also one of your best recruiting tools for staff, cofounders, advisors and consultants and outside freelance staff. 

The point is you need one. It can make all the difference in traction and results across the board. And, that’s why you need to know how to write a pitch deck script.

Why A Pitch Deck Script?

There may be a variety of scenarios in which you are first sending a link to your introductory pitch deck in the cloud, before getting a chance to really speak. Yet, the ability to verbally present, and well can make all the difference.

Even if your initial slides are a hit, that is typically just an opening to be able to present verbally.

That may be on stage, in an investor’s office, or even in online investor meetings on Zoom or Google Meet. 

You need to be prepared well in advance for this.

Creating a pitch deck script is crucial for this. Even if you end up ad libbing a lot overtime in different settings. 

The process of creating a strong pitch deck script will also go a long way to helping you develop a winning deck. 

It will help to create the framework and flow of your deck, what needs to be on the slide versus spoken, and achieving the right mix of images versus text, and what needs to be explained in stories. 

With so much more competition for talent, advisors and funding in the form of pitch decks flooding the market these days, a great pitch deck script could be exactly what you need to stand out from the masses. 

Even if you don’t get the chance to say it in person, you can use this script to make your pitch deck more interactive with a video or slideshow style deck. 

Keep in mind that in fundraising storytelling is everything. In this regard for a winning pitch deck to help you here, take a look at the template created by Silicon Valley legend, Peter Thiel (see it here) that I recently covered. Thiel was the first angel investor in Facebook with a $500K check that turned into more than $1 billion in cash.

Remember to unlock the pitch deck template that is being used by founders around the world to raise millions below.

The Purpose Of A Pitch Deck Script & Verbal Presentation

Investors are engaged in different ways. For many they are just accustomed for that to be in a spoken format. 

It’s best to serve them up what they want. At least if you want them to participate and fund you. 

This is often a test in many ways. A test of whether you know your stuff, how passionate and confident you are, and if you can sell. 

A verbal presentation also enables you to really stand out in a unique personal way and to build rapport on a human level. 

It also means the ability to bring in the storytelling, and right context and narrative to position your startup, which you often will not be able to accomplish to the same level in a few slides and bullet points. 

However, remember that the real purpose of the script is to empower you as the presenter to deliver a powerful pitch that excites your audience and propels them to action. 

Focus on this and make sure you learn how to write a pitch deck script..

How To Create A Pitch Deck Script

Begin with listing out the slides that you need to include in your deck. 

For most pre-revenue, early stage startups the only slides you need in your deck are:

1. Cover slide
2. Problem
3. Solution
4. Market
5. Product
6. Traction
7. Team
8. Competition
9. Financial projections 
10. The Amount being raised

For more established startups, with revenues and several years of operating history, who are likely raising later rounds of funding, your deck may be expanded to include the following. 

Make sure to include them when figuring out how to write a pitch deck script.

1. Cover slide
2. Problem
3. Solution
4. Market Size
5. Competition
6. Competitive Advantage
7. Product 
8. Traction
9. Customers and Engagement
10. Business Model
11. Existing & Historical Financials
12. Forward Facing Financial Projections
13. Amount Being Raised In This Round
14. Other Investors
15. Use Of Funds
16. Executive & Cofounding Team
17. Advisors
18. Back Cover & Closing Slide
19. Appendix

What You Need To Show On Each Pitch Deck Slide

Next, you want to identify what information you have to convey on each of your pitch deck slides to satisfy the target audience.

This will also help you identify what you can fit on the slide in a line or two, and what you will need to cover in your pitch deck script. I cover how to create a pitch deck in the video below.

Let’s start to break it down by slide, like this.

Cover slide

Your cover slide should show your company name, logo, slogan and contact information.

When it comes to your script, this is your opportunity to introduce yourself, your company, and the big idea, and how you stand out with your one line tagline. 

Problem

This is the crux of everything. This is where you succinctly show that you have a strong problem, and what the problem is that your startup is based on.

Your pitch deck script enables you to give an example of this problem from the real world. A story scenario that they can relate to, and how you encountered and verified that this problem really exists and is so urgent. 

Solution

What is the general concept of the solution you are trying to bring to this problem?

Again, your pitch deck script is about expanding on this one line, and perhaps giving them an emotional picture of how great solving this will feel for target customers.

Market

Your slide needs to simply show how big the potential market is. Use a diagram to show the size of the total industry, and boil that down to your target market.

You can use your talk time to expand on this data, how you obtained it, and how you’ll begin making a dent in it. It is also worth talking about how much bigger this segment is likely to grow during their investment. 

Product

What is the specific product that you will lead with to solve this problem, and turn this venture into a commercially viable business? An image and a few bullet points is enough for your slide. 

In a live pitch you are going to want to expand on this. You’ll want to show off a prototype if you have one. 

Still, try to avoid the temptation to talk about more than one to three benefits, or you’ll show a lack of ability to focus. This is only one of the facets of how to write a pitch deck script.

Traction

On your pitch deck slide, use a chart to show off how much progress you’ve made on this venture so far. Choose a single metric to demonstrate your incredible growth. 

In your pitch you can talk around this data a little more. Mention any other strong growth metrics, and any notable milestones that you’ve already achieved. 

Team

Your slide should show your founding team’s profile headshots, and a quick one line bio showing why they are so great. 

You can use your verbal presentation to introduce each of these individuals, and explain more of how they make the best team to tackle this problem and build a big business around it. 

You can also use this time to expand on this by mentioning other top talent you have, notable advisors and investors already on board, and perhaps what this investor can bring to the table in this area, beyond the money. 

Competition

Use a graph to instantly show how you are positioning your company against the main competitors out there, and what you edge is.

You can talk around these differences to subconsciously plant the seeds in investors’ minds of who may be future acquirers and strategic business partners. 

Financial projections

Use a table to show your financial goals, projections and how that impacts an investor’s investment performance. 

Use your time here to quickly walk through these numbers, and your assumptions you based them on. 

The amount being raised

What is the big number you are asking for in this round of fundraising?

Your script can include updating them on where you are in filling up this round, what other investors are in, and who is leading this round. 

Writing Your Pitch Deck Script

Now that you know what will be on the slide, and what you need to convey that won’t fit on the slide, you can begin crafting your script to fill in the gaps. 

This can be scripted into your presentation document in the presenter notes section. It can be scripted word for word. 

Though many speakers also often find it best just to have talking point notes they can speak around for more flexibility. 

You may also print this out in full, or put your points on index cards. 

Which is best for you may depend on your comfortability in public speaking. 

Practice, Practice, Practice

What really makes a good pitch, beyond the facts and data is being able to deliver it well. 

That means with confidence, and making it sound natural. Owning it, and being able to come across with your charisma can make all the difference. 

It will come naturally with practice. So, practice, practice, practice. 

Practice your timing with your slides. Practice in different venues, if your tech goes down and if you are without slides or notes. Make it into a video and watch it or record yourself. 

Practice with others. Get feedback, even if it is tough to take at first. Consider enrolling the help of professional freelance writers, and using proven pitch deck templates. 

Then iterate. Make tweaks to it. Make a conscious effort to learn how to write a pitch deck script.

Most of all, get busy putting it to work. The worst thing you can do is to try and keep your pitch deck a secret. What you really want is as much visibility as possible. 

So, start pitching. Talk to as many people as possible, and put your pitch deck script to work. That’s the only way you are going to get actual results from it. 

You may find interesting as well our free library of business templates. There you will find every single template you will need when building and scaling your business completely for free. See it here.