What are the most effective call-to-actions for your pitch deck?

1 Why you need a call-to-action

A call-to-action (CTA) is a clear and specific request that you make to your audience at the end of your pitch deck. It tells them what you want them to do, and why they should do it. A good CTA can make the difference between a successful pitch and a wasted opportunity. A bad CTA can confuse, annoy, or bore your audience, and make them lose interest in your startup.

2 How to define your goal

Before you write your CTA, you need to define your goal. What is the main purpose of your pitch deck? What do you want your audience to do after they see it? Depending on your stage, your goal could be to get a meeting, a demo, a referral, a feedback, a pilot, a pre-order, a funding, or anything else that moves you closer to your vision. Your goal should be SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

3 How to know your audience

Once you have your goal, you need to know your audience. Who are they? What are their pain points, needs, desires, fears, and aspirations? How can your startup solve their problems, or improve their lives? How do they make decisions, and what are their criteria? How much do they know about your startup, your market, and your competitors? The more you understand your audience, the more you can tailor your CTA to their interests, expectations, and objections.

4 How to communicate your value proposition

Your value proposition is the core message of your pitch deck. It explains what your startup does, how it does it, and why it matters. Your value proposition should be concise, compelling, and credible. It should highlight your unique selling points, your competitive advantages, and your customer benefits. Your value proposition should also be aligned with your goal and your audience. It should answer the question: why should they care about your startup, and why should they act on your CTA?

5 How to write your call-to-action

Now that you have your goal, your audience, and your value proposition, it's time to write your CTA. Keep it short, simple, and direct with active verbs, positive language, and urgency. Be specific and realistic - don't ask for too much or too little. Avoid being vague, presumptuous, passive, or aggressive. Here are some examples of effective CTAs for different goals: scheduling a meeting, requesting a demo, seeking a referral, asking for feedback, piloting a product, offering pre-orders with discounts, and looking for investors.

6 How to test and optimize your call-to-action

Your CTA is not set in stone. You should test and optimize it based on the results and feedback that you get. You can use different tools and methods to measure and improve your CTA, such as analytics, split testing, surveys, interviews, or feedback forms. You can also experiment with different elements of your CTA, such as the wording, the tone, the placement, the color, the size, or the shape. The goal is to find the best CTA that works for your startup, your pitch deck, and your audience.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?