first-timers, what do you wish someone told you about pitching before your first deck?

about to help a friend through her first raise and it's making me think back to mine.

the thing nobody told me: the pitch deck is not the pitch. i spent three weeks perfecting slides and about twenty minutes thinking about what i'd actually say when someone interrupted me on slide two, which is what happens every single time. the deck was gorgeous and useless the moment a real person started asking real questions.

the second thing: they're not reading it while you talk. they're reading ahead, or watching you, or half-listening while forming the one question that'll decide everything. so the slide is a backdrop, not a script.

but i only did this a couple of times and i'd rather she hear from more people than just me.

so for anyone who's raised, or even just pitched hard for a big client: what's the thing you wish someone had told you before you built that first deck? the practical stuff, not "believe in yourself." the thing you learned the hard way in the room.