Future Mark Zuckerbergs better get their stories straight. Their startup funding depends on it, according to Peter Guber’s new book, Tell to Win. The former Sony Pictures chair and CEO explains how spinning great yarns can help close million-dollar deals. It’s the same technique he used to save the film Gorillas in the Mist when the studio balked at its budget.

1. Craft a Tale

Gather experiences from life and media to form the narrative. Mold it to get your audience to work toward your goal. In Guber’s case, he had to make the plight of the great ape feel urgent to studio execs.

2. Set the Stage

Find the optimal context for delivery, preferably face-to-face. Props can help—Guber brought a photo of a gorilla-paw ashtray.

3. Spin the Yarn

Guber walked into the meeting and declared, “Someone’s killing your relatives. These silverback gorillas are only two clicks away from us in the gene pool.”

4. Improvise

When the exec was unmoved, Guber sprawled across the floor and acted like a mortally wounded ape. Gorillas in the Mist went on to nab five Oscar noms and two Golden Globes.