Best practices for pitching to judges Emad Saif Entrepreneurship Trainer @esaif March 23 2016
Best practices for pitching to judges
Emad Saif Entrepreneurship Trainer
@esaif
March 23 2016
AGENDA Judging Criteria
Useful Tips
Q & A Preparation
1. Business Model 2. Customer Validation 3. Execution & Design
Judging Criteria
- 5 Min Presentation -
1. Business Model
• Address the 9 building blocks • Customer acquisition • Competition • Scalability • Risk
• Are teams building something that people actually want?
• How well does the team understand their customer and their customer’s needs?
• Did the team get out and talk to customers?
• What is the value proposition to customers?
2. Customer Validation
• Have they established a “Minimal Viable Product” for the weekend (software, hardware, etc.)?
• Does it deliver a compelling and captivating user experience?
• Were they able to demo something functional?
3. Execution & Design
AGENDA Judging Criteria
Useful Tips
Q & A Preparation
AUDIENCE WANT TO BE ENTERTAINED
USE SIMPLE LANGUAGE
SHARE YOUR PASSION
HOOK YOUR AUDIENCE
DON’T MEMORIZE
DON’T READ WORD FOR WORD
KNOW YOUR CORE MESSAGE
7 min
3 min
1 min
•Hook •Customer Problem •Value Proposition •Team •Product •Market •Financials •Millstones •Risks
•Hook •Customer Problem •Value Proposition • Team • Product •Market
•Hook •Customer Problem •Value Proposition • Team
Pitch
Pitch
Pitch
5GB 1,000 songs
BENEFITS vs. FEATURES
WATCH YOUR TIME
• Time your self • Plan your pauses • Use images triggers
NO
N-V
ERB
AL
CO
MM
UN
ICA
TIO
N
Body Distance Clothes & Looks Body & Arm Positions
Movement Gestures Eye Contact Face Expressions Touch
Voice Voice Tone Speed & Pauses
END WITH
“CALL TO ACTION”
PRACTICE. PRACTICE. PRACTICE.
Steve Jobs did it for hours!
AGENDA Judging Criteria
Useful Tips
Q & A Preparation
WHY Q & A ? • Feedback • Additional clarification • Challenge certain assumptions
DOs & DON’Ts
• Don’t give long explanations limit to 2-30 sec
• Ask for clarification if question is not clear
• You don’t know everything and that’s OK
Handling Feedback
• Accept the feedback
• Don’t respond – this is not a question
• Don’t argue – this is not a debate
• Say “Thanks for your feedback
Common Questions
• Do you have evidence customers want it?
• How big is your market? Is it scalable?
• What’s the team look like? What are your backgrounds?
• What is your product differentiation?
• What risks exist? How do you address them?
• What do you need? Milestones?
THINK LIKE AN
INVESTOR
Market Attractiveness
Product Differentiation
Managerial Capabilities
Resistance to Threats
Expected Return
Perceived Risk
Decision to Invest
+
-
To Invest or not to Invest?
PITCH VIDEOS
AGENDA Judging Criteria
Useful Tips
Q & A Preparation
LEAVE AN
IMPRESSION
You can do it!