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WelcomeWelcome
Pitching Explained: Structure and practice for a Winning Pitch
A conversation, 10 seconds to 15 minutes, designed to create interest, emotion and eventually action. We need the listener to
TAKE A RISK!Purposes:
• Find a co-founder• Money from your mom• Get accepted into a contest• Win a contest and find an Angel• Go to a VC office for a 1 hour meeting• “Due Diligence”!• Along the way: test validity of enterprise, test your passion and develop your passion. YOU must be the first total supporter!
Slide Decks• “standard” slide lists of 10 to 15 slides (David S. Rose, Steve Austin, Nathan Gold, et al. =>See YouTube and Slideshare• Problem, Solution, Market, Business (credit: Chris Lipp) • 10-20-30 Rule – Guy Kawasaki
Styles are like movie genres: romance, drama, documentary, adventure…
“Meet Bob, he loves to … with Suzie, but …”Hi, at xyz we do xxx and here’s why? “Today there are over xxx Million..”Six months ago, I set out for a normal day and then…When I found myself at the top of Mount Everest I never expected my iphone to…
Watch COMMERCIALS to see how they get attention and introduce a problem.Watch winning pitches on YouTube.
Practice and feed back clears Errors• Confusion (don’t put FUD in your own pitch)• Got Evidence? (if not then your audience will doubt)• Gaps (did you leave out the competition?)• FLAT delivery with no stories or actualities?
Mental, cultural, and habit blocks: Replace with1. It’s Showbiz so just get over it!2. Appeal to emotion AND logic3. Use stories and dialogue to connect the parts4. Be willing to sort of suck == maximum learning!
Goal: A conversational message, 10 seconds to 15 minutes, designed to create interest, emotion and eventually action. We need the listener to
TAKE A RISK!Preferred Structure:• 10 second overview (What we do…)• The Problem (People, Pain, Frustration)• Your Solution (Cool, unique, practical,…)• The Market (Money, competition, timing,…)• The Business (How do you make money?)
The human, emotional level also operates at the same time…
Preferred Structure:• Overview => He’s OK, sane normal dude• Problem => He’s helpful passionate like me.• Solution => Bold, creative HERO• Market => Hero is also visionary leader• Business => AND he’s pragmatic (Wow!)
EMO Problem = Where’s the Bear?EMO Problem = Where’s the Bear?
ALL PRACTICE seated pairsGroups of 2, pick ‘A’ and ‘B’• A: Speak for 1 minute about problem• B: 10 seconds feedback• B: Speak 1 minute on problem• A: Feedback
ALL PRACTICE in seated pairsGroups of 2, pick ‘A’ and ‘B’• A: Speak for 1 minute about Solution• B: 10 seconds feedback• B: Speak 1 minute about Solution• A: Feedback
A pitch without an ask is just a presentation. A missed opportunity in most cases.
The ASK:• Describe the specific resources or actions wanted• What will the resouces allow you to do/accomplish?• How long will the tasks or accomplishments take?• What will be concrete added value to investor?• Be ready answer: What if you got less? Or More?
Depending on length, your pitch will address some or all of these aspects as well…
• The overview statement (of course)• How, in detail, does the solution work?• Describe traction, validation, customer testimonials, etc.• Cover Potential objections and practice Q/A• Revenue or promise of revenue!• A Demo or prototype• Advisors, Board members, and CoFounders Would I trust you to lead my Wagon Train West?
Example for review: EnigmaExample for review: Enigma
• Follow a pitch structure!!!!! No pitch can succeed w/o a clear structure and simple language. Repetition is your friend!• If you can’t remember, it’s too complicated!• Reality on your side: stories, actualities, rapport• Practice meeting objections and Q/A• Watch YouTube and COPY the good
Process1. Where’s the BEAR?2. How did you tame that BEAR problem?3. How will you tame that BEAR for the whole WORLD?Audience Test 1: Did you see, feel, sense, and respond to the BEAR? 2: Did you feel relieved and say “wow” when you learned the
solution? 3: Did you nod and approve of the whole world plan?Spice it up!
• Tell us the pain and suffering when the bear wins.• Give a story about how you discovered and realized solution
was GREAT• Quote positive comments of others: users, analysts, etc.• Give a number of people who love being free from the bear.