Most deals are completed by not who we talk to, but who our audiences talk to… “Its not what you say, it’s what they pass on that counts”
The acid test of your pitch is did it get passed on and ultimately did it go viral.
Talking in the language of our target audience not ours takes practice. If you are a scientist and/or technologist seeking endorsement and funding from investors, start talking their language.
Here are 10 tips to creating effective pitches:
- Get attention be different – Opening WOW.
Stand out from the crowd, wake people up. Just because you have their physical presence you do not have their mind.
Don’t be boring. - Be succinct – Talk in simple 10-30 sec sound bites, create a 3 min version first.
Long messages are hard to process and seldom get passed on. The power of your message is inversely proportional to the number of words used. - Build simple context for relevance
The more complex the technology, the greater the need to add a 10-30 sec statement that simply explains why we should care about this topic and why is it relevant to other people.
- Customer Stories engage audiences
The most powerful way to explain a technology is to give us an example client, their problem and what difference your solution makes for them. Customer cases are proven to be 80% efficient in closing sales. Ignore the temptation to explain how your technology works – its secondary, almost irrelevant, wait to be asked. - Contrast & quantify outcomes not technology– (with & without)
Build on your customer story by quantifying the difference your product made comparing life before and after your product. Audiences like black and white, not complicated shades of grey. - Explain your business model – including how you make money and go to market.
Use the business model canvas or a variant of it to illustrate your business model in a page.
- How you say it is more relevant than what you say
Research showed that message impact is determined 7% by content, the rest is by body language and voice (vocal variety). Don’t make your pitch boring by the way you deliver it.
- Investors invest in people first – technology second
Tell us something about your team and why with them on board this project/venture will succeed. - Be clear about both where you are today and what your BHAG is
inspire use with your vision, but show us how you will get from where you are to the end goal
- Be true yourself and your brand
Authenticity and personality counts- have a character and a way and be proud of it
And do not forget to listen … pitching is all about baiting an audience to begin an intelligent two way conversation…
Mark Robotham's Blog 