Says, “I am the greatest, that is understood,
But even I didn't know I could pitch that good!”
- Kenny Rogers, The
Greatest
Why are you pitching?
Before opening your mouth, decide what message you want to get across. What
will your words accomplish? Are you talking to an investor to raise money? Are
you talking to possible advisors to tap into their knowhow? Is it something
else? Whatever your goal, be entertaining, have high energy, and inspire.
Simple, huh!? ;)
Some tips and tricks for
the Pitch
Startup Wise Guys, an accelerator with a passion for early
stage startups, took Founder Institute participants through practical pitch
training. Erik and Calum from Wise Guys are used to seeing hundreds of pitches
each month and train their startups to be the best in the world.
Pitch like it’s for
Peter Thiel. Every time you introduce your company, act like you are pitching
it to Peter Thiel (or whoever else your role model is). Aim that high and have
that mentality. No use to do anything less.
Do this now: We
(value proposition), for (customer), because (problem). Fill in the brackets to
have a good one-sentence pitch.
Example: “We provide online platform for smart landlords to
avoid sh*tty tenants” by CapIT24.
Take care of your
value proposition. When talking to customers, be ready to pitch different
value propositions to different segments. While some core customers might go
for the price, then others care more for something else.
Example: “Our raw pet food lets pets live longer” by Dr.
Ruul.
Finish with an ask
every time. Don’t assume people can read minds. Every time you pitch, let
people know what you need. Is it advice, money or something else?
Example: “We are going to grow beyond Baltic markets in the
next 12 months. If you can help with this, we would love to talk.” by Targetta
Why don’t you talk
about your success? Startup is a business so revenue models and traction are
key components of presenting what you do. Put customer interaction into numbers
and communicate it. For example, you can mark where your new users come from
(e.g. through blog posts, ads) and leverage on that.
Check out the pictures!
Check out the pictures!