Pitch Night? Get Ready to Wow the Crowd!

First …. A Tale of Pitch Presentation Failure

I’ve seen startup founders apply for and schedule a presenter slot at a monthly pitch event

They put in hours learning in a Pitch Presentation Masterclass, led by BNC mentors, investors and messaging specialists.

Here’s the punch line.

Having teed up a pitch right down the middle, they whiffed it.

Sure, they were wrapped up in their company’s day to day tactical plan execution. It’s still a “swing & a miss”

They didn’t make time to practice. No additional time was invested refining their deck to make it perfect. They used the same slide deck they use to sell to prospects, or to pitch investors, and to motivate candidates.

They did not fare well.  No investors tried to get them in a head lock to take their money. But with a slight twist, a bit of prep, they could have knocked it out of the park.  

Be Prepared

When I suggest you should be “prepared” for a pitch to investors, I mean you should have a plan of what you want to accomplish (otherwise how will you measure your performance?)

And you should practice. I always think, well heck, founders know their story. It is an internalized set of thoughts, a story easily and passionately told requiring no notes. They don’t need slides, but let’s face it, they are expected on Pitch night.

Organize Your Speech (A Strategic Plan to Get Your Audience Engaged)

I read once that Jackie Collins gave advice on how to write a good novel. She said, “Put a Zetz at the beginning and ending of every chapter.”. For her it wasn’t shoving words onto paper. She had a strategic plan to get her audience engaged in her storytelling, and keep them engaged until she was finished telling it.

Presenters should start and end with the most important takeaways. The audience will remember these most

Create a Fantastic Introduction

you never know who will be introducing you. Create one yourself by writing a paragraph about yourself that gets the audience excited.

Conquer the Audience’s Attention

Loosen up. You’re on. You’re the star. You do not need to follow a chronological order for your talk.  Add a question to interact with your investor audience, drop a joke or tell a case study.  Point a finger, say someone’s name in the audience (that’ll wake ‘em up).

You have the floor. Don’t waste your opportunity.

Use an Attention-Grabber

 
Here’s what I like to say about me (and my company), “We have a storied history quarterbacking the global launchof emerging digital marketing platforms. This has included CRM (sold to DoubleClick), New Product Development (sold to EY), Interactive Real Time Consumer Engagement also sold, Interactive Online Media (way before Zoom), Social Media Management (sold). Working with founders preparing for pitch events and contributing to the creation of their strategic launch plans, my team and I are scary good B2B sales & marketing troubleshooters”.

Make your case:

There is a need in market and, knowing this one problem, only we can solve it; The competition doesn’t do that. Nobody does. Just us. And That’s Why This is a Great, Exciting Project. That You Should Want In On.

Don’t Apologize

…at the start of your speech. Never reveal to the audience your possible insecurities about speaking. Or that you are running late. Or that your equipment doesn’t work. Or that you didn’t practice (that’ll impress them with sincere indifference).

It won’t charm anyone; the investors in the audience will stop listening and be uncomfortable.

Have A Central Theme And Topic

What is the main message you want to pass on today? “Yes People! Fractional CMO Group are very good at identifying buyers, learning their language, and crafting powerful messaging that moves action. This is all powered by a history of experiences AND intuitive leaps.

Every Engagement Pays for Itself!  (Otherwise, why bother?)

Have An Impactful Intro And Conclusion

OK, we’re back to Jackie Collins, I think.

• Just like an appointment with a prospect, or with a client, work to meet your audience of investors where they live. Use language that your audience will understand.
• Offer proof, evidence for your claims. Provide examples and analogies that make your points more relatable.

When Questions Come Up

Don’t freak out.  Act like the most polished of public figures.

You are a Visionary and as such, it’s your job to ask questions, push back and challenge conventional thinking

Wrap Up

So to get to Carnegie Hall you have to practice. To be a good story teller, well, you better know that story better than anyone else. It’s YOUR story. You better be able to tell the “heck” out of it.

You are the expert on this ONE THING

• Be Confident, Concise and Authoritative.
• Take your big dream and Share the Vision
• Keep it snappy and end surprisingly early for your allotted time
• Practice. You’ll be ready to shoot for the moon.

Want some additional pitch presentation insights? 

This is sort of a “Wait, There’s More…” moment. Check out this earlier blog post on Story Telling. And this one speaking about how to “Command the Stage”. Here is the most recent, “Pitching is Theater”.  Or scope out the “Start Up Guides” from the pitch coach experts at the BNChicago.com web site (additional pitch insights in infographics). You can watch past BNC pitch events (and see the Masterclass results in action) here. Or sign up here for the next event and attend virtually on Zoom.

SCHEDULE A CALL

You’re always welcome to schedule a free, no obligation brainstorming session with Ron Shulkin. I can’t wait to hear your story! Sign up here.