Pitch Perfect: A Mini Guide to Pitching

Have you ever dreamt of the secret formula for giving the perfect pitch? What if we told you we have a guide to pitching that will teach you just that?

We’re sure you’re all familiar with the elevator pitch by this point. They tell you to keep it short, make yourself sound interesting, and make your business stand out from the rest. What they don’t tell you is that there’s so much more to it. Let us show you…

Tip # 1 – Comfortability

The first tip we have for you is probably one you were not expecting.

“You want to be 10% different not 90% different. You can’t change people’s habits,” says Concept Coach Pat Martinson.

Investors want to hear about how you will take something that customers are used to and change it to make lives easier, better, or more efficient. What they don’t want to hear in those 90 seconds is you trying to convince them to transfer all their money into a recently launched cryptocurrency, completely changing their habits. Think about it like this – how can you fit into the existing way things are done, but change the necessary yet most impactful bits?

Tip # 2 – The benefit of the doubt

Investors will always try to find holes in your ideas, so try to highlight the benefit for customers. For example, let’s think about platforms like Salesforce or Hubspot. You pay a monthly fee of about $50-$100 dollars but you can bring in 1.5x – 3x that money in sales because it allows you to make your sales and marketing teams more efficient. Essentially, it pays for the monthly cost, AND the human costs of doing things differently while still bringing in revenue. If you were pitching Salesforce or Hubspot to an investor, this is something you would want to highlight!

Tip # 3 – Breathe

Nerves are inevitable. No matter how much you rehearse or how many other pitches you’ve done, there will always be a feeling of anticipation and nervousness right before your pitch. That’s normal. Even the biggest presenters from the largest companies still get nervous. That’s your body’s natural reaction and can look different for everyone. Just take a few big breaths and pitch – don’t over think it. The more relaxed you are, the more genuine and relatable you will come off as.

“Be like a duck. Calm on the surface, but always paddling like the dickens underneath.” -Michael Caine

Pitching is an art – but luckily it’s an art that anyone can master. If you are someone with an idea who has pitching in your foreseeable future, be sure to come to Pitch to Win on Tuesday October 26th @ 5:30pm. Pat Martinson will be leading the session and has a pitch guide for you to follow. If you’re planning on pitching at the Concept $5k, we STRONGLY recommend you attend this session.

Concept also has a large network of skilled coaches (in addition to Pat) who can help guide you in your pitch writing. You can find them here.