What makes a good pitch? It's no secret that entrepreneurs must perfect the art and skill of pitching their idea to friends, family, investors, employees, and anyone who will listen. We're in the midst of our first round of pitch practice this year at Techstars and the teams are off to a really great start. Honestly, I'm pleasantly surprised by how they are pitching right out of the gate. Below are a few tips that I have laid out for pitches.
1. Treat it like a sandwich. Tell them what you're going to tell them (bread), tell them (the meat, veggies, cheese, & condiments), and finally tell them what you just told them (bread). It sounds simple, but that's the point!
2. Don't have too much text on a slide and keep slides to one idea. This may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised by how many entrepreneurs forget this and deliver slides with grad school level outlines on them.
3. Have ONE pitch for everyone. Yes, tone it down a bit for your grandmother, but be sure to keep the ideas and specifics constant between mentors, investors, etc. Entrepreneurship is a small world and you don't want to have to put your foot in your mouth because your story isn't consistent.
4. Have some badass slides. Check out Haiku Deck for help with this.
5. Tell a GREAT story and connect with the audience emotionally. The most memorable pitches are the ones that make the audience feel. Figure out a way to do this.
6. KISS: Keep It Simple Stupid. Don't over do it! If there are technical questions, they will be asked. Worry about telling a great story in a great way and you can deal with specifics after the audience pick their jaws up from the floor.
With that, happy pitching!
Andy
