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What elements makes a great pitch?
How do get people to buy my story? I've been developing an idea to expand my business. But since I'm a beginner, I fairly know about pitches and would want more advice on how to develop a strong pitch.
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9 answers
Updated
Saranya’s Answer
Hi Erica,
It is important to develop a well-organized and compelling pitch. Effective pitches describe a relatable problem that many people face that is solved by the business/product. Use a story or a personal experience to explain the problem and the solution.
Think carefully about what you want to accomplish. How are you trying to influence or persuade your audience, and how will the story help you do that?
Activate Empathy, the story has to hit the audience emotionally. When working on your pitch, follow a catchy tagline to grab the interest of your audience. Use visuals to demonstrate what your product or service looks like it can be video or infographics or cartoons.
Your story has to captivate the audience/customer attention from the very start. Regardless of how good the story is at its core, attention span is short – so make sure to get to the message pretty fast.
Good luck!
Regards,
Saranya
It is important to develop a well-organized and compelling pitch. Effective pitches describe a relatable problem that many people face that is solved by the business/product. Use a story or a personal experience to explain the problem and the solution.
Think carefully about what you want to accomplish. How are you trying to influence or persuade your audience, and how will the story help you do that?
Activate Empathy, the story has to hit the audience emotionally. When working on your pitch, follow a catchy tagline to grab the interest of your audience. Use visuals to demonstrate what your product or service looks like it can be video or infographics or cartoons.
Your story has to captivate the audience/customer attention from the very start. Regardless of how good the story is at its core, attention span is short – so make sure to get to the message pretty fast.
Good luck!
Regards,
Saranya
Updated
Ghazi’s Answer
Hello Erica, this is a great question. I think one of the most important things to consider when making your pitch is to know your audience. You don't want them to just buy your story, you also want them to buy your product. Once you have developed your brand and story, you would want to identify the target audience of your pitch, understand their needs, and then put yourself in their shoes and ask if you were a potential customer what value would you receive from purchasing this product. Be sure to also address how your product differs from similar products that are in the same market.
In short, I believe the pitch should be tailored more to how the customer will benefit from the product and how they will get a return of value for their money. People might love your brand/story/product, but unless they see a return in value they might not make a purchase. By identifying who your target audience/customer is, you will be able to create well tailored pitches.
In short, I believe the pitch should be tailored more to how the customer will benefit from the product and how they will get a return of value for their money. People might love your brand/story/product, but unless they see a return in value they might not make a purchase. By identifying who your target audience/customer is, you will be able to create well tailored pitches.
Updated
Thomas’s Answer
I've done a ton of pitches and I'd like to add a few things to what others have said.
Firstly, the major majority of the time you should only spend about 5 or 6 mins on a pitch.
Secondly, always make sure to mention a bit about the team behind it if it's not just you. Investors like to hear about WHO they are investing in.
Thirdly, make sure to discuss what the current market looks before jumping into what you do. This is a common mistake that people make.
There are a ton of other little tips, but those are the three most common that I like to mention to people.
Thomas
Firstly, the major majority of the time you should only spend about 5 or 6 mins on a pitch.
Secondly, always make sure to mention a bit about the team behind it if it's not just you. Investors like to hear about WHO they are investing in.
Thirdly, make sure to discuss what the current market looks before jumping into what you do. This is a common mistake that people make.
There are a ton of other little tips, but those are the three most common that I like to mention to people.
Thomas
Updated
Olivia’s Answer
A pitch needs to be specific to the audience listening to it if possible and be focused around an intended outcome that you want from it. Your pitch content should be well researched, well prepared and well rehearsed - including references to industry or topic thought leaders and/or relevant statistics. It been said that a good pitch is a story and that you are the story teller. By telling a story to your audience filled with facts and statistics, you appeal to more areas of the human brain and it therefore has more impact. Do some reading up on the key components of a story to learn how to build your pitch in that format.
It is actually a bit difficult to guide you on your question as it is very open but this also allows me to detail what it is you need to know before preparing your pitch. You need to answer certain questions first that will help you shape how your pitch will be. These could be as follows; How long do I have? Who is my audience? What is the wider purpose of the day or agenda? Are you part of a bigger event? What materials can you use i.e. is there a video screen or projector? What content do I want behind me on the screen? But that said, probably the most important question you need to ask yourself is; what is the objective or objectives of my pitch? What do you want for you and your audience to get out of the pitch?
The answers to the above questions are the framework within which your story need to fit and the boxes that you need to tick in your pitch. In terms of what you have behind you on your screen, the best advice I had was don't have much writing as people will read it and not listen, and don't rely upon your slides in your pitch because you never know if the screen will actually be working that day. Slides and videos should just create impact or support your message.
So for example of a typical pitch situation - I'm at a graduate career day for an employer I want to work for and I know I have to stand up and present for 10 minutes about myself. So, we know the timeframe, we know we don't have anything to use like slides. We also know the context that we are part of a wider day where our audience is a potential employer, and the agenda is that other graduates are presenting and competing with me for a job. Most importantly, we should be able to decide on the objective - you want to be hired. The outcome is that you want the employer to want to hire you. Now you can start to create your story. And the story is about you, the facts about you experience and your strengths. It is good to have an impactful statement, fact or question at the very beginning of your pitch. Before you even introduce yourself. It could be; 'When I was a little girl, my father told me to aim for the stars so that if I missed them I'd still hit the sky'. ....then, 'hi, my name is Olivia and I'm here to tell you why you should hire me'. Then, you tell a story of yourself and link back to the opener at the end, for example, and 'now I plan to make my father proud by getting this job and hitting the stars.
I hope this helps.... Good luck with pitching.
It is actually a bit difficult to guide you on your question as it is very open but this also allows me to detail what it is you need to know before preparing your pitch. You need to answer certain questions first that will help you shape how your pitch will be. These could be as follows; How long do I have? Who is my audience? What is the wider purpose of the day or agenda? Are you part of a bigger event? What materials can you use i.e. is there a video screen or projector? What content do I want behind me on the screen? But that said, probably the most important question you need to ask yourself is; what is the objective or objectives of my pitch? What do you want for you and your audience to get out of the pitch?
The answers to the above questions are the framework within which your story need to fit and the boxes that you need to tick in your pitch. In terms of what you have behind you on your screen, the best advice I had was don't have much writing as people will read it and not listen, and don't rely upon your slides in your pitch because you never know if the screen will actually be working that day. Slides and videos should just create impact or support your message.
So for example of a typical pitch situation - I'm at a graduate career day for an employer I want to work for and I know I have to stand up and present for 10 minutes about myself. So, we know the timeframe, we know we don't have anything to use like slides. We also know the context that we are part of a wider day where our audience is a potential employer, and the agenda is that other graduates are presenting and competing with me for a job. Most importantly, we should be able to decide on the objective - you want to be hired. The outcome is that you want the employer to want to hire you. Now you can start to create your story. And the story is about you, the facts about you experience and your strengths. It is good to have an impactful statement, fact or question at the very beginning of your pitch. Before you even introduce yourself. It could be; 'When I was a little girl, my father told me to aim for the stars so that if I missed them I'd still hit the sky'. ....then, 'hi, my name is Olivia and I'm here to tell you why you should hire me'. Then, you tell a story of yourself and link back to the opener at the end, for example, and 'now I plan to make my father proud by getting this job and hitting the stars.
I hope this helps.... Good luck with pitching.
Updated
Lars’s Answer
Speak to your audience. Who are they and what do they want? Tailoring your pitch to solve their problem and show what's in it for them will enable them choose YOU for THEM.
Updated
Erin’s Answer
Think about the audience first. Who are they and what is their bottom line?
Then construct your pitch with the client at the forefront. What are they experiencing currently (due to industry conditions, information gaps, a need, etc.) that could be solved or aided by your solution?
Then construct your pitch with the client at the forefront. What are they experiencing currently (due to industry conditions, information gaps, a need, etc.) that could be solved or aided by your solution?
Updated
Gabriela’s Answer
Hi Erica,
There is some great advice from the others. I would agree that knowing your audience is key. Knowing when to go into details and when to keep it high level is key. That does take practice and after a while, you will get a better feel for it.
Practice is key, as you write out your pitch, read it out loud, and really see how it sounds. What helps me is to think "what questions might by the audience have on this portion of the presentation?" That helps me put myself in their shoes and also prepare for questions that might come up.
Overall a great pitch is about preparation (tailoring to the audience and their needs), how you deliver the message (don't drag on and keep your tone upbeat) and practice.
Good luck!
There is some great advice from the others. I would agree that knowing your audience is key. Knowing when to go into details and when to keep it high level is key. That does take practice and after a while, you will get a better feel for it.
Practice is key, as you write out your pitch, read it out loud, and really see how it sounds. What helps me is to think "what questions might by the audience have on this portion of the presentation?" That helps me put myself in their shoes and also prepare for questions that might come up.
Overall a great pitch is about preparation (tailoring to the audience and their needs), how you deliver the message (don't drag on and keep your tone upbeat) and practice.
Good luck!
Updated
Naomi’s Answer
Hi Erica,
Congratulations, that's so cool that you have your own business!
You’ve received a lot of great advice already, but here’s a little more;
- Research small business programs in your area. There are many local organizations that offer free advice.
- Talk to your local SBA, Small Business Administration. This is a federal government organization with offices all over the country that supports small businesses. And their services are all free.
Congratulations, that's so cool that you have your own business!
You’ve received a lot of great advice already, but here’s a little more;
- Research small business programs in your area. There are many local organizations that offer free advice.
- Talk to your local SBA, Small Business Administration. This is a federal government organization with offices all over the country that supports small businesses. And their services are all free.
Updated
Ayush’s Answer
I think storytelling is an art which you develop over time. The best route is to practice and be passionate about the topics you present.
You need to prepare a good storyline and take continuous feedback on your approach. Use of visuals and text is crucial in pitches so that needs to be carefully thought about.
You should also consider enhancing your public speaking skills through toastmasters or other masters as pitching is not only about the pitch but the speaker as well. Once you start appearing as a confident speaker, your pitch will become much more convincing.
Lastly, try to incorporate some statistic which will completely surprise the audience or if thats not available then something funny which will keep them engaged.
You need to prepare a good storyline and take continuous feedback on your approach. Use of visuals and text is crucial in pitches so that needs to be carefully thought about.
You should also consider enhancing your public speaking skills through toastmasters or other masters as pitching is not only about the pitch but the speaker as well. Once you start appearing as a confident speaker, your pitch will become much more convincing.
Lastly, try to incorporate some statistic which will completely surprise the audience or if thats not available then something funny which will keep them engaged.