by Natasha McKenzie How to pitch your idea

Today Introduction to pitching Types of pitch Consider your audience Define your objectives Preparation Delivery Follow up Workshop

An introduction How not to present “Be enthusiastic, succinct, and fast“ Donald Trump Consider your audience – pitch at the right level Tell a story – begining, middle and end Keep you focus

Pitch format Advertising pitch Elevator pitch “Venture capitalists often judge the quality of an idea and team on the basis of the quality of its elevator pitch” Wikipedia

Know your audience Professional investors (venture capitalists, bankers, mutual fund managers, and angel investors) are the toughest audiences Cash rich and time poor Do your research What’s their background, brief, objectives Manage expectation

Define your objectives What one thing do you want to achieve

Preparation How long do you have? Who are your audience? Try to open a dialogue prior to the pitch Consider the tools you need to support your pitch If you need to support a skill gap then take a partner e.g. finance Practice your pitch Know where you are going, how long it will take to get there and what the dress code is!

The pitch Be passionate Demonstrate your understanding Ultimately people buy people

Follow up Confirm understanding of meeting and next steps Try to stay front of mind - find a valid excuse to get back in touch Don’t be afraid to chase feedback

Don’t be afraid to “fail” Believe in your product or service Take feedback not criticism Consider self promotion i.e. competitions, online, PR, network Keep practising it will help hone your business case

In summary Be enthusistic – assertive not arrogant Be succinct – consider your audience Be fast – but thorough

Workshop Let’s prepare an 30 second pitch (100 words) A quick and concise way to communicate: who you are, and what you do, What gap you fill Why you do it better Why should I care Be honest and intriguing - spark interest and leave your audience wanting more