If you conduct some research, you’ll realize that there are many things that you can do to secure funding for your business operations. However, according to many experts and people that have experience in this area, nothing beats a great pitch. The competition is fierce and you have to look for the best practices if you want to make a good sales presentation. On the other hand, a poor pitch is a recipe for disaster because even the greatest ideas and plans can sound and appear bad when they are presented in the wrong way.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should create a pitch that your audience will expect. A monotone speech and presentation can make investors lose their interest. You can’t afford to make a mistake like this because in many cases, you have just one chance to do this in the right way. The pitch of your life is the one that will grab investors’ attention and the one that will make your business look like a chance that they don’t want to miss. Even in case you believe that your pitch-giving capabilities are decent, it’s always a smart idea to look for ways to improve them. The next time you want to pitch in front of investors, try to include these tips that we are about to present.
Pitching is all about great storytelling
Every pitch includes a few different elements. If we have to highlight the four most important elements they would be – the problem, the answer, your current position, and your desired position. So, there are a few different things that you have to explain, but if you want to end this activity successfully, you have to make the investors listen to you from the start. In case you are facing a problem that they cannot relate to, they would not care to listen to the answer. Additionally, your current and future position won’t concern them. This is the reason why you must create and present a memorable story. This story must include all the things that will make every participant in this process interested.
Presenting the history of your business by sharing information about dates and locations is not really something that can help you hook your listeners. You must tell them why you started your business, share an anecdote, highlight a special moment that has helped you made an important business decision and more. Were there any moments when you had doubts? Which things helped you take your business on another level? Don’t hesitate to include these things in your pitch.
Be yourself
There is no need for double-talk, acting or pretending – a perfect pitch is the one that helps you present yourself and your business in the way they truly are. There are many business owners and managers that are trying to use a different kind of language when they are in front of potential investors, but that’s wrong. Just because you are using some complex words and phrases that no one has heard before doesn’t mean that you will get their attention. Also, try to avoid using too much technical and industry-related phrases.
Relax and try to speak as you would normally do. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you can talk like you are hanging out with your buddies in the local pub because after all, you are talking to highly educated and serious people. The main idea is to keep things simple.
Focus on the ending
As we said before, one of the best techniques for a perfect pitch is to have a great opening and to share a story that will sound interesting to the audience. This will help you get their attention. However, many people forget that the ending must be equally effective. Think of movies. How many times have you watched a movie that had a good start, an interesting idea that was developing fast and got ruined at the end because the ending didn’t make much sense or it was “already seen many times before”. Well, the same goes for your pitch.
It’s good to save some of the important information and data for the end. In addition, if you finish your pitch abruptly with a simple line like “feel free to contact me/us at any time in case you have any questions”, you will make your pitch forgettable.
In the end, it all comes to the main story. In case you are telling an interesting story, all the investors will be focused on the end. It’s highly recommended to keep some of the best lines and info for the end. Many experienced people that have provided a successful pitch have saved at least one impressive fact about their business. That can vary from a big contract, an interesting partnership, memorable milestone) for the closing. Explain why people would want to invest in your business and share an attractive call to action.
