When creating your own startup, you have to know how to pitch your idea. It doesn’t matter how innovative your product/service is or that you have a super cool solution; if you can’t attract people’s attention, you won’t be able to get investors or create your own startup team.

Believe it or not, you’ll pitch your startup idea more than you can even imagine. When attending a networking event, you have to have your thoughts ready. When participating in an entrepreneurship program, you must know exactly how to explain what your business project is about. Of course, you also need to know how to pitch when looking for investment. 

Mastering how to pitch is an essential skill for every entrepreneur. In this article, you’ll learn powerful tips and tricks that will make pitching a lot easier. Get ready to face your fear of public speaking and nail your pitch!

What makes a great pitch?

Explaining your whole idea, the problems you’re solving, and what you’re looking for in a brief presentation is not an easy job. As with any other important moment in your life, you must be prepared.

Don’t be fooled by crazy theories and complex tips—the best way to rock your pitch is to keep it simple. When structuring ideas, focus on the essence and use that to create a concise story. Here are some great tips:

  • Be simple;
  • Focus on your audience;
  • Work hard on a script.

Creating your script

It doesn’t matter if you’re pitching to a couple of investors in a small room or facing a crowd of hundreds of people in a massive auditorium, the idea of presenting your idea in public can be scary. Being prepared with a script will calm your nerves and guarantee that you won’t forget all of your important points. This is the best way to pitch with confidence and achieve your goal. 

What are you looking for?

The first step when creating your pitch is to know your main goal. What are you looking to do? Have an eye on your ultimate goal, but also think about what you can achieve in each moment. 

Let’s say that you’re looking for thousands of dollars funding—you need to have the investment in mind, but your goal with your pitch is to get a private meeting with investors. This will keep you on track.

Starting your pitch

You also need to know who you’ll be talking to and how to create a connection with your audience. The first few seconds of your presentation are crucial for grabbing the attention of everyone in the room. You can start your pitch answering these questions:

  • Who am I?
  • What do I do?
  • What am I going to cover in this presentation?

These pieces of information will help you set the tone of your pitch and start engaging your audience. 

The problem-solver

When you pitch your idea, you’re not selling a product, you’re solving a problem. A problem gives context to any product, which is exactly what you need. Work on a real example when your business would be the right answer. 

Contextualizing is the best way to show that your startup idea is solving a specific problem. It’s the best way to present the uniqueness of your product or service. 

Introduce your team

A strong startup team is key to success. After you presented yourself and the problem your startup is solving, it’s time to introduce the team who will make it happen. Investors need to understand how prepared your team is to turn your idea into reality. 

Drop the mic!

You want to finish your pitch feeling like a rockstar. You must never finish your presentation with a “this is it” or “that’s all”; make sure to end it with a powerful call-to-action and never leave the stage before saying thank you.

 

Young Entrepreneur learning how to pitch at EIA Portugal 2019

Learning how to pitch your startup idea will not happen in the blink of an eye. You need to practice, fail, practice again, fail again, and never stop improving. If you’re just beginning your entrepreneurial journey, study a lot, follow these tips, and you’re going to sound like a pro.