This month’s topic was personally requested by our founder: Tadeusz Nikitin.
In the startup universe, everything revolves around one topic: Pitching. Do you need investors? Pitch! Do you want to acquire customers? Pitch! Startup competitions? Pitch! Trade fairs and other events? You guessed it – Pitch!
When my career at Splitbot began, I had, admittedly, never heard of it. Others may feel the same way, so here is a brief introduction.
The term “pitch” originates from the advertising and agency sector. Agencies compete for potential clients with short presentations, or pitches. Over time, this form of presentation also gained immense importance for startups. The reason is simple: investors and clients want to receive all necessary information in the shortest possible time. No one has time for hours of product presentations.
Is every pitch the same? No!
There are countless and ever-evolving forms of pitching. Besides the fundamental distinction between investor and client pitches, which typically last three to five minutes, there are numerous other formats. Equally popular and dreaded, for example, is the elevator pitch, which involves presenting the company or product during the duration of an elevator ride (30-60 seconds).
The Pitch Deck: Less is more.
Depending on the format, it is also possible to present slides during a pitch. Here, it is clear: less is more. Slides overloaded with text or cluttered graphics are clearly out of place in a pitch.
So, how does one get it right? Unfortunately, as is often the case, there is no magic formula here. There are people who seem born for the stage and are true natural talents. For others, it is hard work. Still others have yet to discover their abilities. An absolute recommendation is to participate in pitch training sessions, as they are often offered within accelerator programs. Currently, two of us have had and continue to have the pleasure of collaborating with Lars Hartenstein in several workshops. And when we say “work,” we mean it. Because pitch training clearly means: out of your comfort zone! Here are some of his best tips:
Kill your darlings! You love your company and are convinced by your product. But more than two or three strong arguments have no place in a pitch. Save the rest for later, otherwise you will lose credibility.
Build a suspension bridge! And give your audience a good reason to follow you. You must engage your audience, otherwise you will be alone on the other side.
Make them fall in love with you! Learn to use your body language effectively and captivate your audience.
Be confident in yourself! Ask yourself why someone should buy a product specifically from YOU. Why are you the best for the job?
Everything is a Pitch! Every conversation, every interaction is a pitch.
Pictures speak louder than words! A good metaphor is memorable and better than numbers, data, and facts. People think in images.
Would you like to learn more about the topic? Visit https://alles-ist-pitch.de/. Additionally, you can see us in action on October 17, 2024. We will be pitching at the Graduation Day of Ai.Startup.Hub Hamburg in the ASTOR Filmlounge HafenCity. You can get tickets here.
