Mastering Your Pitch- by Lesley Etherly

MASTERING

YOUR PITCH Lesley Etherly Etherly@cntxtr.org

CURRENTLY THERE ARE

27 MILLION ENTREPRENEURS IN THE USA

A NEW REPORT FROM THE GLOBAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP MONITOR (GEM), SPONSORED BY BABSON COLLEGE AND BARUCH COLLEGE, FINDS THAT 27 MILLION WORKING-AGE AMERICANS-- THAT'S NEARLY 14 PERCENT--ARE STARTING OR RUNNING NEW BUSINESSES. THAT'S A RECORD HIGH FOR THIS STUDY, NOW IN ITS 16TH YEAR.SEP 2, 2015

http://www.inc.com/leigh­buchanan/us­entrepreneurship­reaches­record­highs.html

COMPANY.COM

WHAT IS THE GOAL OF A PITCH?

Getting to the investment table.

A pitch is a well delivered summary of your concept that is memorable, relatable and actionable. Pitches will vary in length and you should be prepared for a variety of time constraints.

30- 90 sec. (Elevator Pitch) 2 min 5 min 10 min

REMEMBER TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF YOU ARE WHAT MAKES YOUR IDEA GREAT

We love your idea...but who are you?

Often times we think our ideas outshine who we are.

Remember to introduce yourself in a way that establishes idea ownership and sets you as the entrepreneur apart from others in your field.

TELL A GREAT STORY

Stories connect the logic dots and make your pitch memorable.

You are the biggest part of your business.

Your journey is a big part of why you are the perfect person to invest in.

Use your story to unfold the brilliance of your idea.

If you've tested out the model, be sure to include in your story.

BE PLAIN AND DIRECT IN YOUR SPEECH

EXPLAIN EXACTLY WHAT YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE ________is a ____that does____________.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?

WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE. This is where you seal the deal.

Know the Why, Who & How. Why is it needed? Who is it for? How will it be delivered?

SHOW THEM THE MONEY. MONEY MOTIVATES

Pitch the market opportunity and your ability to see it through.

Investors want their money back, and much more.

Show them your idea is grounded in research.

Illustrate the logic so that it's an offer they can't refuse.

Focus on scale and spread.

CLOSE WITH A DYNAMIC CALL TO ACTION WHAT DO YOU WANT THEM TO DO?

Create a clear and direct ask & include accessible contact info.

Communicate exactly what you want the investor to do.

If you have time, mention what the investment will go towards. make it easy for them to reach you.

MAKE THE SHIFT TO VIRTUAL PITCHING IDEA LANDING PAGES | VIDEO PITCHES| SLIDE SHOWS

Pitch the market opportunity and your ability to see it through.

Landing pages are one page websites that are idea focused and communicate your pitch visually. Create on here CNTXTR.co Record yourself and make your pitch personal.

Create a "Pitch Deck" online slide show.

SHOW THEM YOUR FACE.

VIDEO PITCH

How to shoot video on your mobile device, upload to YouTube & submit link in your application.

1. Create a Gmail account.

2. youtube.com/capture

3. Download app and open

4. Watch tutorial Horizontal shooting

5. Edit in app

6. Upload to YouTube - Unlisted settings.

5. Edit video in app.

7. Copy and paste video url link into application section

Lesley Etherly Founder | Executive Director etherly@cntxtr.org www.CNTXTR.org