pitch preparation 101 v1
TRANSCRIPT
Pitch Preparation 101
Know what you want
• Be very clear on what you want the result of the pitch to be.
• Talk to your team beforehand, and know what each person expects.
Set the expectations straight
• Be frank about your knowledge, experience and current situations.
• Deception cannot last long.
• They can see right through bullshit.
Know your stuff
• Whatever role you play, a founder should know his/her product.
• In a pinch, anyone in the team should be able to pitch. Don't depend
entirely on one person!
Know what they do, inside out
• Take time to learn about the company.
• Know the skillsets and profiles of the panel.
• Failure to prepare will hurt, Don't come to a gunfight with a knife!
Be confident, not cocky
• Be proud of what you do, coz if you aren't, no one else will be.
• Dress sharp.
• It's a fine line between confidence and cockiness, tread lightly!
Pitch for the audience, not for yourself
• Make it relatable. Assume very short attention spans!
• Just because something’s in the deck doesn't mean you have to say it.
• Learn to judge the reaction of your audience and tailor the story for them.
Accept when you don't know something
• You are not Google!
• Educated guesses and inferences are okay
• Avoid outright falsehood!
General Tips and TODOs
• Know your deck, inside out.
• Use high contrast on your decks to improve legibility.
• Ensure its readable, even from the back of the room.
• Carry multiple copies of your deck in multiple formats.
• If possible, get to know the stage before hand.
General Tips and TODOs
• Ensure everything works, you don't want to keep the panel waiting.
• Dress sharp, unless you're very sure you can pull off a laid back look.
• Drink water, use restrooms and be generally prepared at least 10 mins
prior to the pitch.
• This is not a test of your language skills, go for clear, easy to
understand language & pronunciation.
If you prepare and perform your best, even a failure is a huge learning
experience.
Above all, stay calm and go for it!
