Last night I attended the Miller Lite Tap the Future Pitch Contest with one of my blogger friends, Kyla. The event featured Daymond John, entrepreneur and star of Shark Tank. There were many different entrepreneurs in attendance to watch, participate, and cheer on the selected pitchers. Each company was given 5 minutes to pitch their business/organization to the 4 judge panel. As each team made their way to the stage and began their pitches, we critiqued their pitches noting both their strengths and weaknesses. Whenever you are promoting your business, it’s important to know a few things. And of course it’s super scary standing in front of a room full of strangers trying to convince them of your dream, but you’ve got to be confident of what you’re saying! I speak to young people often on the importance of their pitch. Your pitch is your way of selling that idea, concept, product or service that you believe is the next big thing. And even more than that, you’re pushing your passion. You’ve got to leave the room feeling just as passionate about it as you.
I recently watched the Steve Jobs movie, and the thing that stood out to me the most was the fact that he was the visionary. He didn’t create a product from scratch…ever. Instead, he saw what could be in other people and pulled that thing out of them into a tangible product which we revere today as Apple. Steve Jobs didn’t have to work very hard on a pitch, because his belief in his own ability was what he exuded. He sold you on the possibility. With that being said, I’m going to give you guys my list of 5 tips to help you create a winning pitch. These work for me and are foremost in my mind whenever I talk about my brand, build promotions for my brand, or brainstorm ideas for my brand. Let me know if you have any to add, or what your top 5 tips have been.
5 tips for a WINNING pitch!
1) Don’t confuse your audience, be sure YOU know exactly why your company works- It’s important to know the workings of your business/service/product like the back of your hand. You have to be the authority on what you’re pitching!
2) Make sure your service/product solves an issue and be sure to point that out in your pitch- ‘The consumer doesn’t know what they need until you tell them.’ This is a summarized quote from Steve Jobs, no one knew they needed an iPod or iPad until he introduced it. Now, we can’t live without it. Why does the consumer need your service/product? A question that NEEDS an answer.
3) Make sure you and your partner are on the same page- There’s nothing worse than talking to a business owner and their partner or team has different thoughts on how the business will run. That’s a huge red flag for an investor. And please be on one accord during your pitch!
4) Know your competition and what makes you better- This should be common knowledge, but you’d be surprised at how many people fail to do this research. You should know who you compete with, what makes you different and how you stand out.
5.) Be confident and remember to breathe! You know why your brand works- At the end of the day, your pitch is all about you promoting YOU! You know your company, product and/or service best. Now help the audience believe in it as you do.
