Your Winning Pitch5 Slides to Convince the Audience You Can Change the

World

#1: What you hate or will fix or will make 300% better

Never start a pitch by talking about yourself, your team, your product, or your total addressable market. Instead, start by naming the thing that’s getting in the way of your customer’s effectiveness and/or

happiness. Do that by painting an emotionally resonant picture of

how the world currently sucks for your customer, who/what is to

blame, and why.

#2: Answer “Why now?”

Audiences — particularly investors — are skeptical. They’re thinking, “People have lived this way for a

long time — are they really going to change now?” You have to explain if we don’t act now, things quickly get

much, much worse.

#3: Show the promised land before explaining how you’ll

get there

Showing the enemy’s defeat before explaining how you’ll make it happen can

feel wrong for novice presenters — like blurting out the punchline before you’ve told a joke. But when an audience knows where you’re headed, they’re much more

likely to buckle in for the ride.

#4: Identify obstacles—then explain how

you’ll overcome themNow that you’ve shared your vision of the future, (a) lay

out the obstacles to achieving it and (b) show

how your company/product/service will overcome each one.

(There had better be some big, nasty obstacles — 

otherwise who needs what you’re selling?)

#5: Present evidence that you’re not just

blowing hot air

Audiences are skeptical. So you must give them evidence that the future you’ve laid out is, indeed,

attainable. For early-stage companies and products, demos can serve as evidence, though

results from early (or beta) customers are more compelling.

Least persuasive— but better than nothing — are testimonials from

potential customers explaining why they would buy.

http://www.gregtwemlow.co/

CEO, STRATEGIC ADVISOR AND A LEADING EXPERT ON LEAN STARTUP FOR NEW

VENTURES & ENTERPRISES