Startup Pitch Exercises

2 min read What are some startup pitch exercises to practice before approaching investors?

Entrepreneurs know the importance of the pitch to investors. There are many blog posts explaining tips and techniques on how to communicate your vision, passion, and story to the investor.

Keep in mind the best practices.

As an exercise in building your pitch, try the following:

Give your pitch in numbers.

Use only 10 words or less.

Present your deal from your customer’s point of view.

• How would your customer describe your business?
• What value do you offer the customer?

Also, try a pitch from the investor’s point of view.

• How would the investor describe your pitch?
• How your business makes money?

And don’t forget your employees’ point of view.

• How would your employee describe your business?
• What your company does on a day-to-day basis?

Lastly, give your pitch from your competitor’s perspective.

• How would your competitor describe your business?
• What is unique about your business?

Most pitches tell a story

Some entrepreneurs use their entrepreneurial journey as the format which goes something like this:

1. I had a problem
2. I couldn’t find a solution
3. So I created my own solution
4. Others started asking me for it
5. So I started a business

Walk Through the Executive Summary

Another approach is the “Walk through the Executive Summary” which takes the audience through the sections of your one-pager.

1. Here’s the problem and how much it’s costing the world
2. This is my solution to the problem
3. This is the product I came up with for the first version
4. Here’s the advantage of it
5. Here’s how the business model works
6. Etc.

As the saying goes, practice makes perfect.

Read more in the TEN Capital eGuide: http://staging.startupfundingespresso.com/the-art-of-pitching/

Hall T. Martin is the founder and CEO of the TEN Capital Network. TEN Capital has been connecting startups with investors for over ten years. You can connect with Hall about fundraising, business growth, and emerging technologies via LinkedIn or email: hallmartin@tencapital.group