The 5 ways to pitch at Collision
Sean Curtin, Head of Startups in our Dublin office, has been at Web Summit for over three years. He loves to meet and help early-stage companies become household names. He caught up with us today to share his top tips for startups wanting to pitch at Collision — our North American conference which will take place in Toronto this May.
In the three years I’ve been with Collision, I’ve worked with startups and investors from every corner of the world, and in every industry you can imagine. And I’ve learned that oftentimes, there are some very simple dos and don’ts when it comes to getting your message to the right people at our events.
You’ll find countless articles, videos and podcasts extolling the best way to pitch. So, let’s take a slightly different approach here. Looking through the lens of our event, how can you really get the most out of it? While nobody knows your business better than you, there are a few guaranteed steps which, from my experience, are likely to work.
Here are my tips for tackling the common avenues startups use to reach those that matter.
1. Consider your audience
First off, who are you pitching to? Most early-stage founders allow their minds to drift to investors at events like Collision. And that’s natural. But your next key hire, a mentor, a customer, the company that acquires you — they could all be there. You just don’t know who you’ll meet at Collision.
I would group your targets into four categories:
Customers- Pretty self-explanatory. But think big. Don’t limit your pitches to those who are a direct fit right now as a customer. Who are the customers of tomorrow? Get on their radar early.
Investors- Always in demand with our attending startups. Arguably some of the busiest people to track down at our events. If you arrange investor meetings, use them wisely!
Media- We are known for bringing top-tier media from around the world. And they are always on the hunt for a unique angle or something novel that makes you stand out from the crowd. Adjust your pitch accordingly.
Key hires/Mentors/Partners- A future CFO or Head of Sales? Your next key hire is out there. Build those connections early.
2. Master the app
Short and sweet is the name of the game here. Nobody likes walls of text. Explain who you are, what you do and what your ask is.
But first, make sure you are messaging the right people. Every year I open my app to many messages from people asking me for funding or how their product is a fit for. As much as I’d like to think someone has singled me out as possessing the perfect set of skills and capital to make me their dream investor or customer — I know and you know, they haven’t done much research.
Collision will be the home of many high-profile investors, media and industry leaders from across the globe. And that will mean nothing to you if you aren’t talking to the right people.
Look at it like a funnel. Scan the app for those that fit your criteria, let’s take an investor as an example. Filter down to who invests in your industry. Who invests in your region? Who invests at your ticket size? If you are seeking a seed round and have found globally renowned VC fund in the app who only invests in Series C or later, that’s going to be a short conversation.
Have they invested in companies prior to you that indicate they know the industry well? Arm yourself with this information rather than spamming any VC you find. You’re far more likely to get a worthwhile response if are able to say “Hi X, I understand you invest in our industry. This is what we are doing that’s unique, free to chat?”
And the best part? You don’t even have to wait till the event. In the weeks leading up to Collision, the app will become a hive of activity as people look to get schedules in place to maximise the value of coming to an event like ours.
3. Make the most of your booth
Your exhibition day is a really wonderful resource at Collision, use it wisely! My first bit of advice here, get a look at their accreditation early. We’ve spent a lot of time on getting our accreditation right (maybe too much time!) But what it means is that all it takes is a quick glance to capture someone’s name, their company and what type of attendee they are. That may require you to change how you pitch your product. Are they media? What’s quirky or novel about what you do that may get their attention? Do you recognise their company? How can your solution help them, or perhaps how can they help you?
The great thing about your exhibition day is that anyone who stops to engage has chosen to talk with you. Something about your team or your idea has caught their eye, don’t be afraid to ask what it is.
And remember, it’s going to be a busy day. For anyone you speak with, make sure to scan their accreditation using your app (with their permission of course!) to save their details and connect at a later date. Don’t stress yourself remembering names and contacts, enjoy the conversation, scan and it’s all waiting for you after the event.
4. Don’t forget about Night Summit
Probably the one time when I would advise to not prepare too much. People hit Night Summit to have fun and decompress after a long day. And you should too!
For anyone you get chatting to, keep it light. Remember, they are there to let their hair down. Once again, scan their accreditation and always try and pencil in a follow up the next day of the conference (though not in the morning as there will be some groggy heads, no doubt).
You’ll find a host of industry or interest-related gatherings being run each night you’re in town. Find the ones that suit your aims and attend. It’s a really useful way to focus on a particular sub-section of the event. Perhaps you’re hiring engineers. What better group to chat with than our Open Source initiative attendees.
5. Do your research for Investor Meetings
Our exhibiting startups are often in demand with our attending investors. We try to connect as many relevant startups and investors through our Investor Meetings facility. Here, investor attendees have the option to select startups of interest for face to face meetings. If you are selected, it’s a terrific way to pitch your company away from the hustle and bustle of the exhibition floor.
Yes the investor is interested, but the purpose here is not to walk away with a term sheet. It’s to pique their interest further, dampen any concerns, spark optimism and secure contact or a meeting after the event. You have fifteen minutes to make an impression. But that doesn’t mean fifteen minutes to pitch. Leave plenty of time for questions, at least half of the meeting or more should be focused on questions, both from you and the investor. Signal you’ve done your own research prior. Do they invest in your industry? Mention it. Is their ticket size a little bigger or smaller than what you are looking for? Ask what made them want to speak with you.
And as always, scan them!
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Make the most of your pitching opportunities at Collision and your calendar will reap the reward for months. I look forward to welcoming you to Toronto with the team here and please come and say hi!
