Crafting an Elevator Pitch — to connect with humans
Pitch Outline
I’ve included a sample outline that a pitch should include — whether its a live pitch or pitch video. You should be able to fit this all into five minutes or less — especially if you use images & graphics in your presentation. You should mostly speak to each of the points, using graphics or props to reinforce your spoken words.
I’ve also highlighted (in bold) the 5 key points you need to practice to ensure you tell your your story with authenticity; show your passion and connect with an audience on a human level.
- Headline (vision and/or story)
- Company Purpose (your tagline)
- Problem (customer pain)
- Solution (value prop to customer — great to add real customer stories)
- Why Now (history and evolution)
- Traction (Customers/Partners/Contracts/Users/Signups/Revenue/Growth/Intellectual Property/Awards/)
- Market Size (who are your target customers & how large is the opportunity)
- Competition (be transparent)
- Product (description and road map)
- Business Model (revenue, profit margins, pricing)
- Customer Acquisition plan (marketing and sales channels)
- Team (founder(s), the board & senior managers)
Check out the Sugru pitch video from fellow Irish women Jane Ni Dhulchaointigh — I particularly like the way the videographer captured Jane’s personality and story in a very authentic way. And it created a ‘wow’ reaction for me!
Below i’ve included 3 links that helped me prepare this post.
