The Perfect Pitch

TLDR; https://vimeo.com/20736616 Emotion beats features

Over the last five years, I’ve probably seen a thousand pitches from a multiple of startups — and just a few have received investment.

What made the perfect pitch ?

The best pitches I have seen, the most impactful and the ones I remember use the oldest technique in the world

They tell a story. A story about a user, a friend, the experiences of the founder. Even a persona. And the best stories are told using the most powerful communication tool of all : body language.

I can remember the most powerful pitches at Mangrove. I cannot remember any others. The most powerful are focussed around the presenter. Revert to the white board, the flip chart and of course the screen from time to time. Facts, stats, a demo, explain a point, But the best presenters turn the screen off again. Keep the audience focussed on you, your message.

Body language disappears with the distraction of the projection screen. I’ve observed the pitch of many. Many many , and once the projector is turned on, the direct communication between the presenter and the audience disappears. It’s easier for the audience to disconnect — it’s easier for the audience to drift off and the audience is lost.

Why is this important ?

We all know that the written word carries weight. Yet the spoken word carries more. The video enhances this. One metric I read was that 83% of a message comes from the visual communication. But for a persuasive presentation, the emotion and presence of the speaker carries the most.

And that’s why we talk about an elevator pitch — how can we capture someones attention. It isn’t about compressing the entirety of the project into three sharp sentences. It’s about gaining attention. The best way is a story.

There’s no coincidence that the most famous, the most arousing and most motivating speeches from history tell a story.

When you come to Mangrove, don’t bring a slide deck. Bring a story.