A brief presentation I gave to companies participating in the DFAIT AIM Bootcamp here in Calgary. Focused on the "elevator pitch" but includes some info on how to deliver a solid 10 minute pitch.
1. Tell Me Your Story Pitching like a pro. Kevin Dahl – kdahl@calgarytechnologies.com
2. The most important part of a speech pitch is the opening line. When time is not a factor I like to try out three or four different ones. ~ Michael Scott
3. Today’s Agenda Telling your story The first 30 seconds… Tips for success Then what? 10 minutes of glory
4. Telling Your Story… When? Every meeting is an opportunity: Arranged – you already know what you want to accomplish from the meeting. Time constraints may or may not apply. Random – you need to find out if there is any fit and/or opportunity. Likely no slides.
6. Telling Your Story… Who? Getting ready for an arranged presentation with AIM Delegates: Potential Technology Partner? Potential Channel Partner? Government Agent? Advisor/Mentor? Investor?*
7. Telling Your Story… How? You need to do your homework: Who are you pitching to? -- Are they a potential partner, advisor, or are they a government representative? What do you know about the person, the company, and the industry? How do you know what to ask for? Why should they be interested?
8. General Tools Company, Contact, News… Social Networking – It’s not just for your kids anymore. www.alberta.ca www.usa.gov or www.fbo.gov if US www.canada.gc.ca if CA
10. You have 30 seconds…maybe. (To get someone’s attention.) Explain to them… Who you are What you have to offer What value there is in talking further This is what’s commonly referred to as “The Elevator Pitch”
11. Elevator Pitch Basics Concise Key message(s) Targeted Specific to your audience and your goal Compelling Engaging the audience to let them identify the value in learning more
12. Elevator Pitch There are two main parts to your elevator pitch: Part A – The CORE This part is general enough that it should not need to change much based on your audience. Part B – The ASK Here is where you tailor your pitch based on your audience.
13. Part A – The Core It a concise summary of basic information in a conversational tone… “Hi, I’m (name)…, the business we are in is…/our product is…/ the problem we solve is… and we are unique (in this way)…”
14. Part B – The Ask Is the specific message that fits the situation: For Partners “We have established a partner program with… (similar vendors, manufacturers ….) For Governments “We are planning to expand into (x) new markets… For Advisors/Mentors “We have a great team, but are lacking expertise in (x) area…”
15. The ASK - Pitching Partners Explain your needs, but also what you bring to the table. Understand their needs: Accelerate growth? Build competitive advantage? Create customer value? What value is there in working together?
16. The ASK - Pitching Government Understand their needs Economic rationale for supporting companies Geo-political rationale Focus on developing a ‘go to’ person relationship to help you navigate the system Funding Market Access R&D
17. The ASK - Pitching Advisors Know what you are looking for Understand their expertise What sector do they have experience in? What roles have the held previously? What companies have the been involved with in the past? What companies are they currently involved in?
18. An Example... My name is Kevin and my Calgary-based company builds mobile music gaming technology Our dev team has built an iPhone app that lets fans remix songs, in real time, while they purchase and download music I understand you work with the Trade Com. network based in Los Angeles, and I was wondering if you can help us develop connections with LA based labels?
19. Then what? Now you have their attention (hopefully) you can deliver your presentation There are a million different presentation formats Different audiences prefer different formats The following slides are based on feedback we have received from advisors and mentors*
20. 10 minutes of glory What is the pain your business solves? What is your solution? (not technology) What is your value proposition? What is the market? What is your technology that addresses this market? What is your business model? Who are the competitors
21. 10 minutes of glory What are your marketing & sales strategies? What are the milestones in your plan? What do your financials look like?* What’s the deal?* What do you want from the audience?* Where are the gaps in your team?* What do you need to tackle your target market?
How many of you have used Google to search for a company before a meeting? What about a contact? What about an org chart? You’d be surprised what you can find!It’s your job to help make meaning – how does your story fit with theirs?
How many of you have used Google to search for a company before a meeting? What about a contact? What about an org chart? You’d be surprised what you can find!It’s your job to help make meaning – how does your story fit with theirs?
Non technical language – not about technology, about marketA two part pitch that can be concise, targeted and compelling
Concise, simple language, conversationalUnique is your most important attribute in laymen's terms “we have developed a low cost method (system, product) that does something remarkable” “we are a team of research scientists who have…” “our solar panels are 24 times more durable than any other solution on the market today.. “our LED lighting technology works under adverse weather conditions….”
Why should they be interested in meeting you?
Show you understand their business model and how your proposition can benefit themJoint venture Technology Partnerships – international r&d
How many times did I say technology so far? Ok…how many times did I say with without “not” in front?
10 minutes…10 slides. The red are different endings that you could choose to wrap up with depending on the audience and what you purpose is in the presentation.
