Pitch potential investors on the merits of your startup

As an entrepreneur, you are always pitching your business – to customers, investors, partners, and more. And while it may seem like a natural talent for some, the art of pitching is actually something that can be learned and perfected with practice.

So, what makes a great pitch? First and foremost, it must be clear and concise. It should tell a story that captures the attention of your audience and makes them want to learn more about your product or service. And most importantly, it should be authentic and reflect your passion for what you do.

There are a lot of wrong ways to craft a sales pitch. That’s especially so when your business is little more than a nascent startup. In truth, the art of telling stories is much more crucial to launching a startup than many novice entrepreneurs realize.

Attracting investors to a startup is more akin to those visioning exercises one often encounters in business-boosting seminars. It’s easy to assume that a one-size-fits-all sales pitch to potential investors is the way to go. In fact, that’s dead wrong.

In a world where only a fraction of the firms seeking venture capital actually receives any, the importance of how you tell your story cannot be overstated. What you say to potential investors is less about the importance of how you tell your “what” than it is about a business owner’s motivations. The question should be reframed to focus on intrinsic motivations – they need to see your vision for how you want to change the world. An entrepreneur seeking startup capital should be focused on that element because it provides the mettle when the going gets tough and the sales pitch to investors wears a little thin.

Another common mistake aspiring entrepreneurs make is in timing. They talk up their concept with passion but fail to provide potential investors and stakeholders with specifics: We’re talking about those golden nuggets that reveal you know what you’re doing and you’ve got the confidence to pull it off. Most investors are extremely interested in your “exit strategy,” and so that also should be a part of your pitch, as they will want specifics on when they will see a return on their investment.

Each time you tell your story, make sure you know the specific audience you are cultivating and have tailored your story to fit. You want to catch their interest, so they will investigate the matter further. Lead them to the power of story and the capital will follow.