Tomás Egaña, portfolio manager of Fundación Chile, provides four keys to develop a pitch that attracts and gets the support of investors and institutions. What is the goal of a pitch? A pitch is a presentation that seeks to demonstrate that a certain start-up addresses an important market need with an innovative solution.

1. Talk the minimum necessary

Even though a business venture may include several interesting elements, Egaña states that it is important to focus on an idea, providing accurate and clear information to help the audience understand what it is about.

2. Appeal to people’s emotions

A pitch must be an experience for the spectator. It is vital to provide information, but it is even more important to establish a connection with the audience. Therefore, the design and colour of the presentation are vital, as well as the words and vocabulary used during it. “Addressing the project’s impact from an emotional perspective, generating empathy, is key. People may forget what they saw or listened to, but they will not forget how you made them feel”, says Egaña.

3. Adapting to the audience

Knowing the interests of investors and experts is key to catch their attention. A good idea is to do some previous research about their jobs and careers or about the kind of questions they tend to ask during a pitch.

4. Provide an answer in a single sentence

During question and answer sessions, entrepreneurs must be able to clear doubts in a concise and direct way. Egaña explains that “if an investor makes a questions, he is showing his interest on the project. A way to create a connection is to provide an answer that satisfies his expectations. It seems logical, but it is key to answer the question immediately, in the first sentence, and then explain and contextualize. Not the other way around.”

Other elements that make a good pitch are linked to the speaker’s ability to communicate in public. It is vital to show the potential of the start-up with demonstrable reasons and arguments, explaining why the project needs certain resources in just a few minutes.

Source: Innovación Chile