3 Practical Pitching Tips

This is a practical factsheet to help you go through your pitching rehearsal.

With thanks to Jo McGrath from Enterprise Stuff Ltd, our Make a Wave Incubator Connector in Manchester, UK!

1- You do not need to say everything in a pitch

You do not need to tell your entire history – just some key bits that will grab their attention and gain empathy…

• Do you know who your audience is? 
• Choose what is appropriate to the audience
• Choose what is relevant to your ask
• Say just enough that they can ask questions for more information
• And have a pack of answers ready to the questions
• Know your numbers

2. Select 3 Key Points

Keep to 3 key points with up to 3 sub-points if you can

For instance:

Key 1:  What you want

• What you will use it for
• The difference it will make
• Why you need it now

Key 2:  What social impact you will deliver with it

• Give details of any historical delivery
• Explain your future delivery

Key 3: Why your organisation is uniquely positioned to achieve this

• Successes
• Experience
• Passion

3. Practice!

• Run through your pitch without interruption to check time
• Be kind to the listener(s)… Be explicit, they can’t guess what you don’t say!
• Ask yourself “So What?” 
• If you were part of the panel, ask yourself: “How does this point help me understand why I should give this person what they are asking for?”
• Never go beyond your allocated time
• Make notes of the questions, great phrases, mantras! What you think could be left out.
• Swap places