MassChallenge

Innovation Blog

Minute 2 Pitch It

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You have to command the room. – Mike Miele, SpotLight Parking

“Dont forget to breathe, eye contact is important to establish rapport, and make pauses to manage expectations.” – Ilana, World Tech Makers

 

No matter how long your pitch is, its imperative that you grab the attention of the audience at the outset with something that generates an emotional connection to you and/or your company. Once theyre locked in and listening, youll have smooth sailing the rest of the way! -Nate, UnshrinkIt

 

The best pitches I’ve heard usually appeal to the audience’s emotions, and forge a personal bond with their listeners. Those tend to also be more original and genuine. -Abigail, Allergy Amulet

 

Tell a story, because logic intrigues the mind but story captures the heart. -Elsa, Agora

 

Always keep your mission statement in mind and then punch out 3 bullet points you want to touch on during your minute. It’s only a minute so bring a lot of energy right up front and say things people will remember (specifically things they can hashtag). We have been successful using DDIY (Don’t Do It Yourself) because it’s memorable and #hashtagable -Chris, Freight Frog

 

Stay calm and don’t breeze over the hard stuff  – like stage of product and business finances. Also, don’t make financials look super optimistic. Keep it real. -Danielle, AutismSees

 

Don’t try to squeeze a five minute pitch into 60 seconds by saying it really quickly and hoping it works. Rewrite it so that someone can understand what you do at a high level, in a shorter amount of time. And make each word count. -Rebecca, LearnLux

 

The key to pitching is knowing your audience. In MassChallenge, they want to hear about impact. In investor meetings, they only care about money and how much you can make them. In a one-minute pitch, they want to be excited for a minute. -Jay, Clear Breath

 

Keep it simple, get to your point quickly. Stay away from acronyms that people outside your industry might not understand. -Kimberly, Popup Childcare

 

The one minute pitch tends to create a sense of anxiety and can lead the presenter to speak very fast, controlling that urge is essential. If know your story and truly believe in it, you can relax and the presentation flows naturally. -Andrew, Blackburn Energy LLC

 

No matter how good you are, there is someone out there who is probably better! So no matter how many times you’ve pitched it, practice! Practice practice practice!! -Hitesh, Virtudent

 

To pitch your company quickly and effectively, focus on the problem / solution that you are addressing and the actions are you taking to solve it. Focus on your target audience and the impact. Don’t talk about financials in one minute. Show that you are capable to achieve your goals. -Jo, Estrenon

 

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