​……by Strive Masiyiwa





TITLE: 4 Tips on How to Deliver a Pitch Investors Simply Can’t Turn Down



Be laser-focused.



Many of you asked me this week to say a bit more about “pitching,” including what the word really means. For an entrepreneur, a “pitch” is what you say and present to potential investors to market yourself, your idea and your business concept — not just to inspire them to invest, but to rush to be first in the queue!



Today though, in response to your requests, let me share the first of three parts of an excellent article from Entrepreneur magazine, written by Neil Patel, a young entrepreneur who gave me permission to republish it (remember the importance of intellectual property). It’s called: “13 Tips on How to Deliver a Pitch Investors Simply Can’t Turn Down.” Today I’ll share #1 thru #4.



It’s going to be decided by the PREPARATIONS you make in the months and weeks leading up to that pitch.



In his article, Neil writes:



“Your pitch is the single thing that could either get your business off the ground or plunge your idea into eternal oblivion. It matters.



The rule of thumb for investors is that for every 100 investments they make, only 10 will go big.



Let me take that rule of thumb a step further. For every 1,000 pitches an investor hears, he or she will fund only 100 of them. Statistically, the odds for success are not great. You can beat the statistics, however, by crafting a pitch that turns heads and gets funded.



What are the ingredients of an ultra-compelling, irresistible, outstanding, and unforgettable pitch?



1. Take only ten minutes.



Timing is critical. The less time your pitch takes, the better.



A brilliant idea means nothing unless you can distill it to a few moments of sheer power. The more concise you can be, the more effective you will be. Here are a few timing pointers:





# If you say that you’ll take “only X minutes,” then take at least one minute less.


# If you are told, “You only have X minutes to pitch,” then take at least five minutes less.



# If you say, “One last thing” or something similar, then make sure it’s truly the one last thing.



# Move at a good pace. Don’t rush at the end.



# If you’re using slides, don’t get stuck on one slide for more than three minutes.



Here’s the great thing about taking ten minutes. If the investors are really interested, they’ll ask questions. If they’re not interested, then you will have saved them (and yourself) some time.



2. Turn your pitch into a story.



Storytelling is a scientifically-proven way to capture a listener’s attention and hold it. Besides, it makes your pitch unforgettable.



Investors are bored with spreadsheets, valuations and numbers. If they want that information, they can get it. What you can offer that no term sheet can convey is the story and pathos behind your startup. Everyone loves a good story, even the most data-driven investor.


So, tell your story and tell it right. You’re bound to gain attention, and the funding will follow.



3. Be laser-focused.



Investors’ time is their most valuable asset. If you convey a respect for their time, they will interpret that respect as your ability to treat their funding with respect.



Because time is important, you need to develop an absolute focus on the core components of your pitch. What are those core components? They’re detailed in the following tips.



4. Explain EXACTLY what your product or service is.



Show your potential investors a picture of, or give them the actual product to handle.



Be careful not to drone endlessly on about your product. Honestly, investors don’t really care about your product as much as they care about the money that your product will make. The sooner you get to the good stuff — the money.



Mynd44






http://www.eyereport.com.ng/entrepreneur-4-tips-on-how-to-deliver-a-pitch/#sthash.98bNk2m7.dpuf

Entrepreneurship is an art, it's disruptive. Entrepreneurs live on creativity, not memorized tips. If you're a budding entrepreneur, here's a quick tip:

Forget all these stuff OP put up there, just mold the pitch to comply with the status quo

Nice one!

All these are mere stories

Tired of rules.
Just give me good capital and see how i will turn it into billions.



SELL YOUR MTN/ ETISALAT AIRTIME TO ME AND GET CASH.

ok

Dont pitch to anybody. It ain't worth it.they give you a million reason why it won't work.
Beside you need less capital in the service sector

Great!!!!!

Okay

Accurate timing is really key.

Partnerbiz2:
Tired of rules.
Just give me good capital and see how i will turn it into billions.



SELL YOUR MTN/ ETISALAT AIRTIME TO ME AND GET CASH.

q

A true entrepreneur never considers mere capital a factor , from experience I can tell you only wantrepreneurs that give excuse of capital. There is nobody that can't make money if he is given enough capital

You say

Right now.. All y'all looking for investors.. Who in his right senses would want to come invest in a country that is about to divide..... Who would want to watch his money go to waste? * I pity this generation.. Educated illiterates..

Partnerbiz2:
Tired of rules.
Just give me good capital and see how i will turn it into billions.



SELL YOUR MTN/ ETISALAT AIRTIME TO ME AND GET CASH.

No,it doesn't work that way;Mark,Bill,Jack ma,Jumia,konga et al all pitch to investors so who u come b wey wan change d norm??

What the @op wrote there is priceless. Especially the short story telling point. It just reminds me of someone. Investors don't have time for all your boring analysis when you are first pitching to them.

Take it useless at your own risk.

Partnerbiz2:
Tired of rules.
Just give me good capital and see how i will turn it into billions.



SELL YOUR MTN/ ETISALAT AIRTIME TO ME AND GET CASH.

when a man who has multi billion dollar business speaks you had better listen. If you have never turned a million dollar business into a tens of million dollar business why should any one trust you with billions... He who is faithful in little.. respect friend

Very interesting n educating.

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daewoorazer:




#teamEntrepreneurs

I'd rather boss my self than slave 8-4.
If u understand

8-6

Lovely read

I approve this message.

thanks for this... I grab something

Impressive, there are a lot of startup funding flying around, just that in this clime we are not usually informed maybe because we keep preoccupying ourselves with unserious issues

DR strive my role model, always on point.

i dont know if there are angel investors in nigeria, ourwork.com.ng needs them...


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daewoorazer:



#teamEntrepreneurs
I'd rather boss my self than slave 8-4. If u understand

7:30 - 5:30

Strive Masiyiwa, a true model for youths.
Worth following if making legitimate money is part of one's life goals.

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