While we have created and designed more presentations than we can count, part of our philosophy at Mr.Prezident is committed to understanding best practice presenting.
With this goal in mind we attended the Pitch Practice session. The event that was organized and hosted by the good people of Techcrunch, took place in an awesome location overlooking New York’s famed Bryant Park. Doors opened at 5:30pm and the pitching went on till 8pm, this was then followed by some beer and light refreshments. In this recap we’ll share the secrets of the perfect pitch according to the expert panel from Techcrunch.
But First, What is Tech Crunch?
Well… TechCrunch is an organization and media platform dedicated to profiling startups, reviewing new internet products and presenting tech news. The company hosts major conferences and events, including the Disrupt series, The Crunchies Awards, and various meet-ups all over the world.
This month the annual Disrupt events come back to New York with the purpose of introducing game-changing tech and the leading tech industry key innovators. The 3-day event aims to gather the best and brightest entrepreneurs, investors, hackers, and tech fans for on-stage interviews. As a warmup to the event the Techcrunch crew is hosting several pitch practice sessions throughout the city, including the Pitch Practice session we’re reviewing today.
The Format
The event followed an informal yet effective 3x2 format. Each company representative was permitted two minutes to pitch, this was then followed by 2 minutes of feedback from the judges, with an additional 2 minutes for audience feedback. The panel consisted of some of Techcrunch's leading contributors and editors who have all seen their fair share of pitching.
Tips From the Pro’s
Some of the best advice from the panel also seemed to be the most logical. One would be surprised however how often these small mistakes are made. For example; the first company that came up did not announce the company name. Even after the judges pointed this out, the very next presenter made the exact same mistake.
A Few of the Other Points of Advice From the Judges Are as Follows:
Tell us who you are, and how your experience and expertise lends itself to the company.
Who are you working with? Do not only mention the competencies of your team but also the established credibility you have in the market, based on who your clients are.
While technology might be technical, your audience/potential investors tech jargon may not be up to scratch. Be sure to provide easy to follow examples that outline a problem and demonstrate your unique solution.
Talk about your user base and use supporting figures. How many people are already engaged with your product, what are they saying? And what demographic/market share do they represent?
Use attention grabbing statistics of your market. Don’t bore people with spreadsheets, but call out factual key numbers that provide backbone to your story.
Make sure you are prepared and ready to go. Don’t use notes. Presenters who don’t know what they are saying do not come across as confident or enthusiastic about their own product.
What makes you stand out from the competition? Make sure you clearly establish why you are unique and why that is an added value.
If you have more helpful pitching tips please send them along, we would love to hear from you. If your company or startup needs help designing a killer pitch deck, we are one email away.
