Elevator pitch, cut the crap

Pitching an idea is like pitching a ball, it is all about technique.

Yesterday i had the chance to see a presentation about the elevator pitch with investors from Vincent Guyaux. How to say “That’s my company, that’s who we deal with, and that’s how me make money” in two minutes or less. When we’re used to write and read 45+ pages of text to answer these questions, it seems like running a marathon in the same time.

But as for a marathon, you don’t start with the race, you need to get a lot done before that. Training and technique are keys. The elevator pitch is a summary of a summary of a summary, a distilled version of the 45 pages document. As the process goes, you need to cut the crap without cutting the essential.

And like any other process, it can be made better by the use of the right method. A lot has been written on the subject, and many “best ways” exist. Still, they all have the same core message: Telling why your idea can be a successful venture. It’s not about explaining your awesome logistic chain or the science behind your new technology. It’s about seeing a problem, offering a solution and a way to make money out of the situation.

Investors want to quickly know that the cash they inject in your organization will lead them to more of it. Your product is like a black box to them, they want to know how this box interact with the market a lot more than what’s in it. Learning about the product will come in its time, when the possibility for grow and success seem worthy.