On Wednesday, April 27th, we hosted #StartupChats to talk about why pitching and selling who you are and what you do is so important, and not only in a pitch competition environment.
An incredible panel of experts joined us to share their knowledge and provide valuable advice throughout the hour:
- Nadia Ladak, Founder, Marlow
- Naina Kansal, Entrepreneurs Success Manager, Startup Canada
- Nunzio Presta, Entrepreneur, BuyAndSellABusiness.com
- Bobbie Racette, Founder and CEO, Virtual Gurus
- Marissa Bronfman, Impact Investor
What does a pitch deck accomplish?
Pitch decks help you tell a full and consistent story with all the elements investors need: your KPIs, tam (total addressable market), financial goals, revenue model, etc. Think, storytelling with a twist.
— Bobbie Racette (@Bobbie_Racette) April 27, 2022
A1. To summarize the opportunity a business presents to prospects and potential investors #StartupChats
— LYNDON [THINK DIFFERENTLY] JOHNSON (@THINK_Lyndon) April 27, 2022
A1: To pitch ideas or products – whether it’s for investors, partners or customers. It’s an important document because it can simplify complicated conversations so the audience can quickly align to make an informed decision. #StartupChats
— BuyAndSellABusiness.com (@buyandsellabiz) April 27, 2022
When building your pitch deck, what assets matter?
A2 Some things you might need are a business vision & positioning, competitive scan & macroeconomic insights for your business, customer research, tracking metrics, related costs of doing business, & a strategic roadmap of where & how you might scale. #StartupChats
— Mastercard Canada (@MastercardCA) April 27, 2022
Make sure to nail the key elements of the pitch: your problem, solution, market landscape, GTM strategy, and team. Also calculate financial projections for the next 12-18 months, how much funding you’ll need, and what milestones that funding will help you achieve #StartupChats
— Nadia Ladak (@nadialadak) April 27, 2022
Write it out – your story, what problem you solve, kpis, metrics, projected financials. Most importantly, what is your ask to investors? You have to think about it ahead of time and make the ask clear. I do my due diligence on every investor before I approach them.
— Bobbie Racette (@Bobbie_Racette) April 27, 2022
It’s not always a formal pitch as entrepreneurs, you pitch your business everyday.
A8: I think the best thing to do is not overthink it. People want to talk to humans, not robots. Understand what your high level “metrics and sound bites” are, but be agile in the conversation to understand how you can add as much value to the other person. #StartupChats
— BuyAndSellABusiness.com (@buyandsellabiz) April 27, 2022
A8 Keep near you talking points relevant to different audiences. You won’t be caught off-guard if an opportunity to pitch presents itself. Ask questions. You never know when investors or customers will reveal insights that can help you improve your offering. #StartupChats
— Mastercard Canada (@MastercardCA) April 27, 2022
A8. Your energy and passion will communicate better than your words. Remember, investors invest in founders more than their ideas. Be authentic, confident and prepared! #StartupChats
— Naina Kansal (@kansal_naina12) April 27, 2022
Want to continue learning? Check out the entire conversation and be sure to join us for our next #StartupChats event, register now!