BizBahrain Magazine Sep-Oct 2017

Specialist | Public Speaking
Perfecting
Your Pitch!
by Mohamed Isa
So, you came up with most innovative
business idea that will take the
markets by a storm. Once you execute
it successfully, it will rain dollars and
dinars in your bank accounts. Your
dreams of owning a mansion, a red
Ferrari and going on a cruise for 90 days
in the Caribbean will all be a reality.
But before you get more excited, do you
have the required funds to launch your
business? Chances are, you don’t!
Funding could be your biggest
challenge. And pitching to potential
investors is inevitable. Pitching could
be a daunting task if you do not follow a
proven process to persuade the investors
to believe in you first and then in your
brilliant idea. Based on my business
experience and research, I recommend
that you consider the following elements
in preparing your speech/pitch using the
PITCH acronym:
P Passion. Passion is contagious.
Show the potential investors how
passionate you are when it comes to
your business idea. You must smile
to show your passion. Let your eyes
sparkle. Use your most effective weapon
in your arsenal to show them your
passion: Your voice. Convey your energy,
excitement and confidence using your
voice. Show them that you truly believe
in the potential of your idea.
I Inside-out. Show the potential
investors that you thought inside-out
about your business idea not only
in terms of the standard Strength-
Weaknesses-Opportunities & Threats
Analysis (SWOT) Model but also Key
Differentiators and Key Success Factors.
Show them how you will manage the
customer experience from acquisition
to retention. And show them exactly
how you will manage potential risks
associated with the business. In essence,
show them you did your homework.
How about creating a FAQ sheet you can
hand out after your pitch is finished?
Remember, be different or be forgotten!
T Timing. You must have variations of
your pitch. Some potential investors may
only give you few minutes to evaluate
the merit of your idea while others may
give you more than that. Practice each
variation so that you become ready all
the time to match the available time
of potential investors. Now, can you
convince me to invest in 60 seconds? 90
seconds? Or in 3 minutes?
C Cash. Be clear on how much cash
do you need to start your business, how
the cash will be allocated in the different
stages of the business and on what
activities. And most importantly, when
it is likely that the investors will be paid
back in terms of dividends and potential
sale of their investment. Communicate
all of this clearly and succinctly.
H Honey. Show them the honey and
they will show you the money! What
happens when you take some honey
from a jar? Some honey is bound to stick
to the spoon. Your closing remarks in
your pitch should be sticky like honey.
You should end your pitch with why
your investment opportunity is too good
to be missed? Think hard and long about
your closing. It is your last chance to
convince potential investors to invest in
your startup. End with a call to action.
And the action is very clear: Getting
their commitment.
Perfecting your pitch requires
diligence and hard work. One time, I
wore the hat of an investor to evaluate
a pitch for an internet startup. After
two hours of watching and listening,
I reshuffled the slides, added more
diagrams and pictures, I changed the
introduction and the closing of the pitch.
And most of all, I injected more passion
into the pitch because the presenter
forgot about that completely. The
presenter was frustrated with my many
changes. You should not be like him. It
takes time and hard work. Perfecting
your pitch is an iterative process.
Take the time to study the
personality of your potential investors
and their investment preferences &
portfolio, craft & re-craft your pitch until
you feel right about it. Rehearse it with
your friends and your mentors. Practice
makes progress. And remember, if you
do not sound great, your idea will never
sound great. All the best in perfecting
your pitch!
Mohamed Isa is an
Executive Speech
Coach & a Bestselling
Author. Reach him at
mohamed@3dspeaking.com
52 September-October 2017