Some entrepreneurs hand out flyers before their pitch. The idea is, that people will remember your company (and your pitch) better. Although there is a lot to say for that, there is a better way.

I strongly recommend you to wait with handing out flyers until after your pitch. If your audience is in possession of your flyers during your pitch, they will serve as a distraction. Instead of listening to your pitch, your audience will be switching focus to your flyer.

Want to know more about the perfect pitch? Make sure to check out the Ultimate Pitch Guide.

Many pitch competitions set strict time limits to the pitchers. This makes sense, as you don’t want to be there the entire night. But other than just practical reasons, your pitch should never be (too) long. A good pitch should be done in less than 3 minutes. This way you can tell enough about your company, but at the same time it’s not too much to bore your audience.

So how can you stick to the time limits in a pitch?

It’s actually pretty simple. You just got to practice a lot. When I say a lot, I mean a LOT.  I always force the entrepreneurs I coach to practice their pitch at least 50 times. However, practicing your pitch 200 times will definitely not hurt your pitch.

When you practice your pitch, you should time it with a stopwatch or your phone. Check if you’re able to keep it within the time limits (without rushing). If you feel your text is too long, skip a few sentences. It’s better to have your text a little bit too short, compared to a little bit too long.

Want to know more about the perfect pitch? Make sure to check out the Ultimate Pitch Guide.

When you’re at a pitch event, there are usually more pitchers than just you. A typical pitch event has dozens of pitchers who’re pitching their company, so you really need to stand out.

If you have the ability to pick whether you will be pitching early or late in the evening, I always recommend you to go late. Although it might be tempting to be the last one to pitch (to get it over with), it’s usually the last pitch which gets remembered best. If it’s not possible to be the last pitcher, then I advise you to be the first one.

If you’re not able to pick the first/last spot, don’t worry. Make sure you have a great pitch and you’ll be just fine! Check out the Ultimate Pitch Guide.

Many pitchers make the mistake of starting by introducing themselves in their pitch.

Earn the right to be remembered

It might feel natural to start of a pitch by telling who you are, but it’s actually not a smart strategy. If you want people to remember who you are, you first have to earn the right to be remembered.

If the first few sentences of your pitch really grab the attention of the audience, they will want to listen to you. They want to know what else you have got to say. Even better, they want to know who you are.

According to the perfect pitch structure:

1. The opening
2. The problem
3. The solution
4. The market
5. The team
6. Call to action

I usually introduce myself after I pitched the solution. Since you just presented a brilliant solution, you definitely earned the right to be remembered.

An example:

The opening: 99% of the entrepreneurs are terrible at pitching their company

The problem: Many entrepreneurs aren’t able to raise funding for their startup. Because of this, 90% of the startups don’t survive the first 5 years.

The solution: The Ultimate Pitch Guide helps entrepreneurs all over the world to design the perfect investor pitch.

Now it’s time to introduce myself: ‘My name is Ralph, I’m the founder of PitchSkills’.

Do you want to know more about the perfect pitch? Check out the Ultimate Pitch Guide.

Pitching with a microphone might sound weird the first few times. You think it changes your voice. That’s because you don’t hear your voice directly, but through a speaker. The same goes for when you listen to yourself on a video or soundbite.

So does a microphone change your voice in a pitch?

No.

However, because it does sound weird the first few times, I recommend you to practice with a microphone if possible.

Do you want to know more about the perfect pitch? Check out the Ultimate Pitch Guide.

Pitching with a microphone can be scary if you’re not used to it. It makes your voice a lot louder and creates the feeling it isn’t your voice.

If you’re not experienced with talking through a microphone, I advise you to practice with it if possible. Ask the organizers of the pitch event if it’s possible to come a bit earlier and practice with the microphone. Generally, they appreciate your eagerness!

There are a few things to keep in mind when you use a microphone in your pitch:

1. Don’t walk before the boxes

This could potentially create an annoying sound. Try to stay at least a few steps away of any sound installations.

2. Keep an arms-length distance from the microphone

This is the perfect distance, as it creates enough of a volume, but doesn’t pick up your breathing sounds.

3. Don’t cough into the microphone

Whenever you feel the urge to cough, try to move away from the microphone. It’s an annoying sound for your audience.

Do you want to know more about the perfect pitch? Check out the Ultimate Pitch Guide.

Usually the event organizers make sure to put the chairs in the room. However, it could be that you’re pitching at an event you organized yourself. If that’s the case, you have to think about the organization of the room and its chairs.

There are a few things which are important when you put the chairs for a pitch:

1. Make sure everybody has enough space for his or her legs
2. Make sure everybody can see who is on stage. Even the people in the back of the room.
3. Make sure everybody is able to see the screen. Project some example slides and see if there is enough light in the room.

Do you want to know more about the perfect pitch? Check out the Ultimate Pitch Guide.

At the day of your pitch, be sure to clear the rest of your schedule. Every form of distraction has a negative impact on your pitch.

When you go to the location of your pitch, be sure to arrive in time. I always advise the entrepreneurs I coach to arrive one hour early. This way you have time to get used to the environment and to mentally rehearse your pitch a few more times.

Whenever you arrive at the location of your pitch, try to enter the room where you will be pitching early. By getting used to the environment you will feel more calm during your pitch. Spend at least 30 minutes in this room and make this room yours.

Try to walk up on stage and position yourself in the middle of it. Ask a friend (or a stranger) if he can see you from the back of the room. If that’s the case, you’re good to go.

Do you want to know more about the perfect pitch? Check out the Ultimate Pitch Guide.

The Q&A is an important aspect of your pitch, as this generally lasts longer than the actual pitch. The Q&A gives you more time to elaborate on aspects you want to talk about.

This is how to prepare for the Q&A in a pitch:

1. Take a new text document and write down all possible questions you can think of
2. Demonstrate your pitch to a few friends or colleagues and have them write down some questions as well.
3. Take a new text document and write down a few topics which are really positive about your idea of company. Things you want to talk about. Your unique selling points.
4. Write down why your unique selling points are great and how they will benefit the audience
5. Go back to the list of possible questions and prepare an answer for each one of them.
6. For every question, use one or more focus points and blend them in.
7. Study your Q&A and make sure you have a positive answer for everything

Practice the questions and answers with a friend or colleague and leverage the time you get to convince your audience even more.

Do you want to know more about the perfect pitch? Check out the Ultimate Pitch Guide.

The question: ‘what should I wear with a pitch?’ is a common asked question. At the same time, if your pitch is great, your outfit becomes less relevant.

However, there are some rules when it comes to what you should wear with a pitch. The best advice I can give you, is to wear something business casual. For men this means a shirt with a blazer, for women this could be nice dress.

I always advise the entrepreneurs I coach to research their audience. Are there lots of business men? Then it’s a good idea to dress more formal and go for the suit. If your pitching to high school students, it’s enough to just wear a nice shirt.

Do you want to know more about the perfect pitch? Check out the Ultimate Pitch Guide.