I give this training at Kennispark Twente to help startups and entrepreneurs build their story and practice their story. It helps them prepare a concise message for their goal and gives advice on how to deliver that message effectively. www.janinkafeenstra.com

1. Preparing your elevator pitch
Janinka Feenstra

2. Inhoudsopgave 2
Content
• 15.30 – 16.00 Theory and intro
• 16.00 – 16.15 Preparing your pitch
• 16.15 – 17.15 Practice and feedback
• 17.15 – 17.30 Wrap up
• 17.30 Drinks!

3. Inhoudsopgave 3
I am….

4. Inhoudsopgave 4
Purpose of an elevator pitch…..?

5. Inhoudsopgave 5
The purpose of an elevator
pitch…..?

6. Inhoudsopgave 6
We’ve all pitched before: it’s nothing new
• Situations for an elevator pitch:
– Birthday parties
– Job interviews
– Networking events where you meet potential customers,
partners and investors
• The key to success:
– Be prepared and level with your audience
– Use the building blocks relevant for that specific situation
– It’s not about closing the deal, it’s about starting the
conversation!

7. Inhoudsopgave 7
Preparation
1. Audience Analysis
2. Your message
3. Delivering your message
4. Practice, practice, practice
5. And evaluate….

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Preparation: Audience Analysis
Think about:
• Who is your listener / audience?
• What is their expectation?
• Their level of expertise?
• Why are they interested? What are they interested in?
• Diverse audience?
• What do you need from them?
• What should they remember?

9. Inhoudsopgave 9
Your message: building blocks
• Introduction
– Get our attention!
– Your name and your company name
– What are you looking for / what do you want from your listener?
• Which problem are you solving for whom?
• Your solution: product or service?
• What’s your competitve advantage?
• Business model
• Team
• Competition
• Marketing/sales/distribution
• Status and timeline
• Summarize and call to action

10. Inhoudsopgave 10
Your message: the introduction
• Getting attention
• How?
• A story for an emotional connection
• Statistics
• Humor
• Ask your audience a question
• Reference to a previous speaker
• Dress to impress
• Make sure it relates to the message you want get across and
doesn’t make your audience feel uncomfortable
• Introduction
– Get our attention!
– Your name and your company name
– What are you looking for / what do you want from
your listener?
• Which problem are you solving for whom?
• Your solution: product or service?
• What’s your competitve advantage?
• Business model

11. Inhoudsopgave 11
Your Message:
The Customer Perspective of the Problem
• Who is your customer?
• Your customer’s problem is:
– A pain he wants solved (priority)
– Relevant and important
– He/she wants to pay for it to go away
• How many potential customers are experiencing this
problem?
• Introduction
– Get our attention!
– Your name and your company name
– What are you looking for / what do you want from
your listener?
• Which problem are you solving for whom?
• Your solution: product or service?
• What’s your competitve advantage?
• Business model

12. Inhoudsopgave 12
Your Message:
Your Solution
• What is your product / service
• How it will solve their pain,
• Or help them gain
• But don’t zoom in on the technical details!
• Introduction
– Get our attention!
– Your name and your company name
– What are you looking for / what do you want from
your listener?
• Which problem are you solving for whom?
• Your solution: product or service?
• What’s your competitve advantage?
• Business model

13. Inhoudsopgave 13
Your Message:
Your Unique Selling Points…
• Or Unique Buying
Reasons?
• What’s the difference…..?
• Value proposition: Gain
creator, or pain reliever for
your customer?
• Your solution quantified:
• Saves money
• Increases turnover
• Saves time
• Is more accurate
• …..
• Convince the audience you
have the best solution
– Happy customers
– Case studies
• Introduction
– Get our attention!
– Your name and your company name
– What are you looking for / what do you want from your
listener?
• Which problem are you solving for whom?
• Your solution: product or service?
• What’s your competitve advantage?
• Business model

14. Inhoudsopgave 14
Your Message:
Business Model
• From an investor perspective:
– How will you make money?
– Licensing? Product? Service provider?
– Scalability?
– Relevant partnerships?
• Introduction
– Get our attention!
– Your name and your company name
– What are you looking for / what do you want from your
listener?
• Which problem are you solving for whom?
• Your solution: product or service?
• What’s your competitve advantage?
• Business model

15. Inhoudsopgave 15
Message: Your Team
• Investors invest in a
team, customers buy
from people
• Do you have an
experienced
entrepreneur, an
absolute authority in
the field?
• Team
• Competition
• Marketing/sales/distribution
• Status and timeline

16. Inhoudsopgave 16
Message: The Competition
• Other solutions to the same pain?
• It’s not always who or what you think…
• You always have competition
• Team
• Competition
• Marketing/sales/distribution
• Status and timeline

17. Inhoudsopgave 17
Message: Marketing/Sales/Distribution
• Ideas on how will you bring your product to the
market? Webshop? Retailers?
• Status and timeline:
• Is it an idea or a running business?
• How far along are you?
• Milestones
• Team
• Competition
• Marketing/sales/distribution
• Status and timeline

18. Inhoudsopgave 18
Message: Call to action
• Summarize
• Your point / concise message / what you want the
listener to remember.
• For example:
• So if you would like to save 50% on your energy
bill, vote for Solar Solutions World Wide. My name
is XXX. Thank you for your attention.
• Summarize and call to
action

19. Inhoudsopgave 19
Delivery
• Vocal emphasis:
• Emphasize words of signifcance
• Add a pause before a worthy fact
• Delivery pace:
• Variety in pace to break monotony
• Fast through the usual info
• Slow down when the important parts begin

20. Inhoudsopgave 20
Delivery

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And as a final remark….
You won’t be able to tell us everything…..
Make sure we want to start a conversation and ask
you questions!

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Your message: building blocks
• Introduction
– Get our attention!
– Your name and your company name
– What are you looking for / what do you want from your listener?
• Which problem are you solving for whom?
• Your solution: product or service?
• What’s your competitve advantage?
• Business model
• Team
• Competition
• Marketing/sales/distribution
• Status and timeline
• Summarize and call to action

23. Inhoudsopgave 23
Practice
• Giving feedback:
– Describe the behavior of the person pitching and the
effect on you as a listener
– What went very well
– What still needs some work

24. Inhoudsopgave 24
Try this sample
• Our business will deliver ______ to _______. Until now, this
market has been underserved because _________.
• Our business was / will be launched on ____and we will begin
delivering product ______.
• Our business model involves ______ and we expect to reach a
breakeven level in the ___ quarter.
• We have put together a team led by ____ and _____, who have
______. In addition, our Advisory Board includes ______.
• We have raised ___ thusfar and are now seeking _____ to
finance _______.
• We anticipate an exit strategy in year ____ through _____.
• I would like the opportunity to schedule a meeting to discuss
this with you in greater detail.

25. Inhoudsopgave 25
Networking

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Networking
attention - connecting – development –
sharing – ambition – asking – people -
relationships - help – patnerships –
conversations – giving, and receiving

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5 Tips on networking
1. Ask questions and listen. Find points of commonality
that can bring you into the conversation.
2. Sit with people you don’t know. Widen your network.
Ask questions and listen.
3. Move on politely. Don’t spend all your time with one
person. Gather the info you need, exchange business
cards and move on. You can say “I’d like to do some
mixing now. It’s been a pleasure speaking to you.” Or: “I’d
love to hear more about that in the future. Please keep me
updated.”
4. Give to get. Focus on what you can do for others, not
what they can do for you.
5. Follow up. The most important part.

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And then what….?
• An awkward silence occurs after the introduction.
• Ask them to elaborate on a topic, or what business challenge keeps
them awake at night. You can then find common grounds and how you
can help.
• Someone you admire is in the room, but your afraid to start the
conversation.
• Remember: you’re equals. Choose a thought provoking topic to ask them
about: “Your solution to X really helped me in my previous job, but how
would you do that in situation Y?”
• The other person is constantly looking away, screening for other people to
talk to.
• Ask them if you can introduce them to someone. What would you do?
• It’s al about listening, attention to the other person, and building
relevant relationships. Give first. Get later.

29. Inhoudsopgave 29
Your 20 second networking introduction….
• Which word describes you and your work?
• Build your personal pitch around that word.
• My name is Janinka Feenstra. As communications professional I enjoy
helping innovative companies to clarify and tell their stories. I do that by
coaching them, by sharing their news with journalists and my network and
by interviewing them during events.

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Now write your pitch!
• 5/10 minute business pitch
• 20 second nertworking introduction

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Practice
• Giving feedback:
– Describe the behavior of the person pitching and the
effect on you as a listener
– What went very well
– What still needs some work

32. Inhoudsopgave 32
Good Luck Preparing