introductory session for community entrepreneurs and projects who will be pitching for support at the first Calderdale Bootstrap (being staged in Hebden Bridge, May 2017)

1. So you want to make a pitch?
www.adrianashton.co.uk

2. Coming up…
• reasons for pitching (i.e. knowing what you want to get from it helps
inform how you approach it)
• common mistakes/bad practice (things to avoid that will otherwise
annoy and distract)
• what the research tells us about how not to pitch (how other people
get it right/wrong)
• …and what your peers really think of how you currently do it!

3. Some (hopefully) reassuring words about me
• Named as one of the UK’s top10 business advisors
• Part of loan and grant panels
• Support university students prepare to pitch to business angel
networks
• Commissioned to train other business advisors in the sector
• …anything else you’d like to know?

4. Most people’s experiences/ideas about
pitching?

5. So – why are you wanting to pitch?

6. Pitching isn’t just about getting the cash
• Raise profile
• Find collaborators and supporters
• Validate your ideas
• Generate introductions and widen networks
• ..?
So make sure your ‘ask’ is reflected in what you include in your pitch

7. So how good are you at doing it now?
60 seconds to pitch on making your dream holiday happen
the ‘panel’ (everyone else in room) will anonymously offer no more
than 1 thing they liked/didn’t like – I’ll offer mine publicly…

8. So what do we know about how not to do it?
• Timing (too long)
• Images (not enough)
• Stories (not relevant/too long/not included)
• Detail (too much)
• You! (not explaining why you’re excited about this/are a safe pair of hands
to be doing it)
• The audience not knowing what you actually need from them…
• Your pitch is like the opening tease to your favourite tv shows – you’re
only trying to get people to want to invest more time in following up with
you (hopefully over a drink...)

11. The secret to doing a good pitch is like
everything else in this life –
keep doing it, keep making mistakes and
learning from them,
but keep putting yourself out there