Pitch Like a Boss!

1. Pitch Like A Boss
European Innovation
Academy
July 2016
www.pitchcoach.ie
Catherine Moonan

2. Interview with George Zachary, VC with Charles River Ventures (CRV)
in Menlo Park, California. CRV manage a fund of approximately $1.4
billion.
Any Pitch tips?
‘The focus should be on the founder and their story
about the company and products, not special effects in
the presentation software.’

3. Interview with Orla Rimmington is a Partner with
Kernel Capital, a venture capital firm with offices in
Cork, Dublin and Belfast in Ireland.
How important is the start-up story?
For Kernel Capital the story of how the promoters got to be where
they are is incredibly important. An unconvincing story leaves
credibility gaps, and can make or break an investor pitch. A start-
up with no story to tell often lacks purpose and direction.
Entrepreneurs should never underestimate the importance of the
story that lies behind their idea. Often overlooked as irrelevant,
the founding story can really captivate investors, employees and
customers, and encapsulates the true ‘essence’ of the company.

4. Interview with Eamonn Quinn, Investment Analyst
and Chairman at Kelsius in Ireland (also a ‘Dragon’
on ‘Dragons’ Den’).
• Pitching is about two things - the pitcher and the pitch.
Does the pitcher really believe the story and do they have
the experience to back it up? They will have to inspire
other people to come along the journey with them. Initially
the pitch should be delivered without any props like you
met someone for coffee or in a pub. After that then a few
props or a demo can certainly add weight or make the
idea really come alive.

5. • So practice your elevator pitch. Really figure out a way to
explain what the idea is quickly and then use the rest of
the time explaining why you think it will work.
• In my experience all financials look identical in terms of
sales and growth, but you must have them and at least
know the costs, margins and the competitive set in the
market place.

6. Friday Agenda
• 10h00-10h10 Welcome & Day Overview
• 10h20-12h00 Pitching Carousel Round 1 (each team meets
2 investors in FRA/ 3 investors in ITA)
• Lunch
• 13h30-15h00 Pitching Carousel Round 2 (each team meets
1 investor in FRA/ 2 investors in ITA)
• Carousel format: 2 + 2 + 2 min (2 min pitch
+ 2 min questions from investor to team + 2
min questions from team to investor)

7. Assessment Criteria
• - Opportunity (proof of problem/solution fit)
• - Traction (proof of product/market fit)
• - Scalability (proof of business model fit)
• - Team & execution
• - Presentation

8. Investor Pitch Deck Outline (2 minutes)
–
(ChrisBurry, US Market Access Centre)
1. Cover slide with "the big idea" (0 seconds - is just shown
before the team starts speaking).
2. Customer and Problem (30 seconds)
3. Solution with a focus on why the solution is different /
compelling (30 seconds)
4. Market (20 seconds)
5. Team (20 seconds)
6. Ask (20 seconds)

9. WHERE TO START?

10. AUDIENCE

11. • Who are they?
• What’s in it for them? Why
should they care?
• How can you emotionally
connect with them?
AUDIENCE/
PANEL

12. The Audience/Panel
• Your audience has a limited
attention span
• You need to work at engaging
your audience
• Leave your audience wanting
more

13. Remember …
• The panel are investing in you and your team as well as
your product
• The panel want to get a sense of you and your team as
people
• A great team can fix a weak product but a product can’t fix
a weak team

14. CONTENT

15. • Wow opening
• Three to Five main points with a
logical flow and a smooth
transition in between (E.g.
Problem, Solution, Market, Team,
Financials)
• Summarize, bring your story full
CREATE A STORY

16. DELIVERY

17. DELIVERY
7% -
WORDS
38% - TONE OF VOICE
55% - BODY LANGUAGE
Dr. Albert Mehrabian,
UCLA California

18. International Audience?
• Speak clearly
• Speak slowly
• Be careful with metaphors
• Know the meanings of words outside your native
language
• Avoid slang, jargon and idiomatic expressions
• Be mindful of body language, eye contact and personal
space

19. Handling Questions
• Answer the question
• Admit ignorance and promise to find out answer
• Defer it to deal with privately afterwards
• Refer it to an expert colleague if with you
• Throw it back to the person who asked it
• Throw it back to another member of the audience

20. • Focus on getting your message across to the
audience
• Rehearse
• Focus on the first few sentences
• Visualisation
• Breathing meditation
• Positive affirmations
• Be your professional self!
TECHNIQUES TO MANAGE
NERVES

22. Pitch Like A Boss
European Innovation
Academy
July 2016
www.pitchcoach.ie
Catherine Moonan