This document provides guidance on creating an effective elevator pitch and presentation slide deck to pitch an idea or business. It recommends that an elevator pitch be 30 seconds and follow a formula of stating the product name, definition, target customer, and job/value. Tips are given to avoid jargon and use comparisons. An ideal presentation structure is outlined covering introducing the presenter and team, problem/opportunity, advantages, product demo, marketing, competition, business model, forecast, status, and contact information. Storytelling, competence, confidence, emotion, and belief are emphasized.

1. How and what to pitch?
Elevator pitch & Slide deck
Aleksandar Tasev
27.11.2013

2. Elevator pitch
~30 Seconds
● Make a first impression
● Sell
● Open doors
Be prepared for opportunities: know your work,
know what you want/offer.

3. Elevator pitch formula
[Product name]
is a [Definition]
for [Target customer]
that [What job it does].
Unlike [Competing or legacy alternative],
our product [has Competitive advantage].
Google is a keyword search engine, for all Internet users, that finds the most
relevant results.
Unlike Yahoo and Bing, it has the best Page Rank algorithm and smart auto-
complete results.

4. Tips
Avoid internal corporate jargon:
“My company provides integrated solutions to clients world-wide.”
Use examples - comparisons
“Facebook for teenagers”

5. Pitching presentation - goals:
Establish competence and trust
Attractive market
Competitive advantage
Eliminate risks (validation)
Profitable business model and forecast
Reasonable investment ask
In summary: Establish a compelling belief
(knowing) in your vision!

6. Ideal presentation structure
1. Presenter general data
2. Overview
3. Team
4. Problem or Opportunity
5. Unfair advantages
6. Product Demo
7. Sales & Marketing
8. Competition
9. Business model
10. Forecast
11. Status & Milestones
12. Sign off

7. A smooth introduction:
Logo
Name
Perhaps a tagline
1. Basic data

8. Create excitement
Communicate the elevator pitch!
Win the attention of the audience until the end.
2. Overview of what you are

9. 3. Team
Establish credibility of the team:
Images titles and experiences of the members
Create a bridge towards the personal story…
How and why you came up with the idea
Why are you the best team to implement it!!!

10. 4. Problem - Opportunity
Continue the story, from the team into problem
& market
Establish a clear need or pain in the market
Market size
Customer profile

11. 5. Unfair advantages
State your market advantages
How you fight competition or replacements
IP protection
Strategic partners

12. 6. Product Demo
Don’t do live. Murphy’s law.
Use screenshots, diagrams, use cases.
Show not-implemented features.
Don’t show long videos.

13. 7. Sales
Go to market strategy
Distribution channels
Capability, expertise
Status, traction?

14. 8. Competition
Competition is good!
Demonstrate:
● competence by knowing competition
● you have it under control
Avoid saying “we are the only one”
● shows incompetence
● shows lack of market, + risk

15. 9. Business model
Pricing
Highlight strengths in your model: suppliers,
partners, customer segments
Key metrics: customer acquisition cost(CAC),
customer lifetime value(CLV), monthly recurring
revenue (MRR)...

16. 10. Financial forecast
Show 3-5 years forecast, based on rock-solid
assumptions from a detailed model.
Show profitability margin, IRR, payback period.
Make the investment ask.
How will you spend the money?

17. 11. Status
Milestones:
● Customer development
● Launch
● Traction
● Revenue
● Break even

18. 12. Sign off
Product logo, tag-line, short elevator pitch
(repeat)
Contact info:
● twitter
● email
During Q&A, this slide will be visible for 5-10
minutes. Use it.

19. Extra tips
Story
● Weave a story throughout, that you and audience can identify with.
Content
● Beautiful design, images, minimum text to support the story
Bottom up thorough competence
● Have all your numbers and complete vision.
Swagger, confidence
● Confident voice and non-verbal. Believe what you say. Energetic
Emotion
● Don’t be stiff, be sincere, witty, passionate.

20. Be amazing and undeniable
Impress,
Tell a story,
Engage,
Get trust,
Show validation,
Present Vision,
Show firm belief.
Know the result.
Key: The strongest belief always becomes reality!
Persuade by truly believing(knowing). First persuade
yourself!!!