One of the greatest challenges all entrepreneurs face is the elevator pitch. Mastering this art means you’re able to successfully sell yourself in a way that’s memorable. This is exactly what Ilias Benjelloun, Senior Innovation Strategist at Desjardins Lab, and Jean-François Bonnes, Leader of the Coopérathon team, proposed during their workshop-conference held as part of a training activity presented by Réseau Mentorat.
Say you bump into a potential client, investor or partner. Would you be able to summarize, in 60 seconds, what you do, what sets you apart and what you aspire to? How can you convince them, in a few impactful sentences, that your project is the best? Here are a few practical steps to help you out.
The crux of the message
The perfect presentation must address the 4 main aspects of your message: the need to be met, the proposed offer, the benefits to be derived and the sustainability of the project.
“Above all, you have to be memorable,” insists Ilias Benjelloun. “You have to embody your story to stand out and leave an impression. The pitch is the tip of the iceberg. There’s definitely a lot more to say about your project, but you have to be able to get to the point and, most importantly, avoid confusing the other person.”
The 4 Cs approach
Once this message is clearly defined, it must be applied using a tried and tested approach known as the 4 Cs: connection, communication, comprehension and credibility. “It’s important to connect emotionally with your audience, to clearly communicate your message, to demonstrate a good comprehension of the problem and to project credibility,” explains Jean-François Bonnes.
A good presentation is… just the facts!
According to our pitch experts, a key thing to keep in mind is that stories must captivate, unite and motivate listeners. Here are a few simple tips:
- Jump right in with an attention-grabbing fact. Find a way to engage the person in a polite and friendly manner by introducing a common denominator related to your project.
- Add context by tying the conversation to the current situation.
- Present what needs to be done to respond to the existing situation and show your desire to bring about change.
- Bring the story to life in a logical, fluid progression.
- Be memorable.
“Try to combine heart and mind,” says Mr. Bonnes. “Your approach should not only reinforce your key messages, it should also reflect you. It’s your personal signature. Keep in mind that you are the orchestrator of your story, so stay in control of your messages. Keep an eye out for reactions and listen for feedback, but don’t get distracted.”
Don’t overlook the last slide. It’s the one that stays on screen the longest. And don’t end with a simple thank you. Take the time to really think about it. It’s an opportunity to include a call to action or a question that opens the door to a potential business relationship. The idea behind this content structure is not to follow these steps to the letter. Each project is unique; you have to adapt the ingredients to your situation, while always starting strong and finishing strong.
Bring your A game!
Well done! You hit the bull’s-eye with your elevator pitch, and now you have an appointment to give a more comprehensive presentation. To support the “perfecting your pitch” approach, Ilias Benjelloun and Jean-François Bonnes propose a 10-point content structure for a PowerPoint presentation of no more than 10 slides.
- First, state the title of your presentation and introduce yourself.
- Identify the problem or opportunity.
- Communicate your value proposition and explain how your project will solve the problem or help achieve a business objective.
- Highlight the uniqueness of the project, in other words, what sets it apart or makes it a distinctive asset.
- Explain your business model.
- Outline your marketing strategy.
- Identify the competition and your positioning relative to it.
- Showcase the strength of the team supporting this project, framing it as added value.
- Present your financial projections and key information. Leave them wanting to invest or learn more.
- Demonstrate your planning as well as your mastery of the project.
Don’t overlook the last slide. It’s the one that stays on screen the longest. And don’t end with a simple thank you. Take the time to really think about it. It’s an opportunity to include a call to action or a question that opens the door to a potential business relationship. The idea behind this content structure is not to follow these steps to the letter. Each project is unique; you have to adapt the ingredients to your situation, while always starting strong and finishing strong.
Practise, practise, practise
Our advisors can’t stress this enough: you must practise your presentation. “Rehearse your speech a hundred times if necessary. You have to develop a level of comfort and fluidity in your presentation so you can stay in control. That’s the only way to make a lasting impression. And be ready to answer questions with confidence to establish your credibility.”
Lastly, while know-how is certainly important, don’t forget about soft skills. Make sure your clothes are neat and that you feel good in them, project positive energy, use good posture and do your best to manage the various aspects of your non-verbal communication.
You’ve got everything you need to succeed!