Pitching at a competition instead of in the meeting room with an investor can feel a little artificial, and feel like you have a checklist to go through. But that shouldn’t take anything away from your pitch – it’s good to think of it like any other pitch. To get in the right mindset before a competition, you can read through this article. We think it’ll help.
There are some things to consider when you’re preparing for the pitching contest. Some of them apply to all pitches, and some are more relevant in a competition context, but these things will help you be prepared in a good way.
Judges are people too
Remember that judges are human beings with feelings. Feelings you can use to make a good impression. Remember that the judges are going to view a lot of presentations in short order, and they all probably have some business model that generates profit – as do you.
Find a way to tap into the feelings of the judges to make your pitch stick in their minds. Feelings are great for remembering things! A good way of doing this is by telling a story to create something the judges easily can relate to.
Plausible business
Within a pitching contest a key parameter is often, whether the business that is being pitched, is viable or not. In this regard pitching at a contest differs slightly from pitching to an investor, because more emphasis is being placed on, when the investor can ‘cash out’ in the meeting room, than on the stage of a competition.
The competition is more focused on the big picture and also the performance – another part with a slight difference. Where the investor is more willing to look through the performance of the pitch, as long as all the numbers add up to his/her liking, the pitch judges will look more at, how the pitch itself is delivered, as well as how well rounded the business seems to be.
Get ready for feedback
One of the aims of joining a pitching contest should be getting feedback, as well as winning the damn thing of course. Going into the contest with the knowledge that you will be getting feedback on your presentation and your idea, can be of great benefit.
Make sure you are ready to receive the feedback in order to get the most out of it. A second pair of eyes (or third or fourth or how many pairs you’ve had looking) can be of great benefit to your business or product, and the judges at these things are as good as they come!
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