Tips for Pitching Entrepreneurs in 2 Minutes

by Startacus Admin

Your moment has come… it’s pitching time!
Here’s two minutes worth of tips to help maximise your chances of success.
Nerves won’t help you now- They serve no purpose at all, and could actually ruin your chances success, so you must get them under control. Many an entrepreneur has been reduced to a jittering wreck by a pitching opportunity that was foiled by unnecessary nerves.
Project your voice in a way that is appropriate for the space, not too loud, and not too soft; if it is a particularly large room, or very crowded, ask if you can be heard OK before continuing- the last thing you want is some no-it-all interrupting to tell you to speak up. Identify anything which is likely to be a distraction during your pitch, such as a door opening, or noise from outside; this will help make sure you aren’t taken unawares and thrown off track.
Adapt your motions to your audience, utilising broader, more sweeping motions for large groups, and more conservative movements for smaller ones. Whatever you do, don’t put your hands behind your back, this is an indication that you’re hiding something, and will be subconsciously picked up on by your audience.
Pace purposefully- Be very aware of the space available to you; this is your space, to do with as you please, so don’t be afraid to make use of it. Pacing calmly and purposefully will exude an air of confidence, openness, and knowledgeability, all qualities which will be well received by your audience.
Don’t try to read their faces- In our experience, the expression on people’s faces when listening to a pitching entrepreneur are rarely a good indication of their actual feelings; they may be frowning because they’re concentrating intently, or they might be smiling because they find your pitch ridiculous. Either way, you won’t be any better off by trying to decipher their thoughts.
Be aware of your posture- Firstly, ground yourself; anchor your feet to the floor and only move them if you have a reason to do so, for example, to move around the stage for emphasis and engagement. Open up your chest, this will help you to stand tall and proud, but it will also increase the volume of your chest and promote deeper more effective breathing. Our expert friends at Metaspeech told us to pretend that we had an antenna atop our heads, which needs to be as high as possible to receive a signal; this will help prevent slouching, and all the negative effects which come with it.
What to do if you start to lose it- It makes for compelling TV on The Apprentice, but it’s not so nice when YOU are the train crash that no one can take their eyes off. If you find yourself faltering, and know you are going down fast, there are a number of things you can do that will help get you back on track.
-
DO NOT PANIC; it will only make things worse
-
Pause and calmly refer to your notes, take a sip of water
-
Ask the audience an engaging question, which requires some participation such as a show of hands
-
Paraphrase / recap, what you have covered so far, this will buy you a little time to get your thoughts together.
Good luck!
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you would like to receive our startup themed newsletter, full of the latest startup opportunities, events, news, stories, tips and advice, then sign up here.
Planning to launch a fashion brand this year? Here are a few basic tips that will help you do just that and get your business off to the right start

Bippit is an online platform and app that helps companies to support the financial needs of their employees - not just via their salary

2021 may be a challenging time to start a business, but these tips should help you get it right...

Startacus and Hatch Enterprise celebrate International Women’s Day by partnering with NetMinds to bring together female founders for a virtual speed networking event

Keeping customers engaged is vital for any small business - these basic tips will help you do just that

Alchemy Technology Services, the Derry-based centre of excellence for insurance software implementation receives recognition for its commitment to diversity

For the first time ever, the Postcode Lotteries Green Challenge has both a British winner and runner up in the form of innovative startups SoluBlue and Jiva Materials

The innovative Italian company that has created Handshield, a hand protection wrap to protect users from bacteria and viruses

If you’re thinking about starting an ecommerce business, these tips will help you do just that...

The lowdown on Pentaform, the London-based startup that has created an easy-to-use and eco-friendly personal computer that is globally accessible
Published on: 17th November 2016
If you would like to enable commenting via your Startacus account, please enable Disqus functionality in your Account Settings.







- Startacus and Hatch Enterprise offer speed networking IWD-inspired event 24th Feb 2021 Startacus and Hatch Enterprise celebrate International Women’s Day by partnering with NetMinds to bring together female founders for a virtual speed networking event
- Alchemy Technology Services receives Bronze Diversity Mark NI Award 23rd Feb 2021 Alchemy Technology Services, the Derry-based centre of excellence for insurance software implementation receives recognition for its commitment to diversity
- Groundbreaking British inventions win global sustainability prize 23rd Feb 2021 For the first time ever, the Postcode Lotteries Green Challenge has both a British winner and runner up in the form of innovative startups SoluBlue and Jiva Materials
- Wombat lands £2m investment as appetite for thematic, fractional trading grows 9th Feb 2021 The innovative investment platform Wombat secures major funding to help with further development and to expand the shares and investments on offer