Social Business Pitch
5 tips to successfully present your social venture or entrepreneurial idea
Pitching a business idea is surely among the most difficult and critical moments for any startupper. The same is true for social entrepreneurs and social business owners too. And that’s because when you pitch your venture/business idea you have only few minutes to impress your audience and no chance for errors. But how to do it right? How to deliver it in the most effective way? In this article, we share 5 tips on how to create a successful social business pitch.
Before we start.. what is a pitch?
Let’s begin with a premise: a “pitch” is not the same as a plain “presentation”. As a matter of fact, when you pitch a business idea you are not simply throwing numbers and giving facts. Instead, you are presenting a business opportunity and calling your audience (i.e. investors, stakeholders, etc.) to take action.
Since it’s more of a persuasive argument, a pitch has to be accurately prepared in order to be effective. Also, it must be tailored based on what you really want to get from the audience. Is it a specific amount of money? A chance for further conversations? Or maybe bringing in new business partners and additional resources? Figuring that out beforehand will guide you setting up your pitch in a proper manner.
Topics your pitch needs to address
As said, a pitch is meant to provide a streamlined, concise, yet informative overview of your project. Since it usually last for only a few minutes (3 to 7 max), there are certain topics that must be covered and addressed in the presentation.
Here are key elements to include:
- Social Problem tackled;
- Target market and size of opportunity;
- Value Proposition and its underlying magic;
- Business Model and Revenue Model ;
- Go-to-Market plan;
- Financial Projections and Key Metrics;
- Roadmap and Milestones;
- Management Team.
At the very end of your pitch deck (namely, the slide deck you’ll be showing and use during your presentation), you can also add additional annexes that might come handy when answering questions coming from the audience.
5 Tips to prepare a successful social business pitch
Now that we understood what a pitch is and what topics it should elaborate on, let’s share few tips on how to make it remarkable.
TIP #1 – Present an engaging story, not just your business model
Sure, listeners and investors need to understand how your social enterprise is meant to solve a social problem and remain financially sustainable. Nevertheless, a plain explanation might not be enough. Instead, make sure your pitch also tells a compelling story. Choosing the right personal story to tell can indeed boost the effectiveness of your presentation and make it resonate.
TIP #2 – Follow the “Less is More” rule
While pitching, you only have few minutes and 10-12 slides at best. So, the “less is more” rule should definitely apply here. Again: the audience doesn’t need to know everything at this stage. Just tell them what really matters, so that they can understand “the heart and soul” of your venture (or idea). Include any crucial piece of information and avoid irrelevant ones.
TIP #3 – Be crystal clear and get to the point fast
Worst thing that can happen? Leaving your audience speechless, with a fuzzy, unclear comprehension on what you just presented. To avoid that, don’t fill in your presentation with acronyms and jargon. Also, don’t over-complicate things: keep it all simple and get to the point quickly. You don’t want potential investors to leave the building with zero understanding of your core proposition and business model.. right?
TIP #4 – Avoid the “so-what?” effect
As seen earlier, “pitch = presentation + CTA (call to action)“. At times, entrepreneurs pay too much attention to crafting a killer presentation that they basically forget about calling listeners to taking action. Thus, make sure that you include a clear, precise and coherent ask and deliver it smoothly and confidently. As a social entrepreneur, your are tackling complex societal problems. So, don’t be shy or afraid to ask!
TIP #5 – Practice. Again, and again.. and again
Finally, remember you only have few minutes to pitch your idea. Because of that, no mistakes are allowed. In order to avoid committing any, invest time practicing it as much as possible beforehand. You might choose to record yourself, pitch in front of a mirror or ask a friend to listen to your presentation. Everything works as long as it’ll make your speech fluid and engaging.
While the list of tips could go on and on, at this link you will find few inspiring examples of social entrepreneurs pitching their social ventures. Learn from the best.. and take notes!
Conclusion
In this article, we discussed what a social business pitch, what to include and how to build an effective one. Hopefully, our tips will come handy next time you’ll prepare to pitch your social entrepreneurial idea!
As always, feel free to reach out if interested in receiving a pitch deck presentation template or further support. We’ll be glad to help you 🙂
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