Pitching can be mastered.

After more than 30+ hackathons, here are my top tips for live pitching virtually.

Everyone keeps asking for tips to ace the finals.

Here are my top tips for acing the Final Pitches at Startup Weekend Global.

Let your product/service do the talking.

If you have a demo, please, start with it.

Do not talk for 3 minutes and end the pitch with a video of the demo.

Typically, the video would be choppy, doesn't load or the judges cannot decide whether to look at it or hear you explain.

You want to exude confidence.

Do up a nice demo, get straight to the point and show it to the judges to impress them.

Practice your pitch at least 7 times.

Why 7 times?

It's a special number.

After more than 30+ hackathons, I can safely say, that is the exact number of times I practise my pitch to make it pitch perfect.

The first practice is rough.

Just get through it.

Forget timing and cadence.

Just blurt everything you wish to say out at once.

The 2nd, 3rd and 4th is when you start filling in the gaps, what is missing and removing things that are bad.

You start re-looking at the graphics and remodelling the overall flow.

The 5th is when you practically memorised the pitch, you know exactly where to pause for effect and where to speed up because it is not as important.

The 6th is when you start to make it a masterpiece and perfecting the flow, timing of the clicker, where to accentuate and how your hands will gesticulate for greater effect.

The 7th is usually when you are game on.

This is when you are not only confident, but ready to rock the stage.

Of course this varies with different people, but the general idea is there.

Keep everything really simple.

You deck is like an F1 car in a championship race.

Don't burden it with unnecessary weight.

Keep it light and fast.

If in doubt, remove it.

Don't put in things you have to scratch your head to justify.

If you don't like it, it messes with your confidence.

Remove it.

The pitch need to be perfect, the flow needs to be fluid.

Do not use bombastic words and name-drop for the sake of it.

It makes you look bad.

Really, the judges can tell.

The little things matter.

I know its 2021 and virtual is a norm.

But it goes a long way to deal with the simple things especially when you are pitching live virtually.

Dress up as if you would be going on stage at Shark Tank in front of billionaire investors and a full crowd of 500 people.

It makes you look confident, prepared and that you take things seriously.

Honestly, don't expect the judges to take you seriously if you can't take yourself seriously enough to dress properly.

Make sure you wifi is solid and your video/audio is perfect.

Don't pitch out of a cafe or in the middle of Shibuya street.

Life is hard enough, don't put yourself in a disadvantage even before the pitches begin.

Nothing is more frustrating to the judges, when they cannot hear you or if you keep freezing on screen.

Be enthusiastic and cheerful.

Energy is infectious and it can spread even across the virtual screen.

I am certain these pitching tips will serve you way beyond the finals of Startup Weekend Global.

Be sure to catch the final pitches live on 20 Nov Sat!

Grab your observer tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/startup-weekend-global-2021-tickets-175407487517

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