The power of emotion in pitching: How to make audience feel, not just think

Early-stage founders often worry too much about the look and feel of the pitch document but overlook the story and the appeal of their pitch. At the same time, founders often underrate the emotional appeal of the pitch. We need to get investors' emotional buy-in to your idea—this is particularly true for early-stage companies. Venture building and early-stage investing are both contrarian ways of living life—there are too many unknowns and an extremely high mortality rate. We are talking about an asset class at the highest point of the risk-return matrix.

All of us are constantly trying to persuade others to do what we want them to do. I do not see a difference between “persuasion” and “pitching”; both rely on similar psychological frameworks. We pitch our ideas to others (friends, family, clients, investors, colleagues, etc.) on a daily basis. We pitch an idea, get some feedback, (hopefully) include that feedback in our pitch, and pitch better the next time.

I am always looking for inspirational characters and stories from popular culture (movies, series, books) that can help me perform better in the business space. It is always easier to digest and explain these concepts compared to reading a jargon-filled self-help book. Although, I spend more time reading books than I spend watching OTT content. Recently, I sat down and pondered over examples of a “perfect pitch” that I may have watched on screen. I recalled one of the best pitches from Don Draper in Mad Men Season 13.

YouTube link to the scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq3n2sJ43Hg

Here are a few lessons we can learn from this scene:

1. Emotional Bond with the Product: Draper introduces “nostalgia” very early in his pitch. In a way, he is nudging the audience to delve into their own memories to build a connection with the pitch. Nostalgia can be replaced by a “bridge of familiarity,” “familiar problems,” etc. The idea is to build an emotional bond that transcends statistical analysis and makes the audience lean into your pitch. How do you know if they are leaning in? We can observe the audience’s facial expressions and eyes—let us say they have a “green” light and a “red” light. If you have been in boardrooms or any group setting, you know when you have the “green” light with your audience.

2. Discovery: Discovery is “the goal,” particularly if you are going with a “user benefit” pitch like Draper’s. You must build your argument in a way that the audience naturally reaches the conclusion you want to present. If you look at this scene closely, we know everyone was going to say the word “Carousel” even before Draper said it. You want to pitch in such a way that the audience has the conclusion at the tip of their tongue right before you spell it out. You need to use the right associated examples, keywords, and plan the buildup for a perfect discovery.

3. Personalize the Sales Pitch: A personal touch is a key weapon in your arsenal—you want to use it wisely and make sure that you do not go off track. Draper uses pictures of his family to convey the point of nostalgia. He uses a projector, making it easy to showcase the images without talking about the specific pictures. In fact, he continues with his pitch without mentioning the actual content of his pictures. If you are pitching via PPT, we need to make sure that we time our messages with the content on screen so that the audience remains engaged.

Crafting a pitch that truly resonates goes beyond mere presentation aesthetics. It’s about weaving a compelling narrative that captures emotional engagement, guiding the audience to their own insightful discoveries, and personalizing the experience to maintain their focus. By incorporating lessons from exemplary pitches like Don Draper’s, we can learn to create presentations that not only convey our ideas effectively but also forge deeper connections with our audience. As we continue to refine our pitching strategies, let’s remember that the essence of a great pitch lies in its ability to inspire and engage, turning interest into genuine investment and belief in our vision.