Pitching is beyond Presenting.

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I’ve sat through thousands of startup pitches – ideas that belonged to various industries, entrepreneurs that hailed from all parts of the world, and even listed to pitches in different languages. They all have the same goal, yet they all face the same challenge –

Getting the audience to connect with them in minutes.

Maybe that’s why the challenge even exists. Because they’re trying to get the audience to connect with them, rather than getting themselves to connect with the audience.

There’s a difference. When you’re trying to bring others minds into your world, they have to shift their thinking, understand your perspective and determine if it relates to themselves. When you’re bringing your idea into the world of your audience – you adapt to who they are, what they have, and where they have been.You use scenarios which they are familiar with, and can attest to. You share examples which they can quickly imagine, because they’ve had similar experiences before. You get them to understand. Because they feel you.

While many startup entrepreneurs look to do that, often times many are unable to. They stay focused on reciting their script. They see the audience’s attention waver. They run out of time. Their pitch didn’t land. Why?

The cause for these scenarios can be plentiful. Yet, sitting through thousands of pitches, I have seen that globally – there are some common traits. I’ve learned that ‘Success leaves clues’ I’ve also seen that ‘Failures leave lessons’

Here are the 3 deadly sins that can turn a pitch into a flop:

Deadly Sin #1: Pitch like a Lecturer

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Educating others is generous. When they’re ready to learn. Are the audience looking to be a student of yours? In all my years of attending startup pitch events, I haven’t heard anyone say that they’re there for a lecture from the speaker. This is difficult for those coming from academia – where they are used to talking at the audience, rather than talking with the audience.

You have a scientific concept? Give them a scenario of how that applies to their life. You have a complex calculation that unveils something extraordinary? Explain it using an analogy. You discovered something this world has never seen? Tell them what it means to them.

When you’re on stage, you’re not teaching. You’re sharing an idea – that hopefully inspires others. The objective is to make others interested in what you can offer, so they inquire further beyond your pitch. Meet you for a meeting… Buy your book... Watch your YouTube channel. Etc. The bottom line is – stop speaking to them as if they are your students. They don’t need to find ways to understand. You need to find ways to make them understand.

Many experts try to cover a lot of detailed information when pitching because they want to ensure the audience understands. The irony is – the more detailed and complicated you make it sound, the less they understand. For audiences who are hearing about your concepts for the first time, they need time to digest it. So rather than try to make them understand every detail during the pitch – peak their interest. After your pitch, there will be a Q&A section, where details can be asked and discussed.

If, after reading this, you still are planning to pitch with slides filled with scientific data written in font size of 9 – Good Luck.

Deadly Sin #2: Pitch like you’re the best thing since sliced bread

Pitching requires confidence. Arrogance is not.

“We are the only ones in the world …”
(for now?)

“We are the first…”
(great. does that mean no one will copy and enhance?)

“Our team is comprised of _______ [fill in the blank with an acclaimed person]“
(how does that assure your success?)

The above phrases are not written by me. They have been heard by me, and others. Too often. And too often during the Q&A section after the pitch –they get challenged by the judges on what they said. Can’t blame the judges –because if you’re bringing that kind of aura to the stage, they’re going to treat you the way you presented yourself.

Let’s not get to the other extreme. Humility is admired, yet we don’t need to under-state what we are offering. People will value what you offer, if it matters to them. Simply put – just because you do it, doesn’t mean they care. Show the audience what you can do make their lives better, improve their business, save them time or maybe just how you can give them a warm fuzzy feeling. People can do this in seconds. Which means that many pitches can be simplified. Reduce the content and eliminate the ego.

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Deadly Sin #3: Pitch with a story… that doesn’t relate

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It’s 2026. The pitch that begins with a fictitious character and “Meet Mary” is so Covid-19. Making your pitch about your life’s challenges is fine – if you keep it to a few seconds. This is a a pitch. Not a therapy session. The audience doesn’t care about you, they care about themselves. And please – for the sake of the audience’s sanity – stop giving us the entire historical timeline of your company.  Unless the audience are the parents of your company’s founders, no one will beat an extra heart beat.

Let’s not mistake that storytelling is the only ingredient in a pitch. It can enhance a pitch. You can begin with one. Yet – the story is not the entire pitch. Most importantly – the story must relate to your offering and relate to the audience. Some professional speakers summarize the timeline of events of famous persons. Some speakers condense recent news into a few sentences. The point of the story in a pitch is to enhance the audience’s understanding through relatability. Can the audience get the moral of the story without you saying the words “…the moral of this story is…” ? More importantly, are you able to continue the pitch right after telling that story – in a way that addresses the question in everyone’s heads then – “So what’s next?”

Whether you begin your pitch with a story, or enhance a pitch with a story – the moral of that story should match the feeling that you want the audience to have right then. People remember stories. People remember morals of the story. People remember stories even more when they can easily imagine it.  

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