This week, VAYOMAR’s trainers are taking part in the Mass Challenge Awards Ceremony, happening on October 29th. Over 1700 startups sent in applications in order to win $1.75 million dollars to further their startup. VAYOMAR helped each of the Top 26 Startups prepare a 60-second pitch to present at the awards show in front of 1500 potential investors. Imagine you’re the founder of one of these new startups, eager to expand and gain support from investors.  Would you be prepared if someone asked you to pitch your startup in just 60 seconds?  It sounds impossible.  How can you be expected to give all the necessary details in only one minute?  Believe it or not, 60 seconds is plenty of time to introduce yourself, your startup, and your goals.  All you have to do is follow these easy steps in order to create not just a 60-second pitch, but a GREAT 60-second pitch.

Step 1: The Opening

Every famous speech needs a powerful opening to capture the audience’s attention, and that’s exactly what your pitch needs.  Whatever it is you do, make it relatable to what you’re speaking about.  It could be a quote or a statistic, something dramatic to really pull them in.  It could be a question or an ask for a raise of hands, something to get the audience involved.  It could even be something as simple as wearing a funny accessory or holding a funny prop, something to make people look at you. You need to clearly communicate what it is you’re pitching within the first 10-15 seconds.

Step 2: The Essence

Now that you’ve introduced yourself in an interesting way, it’s time to move on to the bulk of your speech: what exactly your company is.  The trick here is to do it in the least amount of words as you possibly can.  There is no real correlation between the innovation of your company and the time it takes to talk about its core essence.  Your audience just needs to understand the importance of what you’re trying to say.  After another 15-20 seconds, you should have communicated the space your venture is in (i.e. transportation, technology, etc.), the value this idea brings, and the innovation.

Step 3: The Traction

30 seconds have gone by and you’ve already captured your audience’s attention and fully explained the core of your company.  Now is the time to tell your audience about the progress you’ve made.  They will need facts, not just ideas, to prove that you can actually further your company.  Talk about the money you’ve made so far, the advisors you’ve recruited, partnerships you’ve formed, anything to show that you’re serious about the future.  Talk about the team you’ve put together, where you want to improve upon or advance in the short- and long-term.  In these 15-20 seconds, you should prove to potential investors that you have a solid foundation and know how to take your company to the next level.

Step 4: The Conclusion

At the end of your pitch, you must clearly communicate what it is you want from your audience.  If it’s money for the company, potential partnerships, or something else, your audience must be made fully aware.  Thank the audience for their time, and your 5-10 seconds will have been worthwhile.

The goal here is to get face time with potential investors, so you need to be able to stand out. To learn more about how to give a great pitch and make it count, listen to this podcast created by one of our founders, Ariel Halevi!

“How to Build a Winning 60-Second Pitch”