The Almighty Pitch
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What is the single most important thing that determines the probability of success for a new Rock or Snuggy for that matter? You can have the best product the world has ever seen but without a convincing pitch who will believe you? More importantly, if you can’t convince an investor how will it ever see the light of day?
Dan Gudema is an expert on the subject. Not only has he created and secured funding for several successful high tech start ups, including a dating site, he founded StartupPOP www.startuppop.com which is an incredible resource for inventors and entrepreneurs. They hold events where up to 10 people get to give a 3 minute pitch to a panel of experts and investors in order to get funding or valuable advice to make their offering more enticing the next time.
I have personally seen investors I know in the audience and have heard stories of them making contact with some of the presenters.
In just 4 years, StartupPOP has grown from its’ original chapter here in Boca Raton to over 3600 members in 45 cities including New York and Orlando. Of course, they have chapters in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and other locations in Florida. They have also been instrumental with a number of other pitch events in the area and nationwide. They mainly focus on the tech industry but are open to just about any type of professionally structured start up. Dreamers need not apply.
Mr. Gudema is also a prolific author on the subject having written 5 books (which are sold on Amazon) and has appeared in articles for several magazines including Forbes and regularly writes blog articles about tech startups on Medium and Linkedin. His Journal on StartupPOP contains a wealth of knowledge, suggestions, opportunities and observations. I’ve gotten lost there for hours just absorbing everything.
If you are serious about moving your project forward towards success, you will need to learn how to pitch. It is just that simple. It doesn’t have to be in front of a huge auditorium. It may be one on one. It could be in an office or a lunch meeting or with a video.
One of my friends was waiting in a buffet line at a conference for stationary products when the man in front of her turned and said, ” I see you at all these events. Should I know you?” to which she enthusiastically replied as she reached out to shake his hand, ” YES YOU SHOULD!” She gave him her pitch and her product was in Office Depot for years after that.
Formulating and delivering a professional, well researched pitch containing all the elements of interest to your target audience is the key to success. Without this crucial skill is like jumping off a ship without ever learning how to swim.
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