By Sandra Smith

Glen Hellman, executive coach at CxO Elevate, LLC and instructor for the National Science Foundation I-Corps at the University of Maryland, uncovered the secrets of effective pitching for aspiring entrepreneurs at a workshop on Monday. 

“Pitching is like being on Tinder, and all you want to do is get enough information to get a little interest,” he said. “So, pitching is like asking yourself, how do you get people to swipe right and want to get into the serious dating phase?” 

According to Hellman, pitching is a three-chapter story. 

First, wake the audience up – let them know that your idea is important. Second, tell the audience why they should trust you to execute it. Finally, appeal to your own greed and discuss what you may need out of the future implementation. 

Hellman discussed how pitching to an investor uses the reptilian part of the brain. This part focuses on visuals, avoids danger or risk and makes more self-centered decisions. 

“You always want to do this with graphics. You want to be able to have someone visually see things like an increase in revenue so it has more impact on the reptilian brain,” Hellman said. “When putting wordy charts up, nobody is listening to what you’re saying. A picture tells 1000 words.”

Hellman and Guy Kawasaki, investor and co-author of the self-help book, “Think Remarkable,” developed a set of rules for introducing a pitch: no more than 10 slides, no more than 20 minutes, no more than seven words per bullet with no more than five minutes. 

The rules allow potential investors to focus on the pitcher’s confidence level and give a more personal feel to the idea.

Naa Nyanin, an attendee of the webinar and inspiring entrepreneur, developed a portable hand washing device. 

When Nyanin pitched her idea, Hellman recommended using powerful words for a target audience. 

“When we’re pitching, the word ‘imagine’ is a very powerful word. Also, ‘what if you could’ is another powerful saying,” Hellman said. 

After listening to the workshop, Nyanin also broadened her initial audience, changing from veterans to an all-inclusive device. 

Annika Elander, a junior majoring in marketing and supply chain management, said she believes it is important to understand the customer when pitching business ideas. 

“I can cater the pitch to the customer’s interest better this way. It can be difficult, but I think the most important thing is to be confident while also being personable,” Elander said. 

In marketing classes Elander takes, her professors talk about how important it is to know if the market exists for the product you’re pitching. It can sound great on paper, but knowing the audience will be interested is important, she said. 

“If you compare Hellman’s 3-chapter pitch idea to an episode of “Shark Tank” I see in my classes, most participants follow this exact rule. These are important steps to follow,” she said. 

Dawn Southard, another attendee and inspiring entrepreneur, is developing a GPS for wheelchair users to get around safely and know where accessible sidewalks are. 

Hellman argued that to give her pitch a personal feel, Southard should appeal to pain and emotion, suggesting that using personal anecdotes or sad stories is a good way to get a pitch across.

“Tell a story. Keep it visual. Keep it simple. You’re not going for a wedding, just a second date,” Hellman said.

Featured Image: Photo by Hellman from Unsplash.