Staying on a stage in front of the huge audience and listening to your heartbeat just seconds before you start to pitch… An exciting moment, isn’t it? Right now it all seems almost unreal — like it was in a different life. We are all living in a new reality today we are forced to adapt to and online pitching has fallen into the category of doing things in a new way that was a rare scenario before.
Have you ever done an online pitch yourself? How was your experience? Was it good or intimidating? Maybe a pet interrupted you while you were talking and you lost your train of thought? Or your internet shut down in the middle of the call and you could not finish it? It can happen to any of us and nobody’s an exception.
Presenting online can be a bit awkward and uncomfortable at the beginning. But if you dedicate some time and effort into the preparation — the results will surprise yourself.
Elise Sass, COO at LIFT99 and gives occasional pitch training:
"Whether online or offline, most important is to be yourself when you’re pitching. It’s your idea and your startup, then show your passion and excitement exactly the way that is comfortable for you."
Similar advice is packed up by Maarika Truu, Head of Startup Estonia who emphasized
“the importance of bringing your genuine self to the conversation and being short and simple with what you want to do.”
The whole pitching process can be divided into 3 stages — the preparation, the pitch itself, the follow-up — and each has its own important rules to follow.
The Preparation
Jumping straight to the call with your pajamas on, might be comfortable. There are times when you have a scheduled call with a possible investor, then give yourself some time to prepare:
1. The room setup:
Check your background so there is nothing you don’t want other people to see. It’s you who decides if there are dirty dishes in the background or a poster of a unicorn on the wall.
Family members and pets passing by are ok until they don’t disturb you and the other side of the call. We all live in the same environment right now, so it’s kind of acceptable and normal now.
If the grandma or a child starts calling you or is riding his noisy car on a tiled floor, then you may use one of the noise cancellation apps that are getting so popular now (for ex. Krisp or Neutralizer) or just try to find a separate room or a calm corner for the time of the call.
If there are more than three people from your side in one room — adjust your view and settings so everyone is visible from the camera.
2. Connection and technical equipment:
“Can you hear me?”; “I lost you for a moment” — for some reason often these are the phrases that definitely go through a bad internet connection, but not the real talk between themDo the speed testing beforehand and check if your network is not overloaded at a time of your call (for ex. in the evening when all neighbors are at home and online rewatching Game of Thrones).
Use a computer with a camera or attach an external camera to take the best shot of you. ;)
Check your headphones and microphone before the call. Make sure you can hear yourself and the other side too.
Echo inside empty rooms is a usual companion, it might make sense to either invest in noise-canceling headphones that reduce echo or choose a different setup.
3. Slides and product demo:
If you plan to show slides — check how the format works while sharing the screen. Put inside only the most important and then explain more. Less is more when it comes to slides.
Writing or drawing like at a real meeting is a little more challenging during an online call. Therefore you could use a whiteboard in your room. Even better to use online tools as alternatives — like Mindmaps or MindMeister. Visualization, when it’s needed, can add to your presentation additional points.
If you have a hardware product, while showing the real sample remember that everything you have in your hands is tinier than seen from the other side. Double-check with somebody if it’s visible via a screen.
A video of your product is a great addition during the call.
“I personally don’t show slides while I am talking to the investors, but I do have them open in case they ask. I usually show a quick demo (up to 30 sec) of my product and continue the conversation from there,”
- Rain Sepp, AskRobin (Estonia), who recently raised €1.6 million doing pitching online.
4. Your look on the call:
Dress in a suit and white shirt. :D … Of course, it’s not needed if it’s not you. Be yourself at the call. Whatever you normally wear for work, use the same clothes. A fully business look is not a must, but make sure you don’t need to stand up while wearing your pajamas or fluffy slippers. :) Your regular “work look” you are comfortable in works just fine.
Comb your hair, brush your teeth, put on makeup — whatever you are doing otherwise before a “face-to-face” meeting that will help you to get to the right mood.
Stand in front of the mirror and smile at yourself. It’ll help you to start with a good note.
Tips for women — if you usually wear some makeup at work, then do the same during a call.
Prepare a glass of water next to you, in addition to several cups of coffee. :)
Best for last — khm… visit the restroom. You will save yourself from a cramping face in the middle of the call.
The Call
Make sure everything is ready for your call, so you won’t need to get up or ask somebody for help.
5. Starting the call:
Small talk is needed. It will give you a chance to check if everything is working and the other side can see/hear you.
A good welcome from your side can set the right mood for the talk and bring more positive energy. But make sure it’s not too long — don’t take away your time from the main talk.
Ask how much time the other side has - as it may be way less than you’ve planned.
Do the elevator pitch — this will set the proper start of the call and the other side will have time to digest and switch themselves on for you.
Speak confidently and with no rush — you don’t want to lose the other side on the first minute of your pitch.
Try to be relaxed and smile — you’re presenting your own product and you don’t want to look like your life depends on this talk.
Be yourself!
6. Take notes:
When you have questions — better write them down, so you can remember it and ask later.
When the other side is asking questions — write your answers too. Often the question is too long and you might forget the first part when it’s time to answer.
! Remember — often investment decisions are done within the first 10 minutes. At least the decisions whether the investor sees there is something more in you and your startup. At the same time, they are mostly polite and stay talking with you longer. Use the first 10 minutes wisely to find the common ground with them.
The follow-up
It is always important to remember that the final words of your call also play a role. So don’t hesitate to finish your conversation on a positive note.
7. Your post-meeting actions:
Close the meeting with actionable next steps — it’s useful to set the right tone and end meeting with a short plan for both sides.
Write a short follow up after the call and say thank you. :) It might not be super necessary, but a nice gesture from your side is always a plus
And the bonus tip from us — be well-rested mentally and physically. Mental factors have a huge influence on your performance and the way you speak. Besides, nobody wants to see a sleepy head on the other side of the screen. :) So have a good sleep the night before, be energized, excited, and rock this world with your power pitch.
Good luck!