Imagine you are about to perform a three-minute startup pitch. You stand on stage, the countdown timer ticking. Precious seconds go by, and as you start talking about your business, you explain who you are. You mention the team — beep, beep — the time is up. What. Already. Well, that has happened to a lot of founders.

I can guarantee you, nailing a three-minute stage pitch is not easy, and it’s not something that most of us can just wing. Some of the best practices for preparing a long presentation actually do not apply to a three-minute stage pitch and can even be harmful.

Why? Because the margin of error is so thin.

In this episode, you’ll find out how many words and sentences you can actually fit into a three-minute pitch, what the four elements are that you absolutely have to include, and how you can end your pitch on a powerful note. The interesting thing is, it’s easier to turn a three-minute pitch into a five-minute or eight-minute pitch than the other way around.

It’s better to start with a short version and then add to it, whereas cutting content is really, really tough. So whatever you take away from today, this is the essence of your pitch.

Our lovely guest today is David Beckett. David is an international pitch coach who has trained over 2,900 startups and scaleups to win over 490 million in investment. David is also the creator of the Pitch Canvas and author of the books Pitch to Win and Blue Moon Pitch. It was really a blast to talk to him, and I hope you’ll enjoy the conversation as much as I did.

Scaling Nerds helps science and tech founders master the essential communication skills of startup growth so you can fundraise easier, attract customers, and scale faster. I’m your host, Marina Schmidt, a communications advisor for founders specialized in AgriFood, biotech, and materials — or put differently, I scale nerds.

Links

Connect with David Beckett

https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbeckettpresentationcoach/

Best3Minutes

https://best3minutes.com/

The Pitch Canvas

https://best3minutes.com/the-pitch-canvas/

Connect with the host:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/schmidt-marina/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

marina@wearekinetik.com

Could use some help with your comms?

Check out ⁠⁠⁠https://www.wearekinetik.com/

#StartupPitchTraining
#ThreeMinutePitch
#FounderFundraising
#InvestorPitchTips
#PitchCoachInsights
#StartupCommunication
#DeepTechFounders
#ScienceTechStartups
#PitchToWin
#PitchCanvasFramework
#ScalingNerdsPodcast
#StartupGrowthStrategies
#StartupSEO
#PodcastSEO
#PodcastShowNotes
#FounderSkills
#PitchStructure
#StagePitchPreparation
#EntrepreneurAdvice