{"id":12124,"date":"2022-05-12T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-12T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/?p=12124"},"modified":"2025-05-07T14:55:35","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T13:55:35","slug":"craft-startup-pitch-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/craft-startup-pitch-business\/","title":{"rendered":"The power of pitching: How to craft a 60-second startup pitch"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/category\/money-matters\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Money Matters<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThe power of pitching: How to craft a 60-second startup pitch\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2022-05-12T10:00:00+01:00\">12 May, 2022<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"The power of pitching: How to craft a 60-second startup pitch\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/craft-startup-pitch-business\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/header>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/author\/chrisgoodfellow\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/05\/Chris-Goodfellow-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"Chris Goodfellow\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/05\/Chris-Goodfellow-350x350.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/05\/Chris-Goodfellow.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 40px) 100vw, 40px\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Chris Goodfellow<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Most founders could talk about their business for hours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Unfortunately, most people won\u2019t pay attention for more than a minute. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">That\u2019s why it\u2019s essential to distil what your business does and why people should be excited about it in 60 seconds or less.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Whether you\u2019re looking for investment, seeking advice or building connections, having a short, pre-prepared pitch could make all the difference.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">In this article, we look at how you can develop a 60-second pitch to use in any situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Here&#8217;s what we cover:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"#keep\">Keep your pitch short, simple and persuasive<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#how\">How to structure your pitch<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#final\">Final thoughts: Practice makes perfect<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<a\n\t\tclass=\"button button--primary gate-1a953aef-c126-42e1-a130-e0fbefd38b65\"\n\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\tdata-button-location=\"content_area\"\n\t\thref=\"#gate-1a953aef-c126-42e1-a130-e0fbefd38b65\"\n\t>Download your free side hustle toolkit, comprising a side hustle guide, business plan template and cash flow forecast template<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"keep\">Keep your pitch short, simple and persuasive<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Before getting into how to craft the perfect pitch, there\u2019s one mantra to keep in mind throughout: short, simple, persuasive.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">An \u201celevator pitch\u201d should highlight the most compelling aspects of your business in 60 seconds or less (i.e. the time it takes to ride an elevator). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">It should succinctly describe your business, what you have to offer and why somebody should be interested in helping \u2013 or funding \u2013 you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Remember, you\u2019ll be using your pitch in a variety of scenarios. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">This includes pitching to people who may have little to no understanding of your industry.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Focus on making your pitch conversational, easy to understand and persuasive, regardless of who you\u2019re speaking to. Ditch complex terms, industry acronyms and jargon, and try to avoid sounding too salesy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Once you understand the tone you\u2019re trying to strike, here\u2019s how to put that pitch together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how\">How to structure your pitch<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The hook<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Your pitch needs to start with a hook: an introduction that grabs attention by making people stop and think. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Investors hear pitches every day, so what will make you stand out?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">A good hook should be instantly memorable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Start with something surprising, amusing or interactive. This could be a statistic, a question that makes people examine their instincts or even a short personal story.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">At startup competition <a href=\"https:\/\/thepitch.uk\/\">The Pitch<\/a>, one founder asked the audience to raise their hands if they had an item of clothing in their wardrobe that they\u2019d never worn. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Another promised \u00a31,000 to anyone who could book a ski trip in fewer than six clicks.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Your customer\u2019s problem<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Once you have the audience\u2019s attention, it\u2019s time to describe your target customer and the problem they have.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">If possible, try to encourage your audience to personally empathise with the problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Is it something they might personally have encountered, observed or been frustrated by?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">If your problem is something they might not be familiar with, use an anecdote or try to provide a character that they can relate to.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Your solution<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">This is your opportunity to explain exactly what your business does and how it solves the customer\u2019s problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Sound simple? Unfortunately, it\u2019s the area that founders tend to struggle with the most.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">It can be hard to strike a balance between providing enough information and getting bogged down in the details. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">You also need to bear in mind that you won\u2019t always have visuals to hand. If your solution involves technology like software or an app, you\u2019ll need to be able to explain how it works without a demo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">It\u2019s best to take plenty of time on this stage when planning your pitch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Write out a few different explanations of your solution and pitch them to people who have no idea what your business does. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">See which version people respond best to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Market and competition<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Without a market, there is no opportunity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">As such, you need to illustrate the size of your market and demonstrate that it\u2019s growing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Avoid grand but vague numbers as this can undermine your credibility. Be realistic too \u2013 if your business deals specifically with UK golf, don\u2019t quote the global sports market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">If an investor is convinced that you have a solution to a genuine problem and there is indeed a market for it, the next obvious question is: \u201cHow come nobody else has been able to solve it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Be prepared to address the competition and have a robust answer that goes beyond your business simply being \u201cbetter\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">What do you do differently? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Is there a niche you\u2019re targeting that\u2019s currently untapped?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Traction<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Traction shows that there\u2019s demand for your product or service. It could be revenue, users, customer reviews \u2013 anything that demonstrates market interest.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">If you\u2019re still in the process of validating your idea and haven\u2019t yet launched, don\u2019t worry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">There are plenty of other ways to demonstrate traction, such as meetings with key partners or suppliers, social media followers or successful pilots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Your credentials<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The people you pitch to aren\u2019t just assessing your business \u2013 they\u2019re weighing up your capabilities as well. As such, make sure you\u2019re able to demonstrate that you\u2019re a safe pair of hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">In this section, try and answer the question: why are you the right person to take this business forward? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Cover relevant qualifications, industry experience or a personal experience that\u2019s driven you to find the solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Your team<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">At this point, you\u2019ll be nearing the end of your 60 seconds. Time is of the essence, but include a sentence or two about the team that surrounds you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">If you\u2019ve got a co-founder or employees, it\u2019s the perfect time to briefly explain the skills you\u2019ve got on board. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">If you\u2019re a solo founder, touch on any mentors or advisers that are helping you on your journey.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The ask<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">At the end of your pitch, be clear about what you want. This will depend on the audience you\u2019re pitching to, but should all tie into the same goal for your business.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">If you\u2019re pitching to investors, state exactly how much money you\u2019re looking to raise and why \u2013 what will that investment help you achieve? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">If you\u2019re pitching at a networking event, ask for connections to investors who have experience in your industry.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"final\">Final thoughts: Practice makes perfect<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Once your pitch is crafted and you\u2019re confident that it\u2019s under 60 seconds, the only thing left to do is practice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Test it on your team, your friends and family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Deliver it in front of a mirror. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Record it on your phone and listen to it over again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Aim to know your pitch off by heart. That way, in any situation, at any given moment, you\u2019ll be able to effectively communicate what your business does and why people should get excited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><em>The Pitch is a free competition that gives startups the support to grow and the platform to raise investment. And it works \u2013 finalists from recent cohorts have raised tens of millions since taking part. <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/thepitch.uk\/apply-for-the-pitch\/\"><em>Applications are open for The Pitch 2022 <\/em>\u2013 <em>enter now.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n \n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Side hustle toolkit<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Get your free guide, business plan template and cash flow forecast template to help you boss your side hustle and achieve your goals.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-1a953aef-c126-42e1-a130-e0fbefd38b65\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download your free toolkit<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__downloads\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t969 readers have downloaded this guide\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"810\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/01\/carlahussey-810x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/01\/carlahussey-810x810.jpg 810w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to the Sage Advice newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Join more than 500,000 UK readers and get the best business admin strategies and tactics, as well as actionable advice to help your company thrive, in your inbox every month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-b1a63862-3fa0-4a5e-bb67-c76b88bbc6b8\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe now<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The ability to pitch your business in under 60 seconds is a skill that every startup founder needs. Here\u2019s how to structure your pitch.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1378,"featured_media":11545,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[135,124,12],"business_type":[4],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[],"imagine_tag":[109],"coauthors":[588],"class_list":["post-12124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-money-matters","tag-business-finances","tag-business-support","tag-start-business","business_type-small-business"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-gb","author_name":"Chris Goodfellow","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1271693425.jpg","imagine_tags":{"109":"Small business"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice UK","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12124","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1378"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12124"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12124\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/11545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12124"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12124"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12124"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=12124"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=12124"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=12124"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=12124"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=12124"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=12124"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=12124"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}