Open Mic Night - VC Mock Interviews and Perfect your Pitch
Details
As a startup, you're going to need to persuade people to use your product or service. You've got a finite amount of time to do it, and you've got to get customer/investor attention fast.
Part I - Perfect your Pitch
So you need a pitch - a short, clear statement of who you are, what you do, and why this has benefit to a potential customer. Your pitch is the source for any other copy or processes you use. Got a button on a website? That's going to be using your pitch? Making an explainer video? It's structured around your pitch? Doing email marketing? Yep, that's your pitch again.
Not every customer interaction or attempt at acquisition will be purely a 30 second pitch, but knowing that core value statement, and being able to deliver it confidently will help you to build your message whilst still keeping focussed on your startup goals.
For this session, everyone will have the opportunity to test out their 30 second pitch, with some time for feedback and review.
It doesn't have to be a rehearsed performance; the success criterion is:
Does this pitch create interest, or create confusion? Does it solicit questions from the listener beyond "Huh?"
One approach to a a 30 second pitch:
- Who are you?
- What are you offering?
- What's the benefit?
Part II - VC Mock Interviews
Another task for almost all startups is to seek additional funding from investors and venture capitalists (VCs). You've got more time to make a persuasive case, and the audience is not hostile (they've probably seen your business plan already). But...
you've still got to be able to concisely boil down your requirements to a few minutes of speech, and clearly define what benefits a VC can gain from partnering with your startup. And you've got to be clear on what you want to achieve.
Depending on how many volunteers we've got, we'll do a series of "mock presentations" / "mock interviews" during which you can experiment with your message in a (fairly) non-threatening and low-risk environment.
Sound fun? Sign up now. On-street parking is free after 18:00pm outside the venue.
Sign up to the Bristol-Bath startup digest to find out about more events:
https://www.startupdigest.com/digests/bristol-bath
This event is sponsored by oDesk. . They've got a great offer for new oDesk customers: a fifty dollar credit to use for your first freelance hire. That could be the catalyst for some consultancy on your business plan, branding or design work, or to find a fresh approach to marketing.
http://www.odesk.com/coupon
Coupon code: speeddate2014