By Jamie Migdal, CEO of FetchFind
Pitching.
The word itself can send you into convulsions of dread, while simultaneously creating a cortisol rush that can easily power a small village. How you represent your business, your idea, or your thoughts can create amazing opportunities if done well… but if done poorly can lead to feelings of regret, embarrassment, and even worse: missed opportunities.
If you have a business, you absolutely need to have a pitch.
If you have a job, you need to have a pitch.
If you have an idea, you need to have a pitch.
It’s your job to be able to tell your story about what it is you do or want to do. It’s how you connect the dots and create interest – and ideally excitement – about what you do and why you do it. It doesn’t matter if you board dogs in your home on weekends or if you are working on building an app to change the way people choose their next pet. It’s your primary responsibility to be able to communicate that idea in the most concise and meaningful way possible.
Here’s the thing: Pitching is really, really hard to do.
And it should be if you care.
It’s taken me years to be able to drill down to what FetchFind is and what I want it to be. I work on it Every. Single. Day.
Why do I put so much effort into this? Well, I’ll tell you:
I care what people think (because I need to know they will pay me for my idea).
I care what people think (because someone I am pitching may have an insight I hadn’t considered and it will help me get even better the next time).
I care what people think (because I am raising capital from investors and my pitch is the only thing separating me from a second meeting and a “no thanks”), and
I care because I am 100{65e2db858ac1ac16a1d3a88427e0552dfedcf6a36460683254b8186ac70cdbfc} committed to growing my company and changing the world for people and pets.
And I am fully aware that my pitch is the difference between success and failure in meeting those objectives.
No pressure. Really. 😉
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Hacks and apps to make pitching a little bit easier:
ConceptDrop – professional pitch decks and presentations for everyone, no matter the size of your business.
Voice Memos – the easiest way to practice your pitch delivery and length. Available for iOS, with similar apps available for Android as well.