4 Red Flags to Avoid In Your Pitch to Investors

Here’s what to do instead to win them over

I recently wrote an article to help people pitch their startups in an engaging and unforgettable way in 30-60 seconds. Elevating the elevator pitch. Your pitch is engaging, moving, and tells a memorable story. Great, you’ve nailed the elevator pitch down! You achieved what you set out to do: to be called back into the room.

They loved you and want you to pitch them a more detailed presentation. This is usually where many entrepreneurs stumble because they haven’t mapped out how to navigate a longer 15–25 min presentation. Pitching is like driving down a curvy dirt road not cruising on a highway at 100mph: some parts need you to slow down and pay extra special attention, and some parts you can breeze through. Know when to pause for effect, expand on a slide (or point), and pace yourself. This can make or break your pitch.

While you’re practicing the pitch, keep in mind the sharp corners and potholes where you need to slow down and pay more attention to the road (i.e the investor). Here are six pitfalls that are easy to fall into.

My startup is a production company. I’ve worked in the entertainment industry for 10 years so to me, it’s clear what a production company does and how it generates revenue. But to many, especially those who aren’t in the industry, it’s not straightforward at all. In fact, most people don’t really understand how production companies and Hollywood movie studios make money. We all see on the headlines of blockbusters like Avengers and Black Panther have reached billion-dollar numbers in the opening weekend, but the actual breakdown of where that money comes from is mysterious.

We often spend way too much time talking in the pitch about the idea of the business: where it came from, the problem we’re solving, and how it’ll help people, with little regard for how it actually makes a profit.

What to do instead: No revenue, no business. Remember, your business needs to generate revenue, not necessarily profit (yet). Be as detailed as possible because some investors by their own personal policy will not invest in certain types of revenue streams, e.g…

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