Is Your Pitch Not Working? Here's How to Fix It, According to Experts. On the season finale of "Fix My Pitch," business coaches Anthony Sullivan and Tina Frey offer their final lesson to entrepreneurs hoping to pitch their way to a life-changing investment.
By Mackenzie Truman Edited by Dan Bova
Key Takeaways
- Authentically know your product and yourself.
- Explain how your product is different from competitors.
- Don't memorize a script. Talk like you're telling your best friend a story.
- Network with other founders for support, advice and brainstorming. Being an entrepreneur is not easy!
Entrepreneur's TV show Elevator Pitch challenges contestants to step into an elevator and pitch directly to a camera, attempting to wow a panel of investors watching them on a monitor in 60 seconds or less. If investors like what they hear, the elevator doors open into the board room, and negotiations begin. If they don't like what they hear? The elevator gets sent back down, game over.
Ten seasons in, and there have never been second chances on Elevator Pitch — until now. We chose four entrepreneurs who didn't make it out of the elevator to attend a pitching boot camp with legendary pitchman Anthony Sullivan and business coach Tina Frey to see if they could earn a shot at redemption.
Over the course of four episodes of Fix My Pitch, the entrepreneurs have been challenged to redo, reboot and rebuild their pitches. The coaches have pulled apart every aspect of their pitches, from the words they say to the way they stand. And in this episode, the season finale, we find out if their hard work has paid off. Watch to see who will land a return ride on Elevator Pitch!
Related: 'There Is No Success Without Failure': How to Turn a Pitch Meeting Setback Into Success
Parting pitch tips from our coaches:
You need to authentically know who you are and what your product is.
When you are in a crowded space, you must work on the differentiator so that your audience knows how you are different from your competitors.
You don't want to sound like you are reading a script. Break it down into bite-sized pieces. Your pitch should be like a story you're telling your best friend.
If you get stuck, take a moment and take a deep breath.
Find support from fellow founders — being an entrepreneur is not an easy path, and talking with people who experience the same ups and downs is helpful.
Fix My Pitch contestants
- Ashley Rosulek, founder of Osweetfitness, affordable, high-quality luxury athletic wear
- Brandon Storms, founder and CEO of Retavo, a platform to launch and maintain a state-of-the-art enterprise-grade marketplace at an affordable price
- William Colton, CEO of Paldara, a company harnessing the power of natural bacteriophage to fight and prevent disease.
- Arvin Bhangu, founder of Superintelligence, a research lab that aims to create a system that allows for the co-existence of humans and Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)
Fix My Pitch experts
- Anthony Sullivan, celebrity pitchman and entrepreneur
- Tina Frey, keynote speaker, coach, communications expert and author of The ART of Facilitation
Fix My Pitch is sponsored by State Farm. Season 10 of Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch premieres on October 18, 2023.
