Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the world has gone virtual. Meetings, accelerators, and even pitch competitions are held a startup virtual.
This is the new normal. As a startup, you do not stop applying for investment opportunities and as such you have to attend pitch competition albeit virtually. Hence you have to know how to ace the virtual pitch. Here 5 helpful tips.
1.) Know your pitch deck well and don’t read from a script
You should know your pitch deck offhand. In fact, when you are woken up from sleep, you should be to make a flawless presentation. You should avoid reading from a script in order to keep the investors engaged through conversational style, signaling key points through targeted inflection, and other good presentation skills are very important.
2.) Look directly at the camera
If you are pitching virtually, switch back to the video and look straight into your camera as you answer questions from the investors. It helps show your confidence and command of the data about your business, and as noted before, gives the investors a chance to get a sense of who you are as a person. Remember: they aren’t just investing in your business, they are investing in your ability to lead the business to a successful exit.
3.) Consider virtual backgrounds
You may want to consider the option of the virtual background (if available) to limit background distractions. Zoom has great default background options; make sure the backgrounds help emphasize your face and not the other way around.
4.) Use features like raise hand
When using these features, you can easily address questions from your audience and it will encourage a more organized approach so attendees will not speak over each other.
5.) Practice-Practice-Practice
With the move online, the practice has to include knowing how to use the platform, such as Zoom or another program, so you don’t get tripped up with the mechanics of virtual presentations. Ask yourself are you using proper lighting, suitable audio, professional background, and have good framing in the camera lens?
