MADE Magazine Tastemakers Issue 7 | Page 13

Why Are Pitches Important? If you are beginning to navigate the “startup grind” or are thinking about it, the elevator pitch is your single most important tool. It is how you communicate the value you are creating and influence people to move according to your desires. As you work to craft a strong elevator pitch you become forced to strongly evaluate your business and the most Important messages that resonate with your audience. You may find that you have various pitch versions depending on who you are speaking to or what your objectives are, but each should become so second nature that you can almost recite them in your sleep. The ability to communicate value to a potential user, buyer, investor, or supporter is often times the difference between good companies that make it and great ones that don’t. What Makes a Great Pitch? Every great elevator pitch should have three very important components: the benefit, the differentiator and the ask. Depending on the environment or audience your can break it down a littler further and incorporate some of the elements we used in judging the WeSolv pitch competition: The Benefit Problem/Opportunity It is important to be able to clearly define the problem or opportunity that your venture addresses in a manner that resonates with your audience. WeSolv Pitch Competition winner, Tiffany Smith of Orange Print, did an excellent job of passionately explaining the critical problem of returning citizens, also known as ex-offenders, needing the opportunity to support themselves and addressing the labor shortage in the construction industry. The Solution The Tech Crush audience was very moved by the value provided by Ka