4 Steps To Creating A Memorable 60-Second Pitch

60 seconds – a minute.

A lot of things can happen in 60 seconds:

250 babies are born around the world, 1.8 million ‘likes’ are made on Facebook and Americans eat 21,000 slices of pizza. But what can you do in 60 seconds?

Would you be prepared if someone asked you to pitch your startup in just 60 seconds? It sounds impossible. How can you be expected to give out all the necessary details in only one minute? The startups showcasing at the MassChallenge Israel launch event on February 11 will have to face that challenge.

Believe it or not, 60 seconds is plenty of time to introduce yourself, your startup, and your goals. All you have to do is follow these easy steps in order to create not just a 60-second pitch, but a GREAT 60-second pitch.

Step 1: The Opening

Every famous speech needs a powerful opening to capture the audience’s attention, and that’s exactly what your pitch needs. Whatever it is you do, relate it to what you’re speaking about. It could be a quote or a statistic, something dramatic to really pull the crowd in.  It could be a question or a request for a raise of hands, something to get the audience involved. It could even be something as simple as wearing a funny accessory or holding a funny prop, something to make people look at you. You need to clearly communicate what it is you’re pitching within the first 10-15 seconds.

Step 2: The Essence

Now that you’ve introduced yourself in an interesting way, it’s time to move on to the bulk of your speech: what exactly your company is about.  The trick here is to use the fewest words possible. There is no real correlation between the innovation of your company and the time it takes to talk about its essence. Your audience just needs to understand the importance of what you’re trying to say. After another 15-20 seconds, you should have communicated the field your venture is in (i.e. transportation, technology, etc.), the value this idea brings, and the innovation.

     SEE ALSO: CEO Of World’s Largest Accelerator, MassChallenge, Talks To NoCamels About The Startup Nation And Launching In Israel

Step 3: The Traction

30 seconds have gone by and you’ve already captured your audience’s attention and fully explained the core of your company. Now is the time to tell your audience about the progress you’ve made. They will need facts, not just ideas, to prove that you can actually further your company. Talk about the money you’ve made so far, the advisors you’ve recruited, partnerships you’ve formed, anything to show that you’re serious about the future. Talk about the team you’ve put together, where you want to improve upon or advance in the short and long terms. In these 15-20 seconds, you should prove to potential investors that you have a solid foundation and know how to take your company to the next level.

Step 4: The Conclusion

At the end of your pitch, you must clearly communicate what it is you want from your audience. If it’s money for the company, potential partnerships, or something else – your audience must be made fully aware. Thank the audience for their time, and your 5-10 seconds will have been worthwhile.

Think you can create an amazing 60-seconds pitch?

Apply now to pitch at “Minute to Pitch It” at the MassChallenge Israel program launch event, where startups at all stages and from all industries (whether they apply for MassChallenge, or not) will showcase their startups to approximately 200 of the leading investors, corporate executives, government officials and other entrepreneurs of the startup ecosystem.