How to Make a Really Memorable 1-Minute Pitch

Imagine: You’re attending a conference and you’re meeting tons of people who believe in education. You may even have registered to make your edtech pitch to the audience. All you have to do is make the pitch to the right people and your edtech company will get to the next level.

You’ve planned it out. The team has practiced it. In one minute, everyone can describe the problem you’re solving and what makes you different. But there’s this nagging feeling that it’s not good enough. People will be bombarded with pitches, so how will you stand out?

Making a Pitch that Stands Out

Make your pitch differently with a story. In a previous post I described how good stories are easy to remember, and they can help people recognize and feel emotions towards a brand. The brand’s story should be repeated and found in various media, and yes, in that 1-minute pitch.

David Aaker, author of Creating Signature Stories, says good stories have strategic messages that “clarify or enhance a brand’s visibility, image, personality, relevance and/or value proposition.”

If you can pull more depth and energy into your pitch while keeping it short, your pitch will be more memorable.

Story Prompts

Who is the Audience? It could be a partner, customer, influencer...the story should be told for them. Know what your audience needs or cares about and adjust.

What was the emotional reason the edtech created? Not just the problem you’re solving, but who’s problem is it? Think of a specific student or teacher and why this product can change their lives.

What’s the reward? Describe how the edtech helped this person. Was there anything unexpected?

Can you make the listeners the heroes? Now that people have an emotional investment in the story, they can help. Just ask for one thing from the person or the crowd, so that they can be part of the solution. A couple of examples: “I’m looking for seed funding,” or “I’m looking for a company to partner with that does X.”

Here’s a bonus...by making the story more memorable, it’ll be easier to tell, even under pressure.

Good luck! Please let me know if you need any help.