TechWag

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Recently our startup participated in Emerald City Comic Con, as we sell comic books and science fiction books, we also launched our publishing house at the same time. What makes this interesting for anyone doing a startup is how to manage the elevator pitch of not just informing people of your current company, but also what your new startup can do for them.

What makes the 15 second pitch interesting is that you have a short time to grab people’s attention, once you have it you can go further with the story line about what your new startup is about and what you are doing. There are reasons you are doing your own startup, the process of getting people’s interesting is the challenge.

The problem I think with the 15 second pitch is that you have to overcome people’s belief systems. There have been so many fly by night poorly run, poorly managed companies that have taken people for granted that the 15 second pitch is about changing beliefs. Making the person, you are talking to believe in what you are doing, and how it works for everyone involved. The pitchman has to make sure that the people they are talking to understands that there really is something in this for everyone. Most industries are tainted; it is hard to break through that initial skepticism that people have because of other folks who have done bad or poorly managed companies.

I did about 20 of the 15 second pitch style discussions over the weekend and the reactions were interesting to see, some did not believe, they simply could not believe in what I was doing. There was fear from some folks about having their ideas stolen. There were just a few people who also were able to believe and that lead to some interesting conversations about the publishing business, risk, reward, and I think I will hear from those people again. The majority, 80% at least, simply could not suspend their belief systems enough that they would want to participate. In the end though that is ok, what I am finding is that business, especially in a startup, you have to play many roles. Those people who cannot believe in what you are doing are best not involved, as they will need a mother and father figure to help them over their own internal hurdles. These are the kinds of people who are expensive in time and effort with little to no rewards for that effort.

If you are doing a startup and are working on your pitch, watch the body language when presenting in person. You can tell rapidly when someone is going to listen, or when you have crossed their own internal barriers to belief and support of your idea. It is not your issue, rather it is their issue, through being burned in the past, unable to grasp what you are doing or your company and your idea simply cannot get the support of people in their own minds. If you are lucky enough to see the reaction to what you are doing, you can modify the pitch on the fly to see if you can get someone to believe in the idea the same way you do, but in the longer run, that 15 second pitch is all you have. Sometimes people simply cannot believe in what you are doing.