The Agile Startup: Quick and Dirty Lessons Every Entrepreneur Should Know

Get Your Story Straight

There are four kinds of pitches that you should master to wow your audience in any situation: the tagline, one-liner, elevator pitch, and full presentation.

A tagline is your motto, or a catchy, public-facing phrase that you use to get attention and quickly convey what your company or product is about. Think “Just Do It” from Nike.

A one-liner is exactly what it sounds like—a one-sentence summary of your business. Keep it clear, short, and impactful. Avoid the temptation to throw in fancy (and confusing) words. Tease your audience with exciting highlights, such as deals done, celebrities involved, paying customers, and so on. If you’ve phrased it properly, your one-liner will prompt intrigue and questions.

An elevator pitch is a 30- to 60-second summary of your business. You have at most a minute, so don’t try to cover every aspect your business. Hit the highlights, and leave your audience begging for more.

Finally, you must master a full presentation of your business. These types of presentations are typically 10 to 15 minutes long, and include some kind of presentation materials. This pitch is usually given to an investment committee, and Q&A typically follows.

Usually, the best way to pitch is to severely limit what you say, and maximize the amount of time for dialogue and questions. Tell your audience what you’re about, and then let them dig into what’s ...