LEADING COMMUNITY: Pitch Perfect
Description
It’s time to learn how to share what is at the heart of your social venture. Why? Because this will help get others to care about what you are doing. One of the most important ways to communicate your project is by developing and sharing your project pitch.
What is a pitch?
A pitch is a brief overview of your idea for a product, service, or project. It is a statement that can be delivered in 2-3 minutes while conveying enough information to get people interested and excited to learn more about your venture.
The pitch is important because it brings to light many basic ideas that you should consider about your project. Remember that even if you’re not looking for funding, a well-crafted pitch can help you identify what’s at the core of your project and prioritize which pieces of information are most vital for others to know.
What should you include in your pitch?
The anatomy of a pitch offers some direction and tips in formulating an unforgettable pitch.
1. Start with the need or issue your venture seeks to address. Stick to hard facts and numbers! Avoid assumptions; you’ve got to instill integrity in your message.
2. Describe your venture’s mission and how it will be accomplished. Include the core offerings or activities. Make sure it is easy to understand; avoid acronyms or any jargon that your intended audience won’t understand.
3. Identify how your offerings or approach to addressing the need is different from others working in the same space. Focus on the need your or issue your project is trying to address and why your solution is the most unique in providing a valuable solution.
4. Share the value of your project to the target audience or why they should care. You want your pitch to stand out and be unique, so give it life and personality by allowing your pitch to paint a picture or tell a story. If possible, use a tag line to avoid sounding silly - your pitch isn’t a sales pitch.
5. Close with the call to action. The call to action can include any number of things. If you are pitching to a prospective investor, then your call to action is a request for a specific monetary investment. If you are delivering your pitch to gauge interest, then your ask is for feedback and insights. If your pitch is directed to the main beneficiaries, then your ask might be to sign them up as participants.
How do I deliver my pitch?
With social networking and social sharing, creating a video for your pitch is an easy way to spread the word about your work and build a network of supporters for your project. Creating a 2-3 minute video allows you to capture the essentials of your project based on the anatomy of a pitch, but also the opportunity to include visuals, graphs, music - the possibilities are endless! Let your creativity shine through your video pitch.
Check out some of these tips and tricks to ensure your camera and delivery are pitch perfect:
● Technical tips for preparing your video: http://www.kickstarter.com/blog/creators-guide-to-video
● 6 Tips for a Good Video Pitch: http://blog.indiegogo.com/2010/12/6-tips-for-a-good-pitch-video.html
● Top Tips for Social Entrepreneurs: Pitch Perfect http://youngfoundation.org/social-innovation-investment/top-ten-tips-for-social-entrepreneurs-pitch-perfect/
● How to Assemble a Great Pitch Video: Dell Social Innovation Challenge: http://www.dellchallenge.org/learn/how-assemble-great-video-pitch
● Infographic: Anatomy of a Winning Pitch: http://www.innov8social.com/2013/05/infographic-anatomy-of-winning-pitch.html
Task
1. Craft a 2-3 minute pitch for your social venture following the anatomy of a pitch.
2. Create a video of your pitch.
3. Upload your video to youtube.com or vimeo.com
4. Share your video in the Video section of the Sprout Self virtual classroom and leave a comment on two other videos.
Learning Objectives
This activity is designed to encourage participants to better know and articulate what is at the heart of their changemaking. You will learn the essentials for crafting the perfect pitch by exploring the anatomy of a pitch. From here, you will create 2-3 minute pitch for your social venture and create a short video capturing your innovative idea. By exploring some tips and tricks for being on camera and delivering your pitch, you will share your video with the Sprout Self community and others in your social networks to generate excitement and awareness about your project. Featured skills and competencies include: leadership,presentation skills, digital literacy, being innovative, and being persistent.
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