There is only one pitch.
- This is who we are.
- This is what we do.
- And we’re good at it.
- We have a challenge, born of opportunity.
- If we seize it, magic happens.
- Which benefits us all.
- We’re almost there.
- Together, we have what it takes.
- And we can make it happen, starting here.
Pitch, distilled.
Have you used this framework in a pitch? Let us know how in the comments!
onepitch.wordpress.com 
I once heard from a very wise man that one should always mention what you have already done/accomplished before you describe what it is you need. A new number 7 perhaps!?
M
Good point. I’ve added a new 7.
9. And at the end of the day, this is what will change, and be improved
Another wise woman coined the “Van Rotterdam Question” around here:
To what end? aka TWE (pronounced: twee)
This is intended to be in #5, under ‘magic’.
This is fantastic. Love it!
Point #4 strikes me as the pivotal element, in some ways…
One mentor of mine used to always tackle that one in terms of:
a) “What’s going well / where we’re kicking ass / doing awesome: _____________”.
b) “But the CHALLENGE or what’s not going so well is: ________________.”
c) “And so the OPPORTUNITY is: _______________.”
I like it because it starts with positive affirmation, then leads to a frank identification with pain / challenge — but then immediately frames that pain or challenge in terms of opportunity.
sorry it has taken me a while to post… just as everyone else, I really like it. the concluding tagline is a particular favourite.
the only thing that I might add has to do with its immediacy.
although it is implied, one word that doesn’t get used is ‘now’. I don’t want to be sounding cliched (or indeed suggest something that would mess with the cadence) but, for example, something along the lines of “starting here, right now” may give it a little more urgency. it may also counterbalance the aforementioned strong tagline; distillation is usually a gradual or even passive process. so without a clearly defined, anti-complacency qualifier there is the potential that the entire concept becomes somewhat diminished.
makes sense? or splitting hairs?
7. We have a challenge, born of opportunity.
I’m tempted to put it the other way round.
Interesting twist. In the current structure the challenge is what needs to be solved by us to realize the opportunity. In your phrasing the challenge becomes the opportunity; the market problem we can solve. Dumps the issue of our challenge onto ‘this is what we need’. Makes it more than just a resourcing line.
Here’s what I got.
Here’s what it will do for you.
Hete’s what I want you to do next.
Pitch in a pinch, (i) inspired by Frank Kern
Wondering if the above is inclusive enough of the funder’s interests. If it brings them into the narrative. Going to ponder.
Here is my reaction to your question…
8. This is why we need you.
9. And this is what we’ll do together, starting here.
M
Good tweaks. Wondering if it’s still universal or if it becomes tailored to a specific type of relationship. And is that a bad thing? Are those relationships the right ones and therefore what should be baked into the narrative?
Well that is how I remember you presenting this initially. This is not positioning, it is a scaffold upon which you can build the specific language needed to engage the right people for the right purpose.
Made a fairly significant remix of it. Struck me that the framing was transactional: this is what we need from you. Funding / sales is about building mutually beneficial relationships. About moving away from the transaction. I’ve changed 8 and 9 to have more of a shared quest / joint venture feel to it. Thoughts?
Updated 7, 8, and 9. Thoughts?
I like the idea of using the work ‘now’ in a pitch, and the points made by openmatt #3.
*word
I’ve edited #8 to deemphasize transaction and supplication–“need”–to reinforce the idea of partnership and peerdom.