The Minimally Viable Pitch - Video Presentation
Every so often, I will see a pitch by entrepreneurs that uses video for part or even all of the presentation. Sometimes it is a short intro into the company, sometimes it is the demo of the product itself, and other times it is testimonials by users. In many ways, videos can enhance a company’s presence, like those intro videos used on a company homepage to give visitors a more engaging explanation of the product or service. And with the popularity of YouTube and the spread of Vine and Instagram video, it seems like video is the next great presentation format. With those thoughts in mind, startups will often ask me whether incorporating video into their pitches is a good idea.
The answer is NO. Emphatically NO. No, it is not a good idea. No, it will likely tank your ability to raise funds. No, it makes you look amateurish no matter how great the video is. And if you have not gotten the message yet, NEVER, EVER use video when you pitch investors if you are serious about raising capital.
The problem of video is that rather than enhancing your presence, it distracts from it. The pitch presentation is an opportunity to showcase what makes you and your team special and unique. The goal is to convince your audience that you are the most capable team to execute on the startup’s vision. That uniqueness and confidence is conveyed not through a bunch of slides, but through your speech and body language which creates an emotional and mental connection with the audience. In a sense, you are trying to get your audience to see your entrepreneurial aura.
When you push a video onto your audience however, you disrupt that connection. Instead of the energy of your aura, they are getting moving pixels. It is like the difference between listening to a song on your computer versus being at a live show seeing the band play the song. Yeah, rocking out on your headphones is cool, but it does not have the impact of being there in person. The same goes for video and by using video as your proxy, it’s as if you put headphones on everyone’s head.
The other thing that video does is stifle interactivity. When you present video, there is no give and take. The audience just sits stoically through the video without having a chance to ask questions or engage in conversation. While you might think that is great for getting through the pitch without interruptions, you might be shutting down your audience.
One of the biggest mistakes I used to make when giving presentations was to ignore questions and interruptions. I was dead set on getting through my agenda. The issue however is that it is not your agenda. Yes, you should get your points across, but the meeting is not really yours. The meeting is for the customer or the partner or the investor that invited you to present. You have to accommodate their wishes. However, the more subtle point is that the most important interactions and discussions typically occur during those breaks in the presentation. You are getting to their hot buttons and key issues and pertinent needs. That is exactly where you want to be, engaged in the topics that matter most to your potential investors and will decide whether you get funded or not. Learn to appreciate the interruptions.
Lastly, while you might think your video is quite excellent, the reality is very different. Very few early stage startups have the resources or money to pull off a professional video. I do not think I have to explain the gap in professional versus amateurish video, you can see on YouTube for plenty of examples. Is that a risk you really want to take, especially given the previous points? Then there is the transition from video to live presentation, which is never not awkward and clumsy. On the elegance scale, it ranks about as high as a butt fumble. The real pros can pull off a smooth transition, but for most mortals it just ends up being a jarring change of pace.
So to sum up this post, do not use video in your pitches. Or in other words, never bring a video into your presentations. Not now and not ever. Videos kill the energy of a room, diminish your ability to engage the audience, and come off in most cases as amateurish. Is this really the time when you want to give up the floor to a half-baked movie?
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