Eye on Entrepreneur > Visual Pitch

Back to main

If a picture is truly worth a thousand words then why not consider including a visual experience as part of your presentation. And if your audience is anything like me – more visually receptive than audio sensitive – you can be sure that your visual pitch will have an emotionally stronger impact and may help seal the deal.

Last year I was pitched by a friend of a friend (Tom Bonney) on this new super-premium Brazilian white rum called Leblon. The telephone call sparked my interest and a follow-up meeting was scheduled to further investigate the opportunity. At the meeting, Tom was accompanied by his partner and the creator of the distilled spirit, Steve Luttman. Steve has a very impressive history in the industry with a resume that included brand manager of LVMH Moet Hennessey Louis Vuitton. (One of my internal parameters during the pitch process is “execution.” Who is going to execute this business plan?).

Immediately upon entering my office, the two pitchmen transformed my large circular conference table into a tropical bar. On display were sleek bottles of Leblon, bowls of sliced fresh fruit, a container of superfine sugar, coasters, and a collection of colorful capirinha recipes.

As Tom powered up his PowerPoint presentation, Steve assumed the role of bartender and began inserting a variety of ingredients into a rocks glass, mashing the contents with a lime green Leblon-designed muddler, artfully pouring in the Leblon, and garnishing the drink with a wedge of lime. I was mesmerized by the performance and the finished product (caipirinha) - and the pitch hadn’t even started!

My point is that your verbal pitch can be made more memorable with a little visual creativity. No, it doesn’t have to be a fancy alcoholic drink - which in fact may make your audience suffer the opposite effect of memory loss – but it can include anything from a graphic display to a product demonstration.

I don’t preach what I don’t do. When my partners and I were pitching the TV networks our scripted pirate series entitled The Brethren (think Deadwood two hundred years earlier), I opened the hands of our audience and poured in several authentic pieces of eight (circa 1677) from the pirate stronghold of Port Royal. The sight and feel of real pirate plunder put the pitch on a different level.

Pitch with passion, purpose, and possibly, a visual experience! -- PC