The present, on paper
Who pays, how often, and the one number, with the source. If the number is soft, say how soft.
How to Pitch a Business
Pitch a business in the present tense. A buyer, a bank, a partner, or a franchisee is underwriting what the business is, not the story of what it might become.
Wer im Raum sitzt
Someone buying the business, lending to it, partnering with it, or taking a territory. They have seen pitches that were startup decks with the logo changed. They are listening for customers, cash, and the decision.
Three to five minutes. The first minute is the business as it is. The plan comes after they trust the present. A one-minute film can carry the first minute and travel ahead of you.
[Business] gets paid by [who] for [what], [how often]. We want [the decision] by [date].
Was zu sagen ist, in dieser Reihenfolge
What it is
The business in one sentence a customer would recognise. Not a mission statement.
Who pays, and how often
The customer, the offer, and whether they pay once, monthly, or per job. This is the sentence a bank writes down.
The number that matters
One number: revenue, margin, retention, or jobs per week. Say what it is and the period. Do not stack five.
Why this listener wins
The buyer’s return, the partner’s empty shelf, the lender’s coverage. Their win, not your ambition.
The decision
What you want them to approve, by when. A sale, a facility, a territory, a pilot. One.
Klammern füllen
Hat eine Klammer keine Tatsache, streichen Sie den Satz. Erfinden Sie keine Zahl.
- The business
[Name] [does the job] for [who].
- Who pays
They pay [how: once, monthly, per job] for [the offer]. That has been true for [how long].
- The number
The number to hold is [metric] over [period]. Here is where it comes from: [the source].
- Their win
For you, that means [the buyer’s, partner’s, or lender’s outcome].
- Decision
The decision we need by [date] is [the approval].
Was bereitliegen muss
The weak month
They will find it. You gain nothing by making them find it alone. Say what it was and what you did.
Their win
Write the sentence from their side before you write yours.
The decision and the date
A pitch without a decision is a tour. Put the date on it so it can be refused or accepted.
The present tense, then the plan
Startup language leaks into business pitches and ruins them. A going concern does not need a total addressable market in minute one. It needs a customer who already pays, and a number that survives the folder they will ask for.
The plan belongs in minute two, after the present. Buyers and lenders discount a future that is larger than the past you just refused to describe.
Wo es scheitert
A startup deck with the logo swapped
Vision, market size, and a team slide tell this room you do not know what they underwrite.
Hiding the weak month
The documents contain it. Finding it without you is the moment they stop trusting the rest.
Five numbers and no point
Pick the number that matches the listener. A buyer may need profit. A partner may need repeat orders. A lender may need coverage.
No decision
“We wanted to share what we do” is not a pitch. Name the approval.
Zum Film machen
Record the present tense — who pays, the number, and the decision — as a one-minute film you can send ahead of the meeting.
A project video runs about a minute, in three chapters: the painful situation, the solution, and the advantages. You submit the name, the audience, the situation, the solution, how it works, the evidence and the next step, and you can upload a plan, a deck, a PDF or photos. You see the production plan before anything is made. Do not include a result you cannot source. A film is delivered only after it passes checks, and charged only once delivered.
In der Beta braucht eine neue Adresse einen Einladungscode. Sonst schreiben Sie an den Vertrieb.
FAQ
How do I pitch a business for sale?
Open with what it is, who pays, and the number a buyer will check. Then why they win, then the process and the date. The growth story comes after they believe the present.
How do I pitch a business to a bank?
Same opening, and the number they can tie to repayment. Say the weak month yourself. Ask for the facility, the amount, and the term. Do not ask them to “partner on the journey.”
How is this different from pitching a startup?
A startup pitch can be about a company that is still becoming. A business pitch is about a company that already charges. If you are pre-revenue, you do not have this pitch yet.
How long should it be?
Three to five minutes live. The first minute, which is also the film, is only the present: who pays, the number, and the decision.