How to pitch like a pro — lessons from a ‘Shark Tank’ insider

You’ve spent a lifetime building skills, learning lessons, nurturing relationships, and developing a perspective as prescient and powerful as your personal drive. You’ve poured it all into your business. Now, you have five minutes (or less) to communicate an irresistible vision for the world and convince a panel of respected — and sometimes disrespectful — judges that you can make the vision real and make some money. How do you do it?

A pitch competition is a unique moment: I have pitched in, judged, and hosted pitch competitions from Miami to Mongolia. I’m an entrepreneur and investor, and I’ve spent a decade doing casting for “Shark Tank” and other business television shows. Each year, I meet thousands of entrepreneurs around the world, evaluate their companies, and help them prepare for their big moment.

I hosted The Pitch Battle at TNW Conference in June. The contest — won by Dutch startup Tap Electric — captured what can make a founder’s story stand out. Whether you’re pitching to the Sharks or rocking the stage at a tech conference, here are a few key elements that make a pitch successful:

Nerves

Yes, nerves. While many people dedicate time and money to overcoming and outperforming nerves, I believe nerves are a critical element to any successful pitch. Why? Nerves mean you care. Some people fear public speaking, others are struck by the moment and what the funding or exposure could mean for their business, and no one wants to submit a performance that doesn’t resonate. These are all reasons to care about the pitch. These are all reasons to feel something — before, during, and after.

Entrepreneurs who open themselves to feeling the promise, intensity, and excitement of the moment create the opportunity for those feelings to fuel a passionate pitch. Feeling the moment without being consumed by the moment is a key element to a successful pitch.

Research

A successful pitch begins long before you step on stage. Know your audience and judges. Find out who will be in the room, what they care about, and how you will be scored. In practice, this means researching the judges’ backgrounds and motivations. An angel investor might prioritise traction or business model, while a corporate sponsor might look for strategic alignment. Other judges may target companies that can “do the most” with the funding or resources provided.

Don’t try to pitch everyone at once. Target the group that matters most to this competition, and give them confidence in your understanding of the market, their motivations, and how to move forward.Business

Whatever stage your business is in, tell your story, and clearly articulate how you will use the resources available and/or being requested to reach KPIs that resonate with the judges and overall competition.

Start by painting a vivid picture of the pain point. Then explain how your product or service addresses that problem in a novel way, highlighting any unique technology or approach. Next, emphasise real-world examples or user stories to make it relatable.

Lastly, define the market opportunity beyond the Total Addressable Market (TAM). Yes, decision-makers want to know that your business has the market potential to grow and scale. More than that, judges want to know how you will use the resources available to reach the market and convert.

What do the resources available to the winner of the competition mean in terms of customer touchpoints? What do the touchpoints mean in terms of conversions? What do the conversions mean in terms of top-line revenue? And what does that revenue mean for the path to profitability?

Audience

Connect with the audience. Let their energy fuel you. Invite them to participate. Building a genuine connection with your audience can set you apart. Bring energy and enthusiasm to the stage. Smile, make eye contact, and move with purpose. These simple actions help turn a formal pitch into an engaging conversation.

Invite the audience to engage with you and your business early and often. Ask a question, weave in a call-and-response, ask for a show of hands, share links — all of these pieces can drive engagement beyond the pitch.

Internalise your pitch instead of memorising it to be ready for the unexpected. Pitch as if you’re telling an exciting story to a friend rather than reading slides. This real connection – eye contact, enthusiasm, and a two-way feel — makes your message resonate.

Ask

You would be surprised at how many entrepreneurs pitch their businesses without having a clearly defined ask. As a business owner, you should have an ask for any audience you find yourself presenting to. It is up to you to know what resources are needed to take your business to the next level and to ask for those resources.

Don’t leave the most important part as a surprise — always include a clear, specific ask. Your ask is central to the pitch, and it tells the judges exactly what you need and why.

If the competition has defined prize amounts or other resources, include a nod to these resources in the ask. Let the judges and audience know that you have thought about how winning this competition will help you build your business in a practical way.

As is often the case, if your business needs additional funding or resources beyond those available during the competition, mention this broader need. Explain how the resources from the competition will support your pursuit of these resources.

Content

A good pitch isn’t a single moment in time. Documenting the preparation, pitch, and results can be an incredible way to connect with your audience. Creating clips and other content from your pitch can set your business up for success long after you drop the mic on stage.

Treat the entire process as valuable content. Document everything: your application, your acceptance into the competition (an accomplishment in and of itself), prep work, practice sessions, final slides, and even your nerves!

Record your practice pitches on video whenever possible so you can refine your delivery and also reuse clips later. After the event, save your pitch deck, photos, and videos. These materials become marketing gold. Take the polished two- to three-sentence “elevator pitch” and use it in email newsletters, on your website, or in social media posts.

Write a short blog or LinkedIn post about your pitch experience — what you learned, the outcome, and any other insights you gained. Keep your community updated: this visibility can attract customers, partners, and even future investors. Leverage social media and other channels to amplify your story.

A winning pitch is built on preparation, clarity, and connection. Research your judges, tell a crisp story, engage your audience, get specific about the resources and go-to-market strategy, make a confident and relevant ask, and then turn that one presentation into many pieces of compelling content.

These elements work together to make your pitch memorable and effective. A pitch including them can supercharge a business and accelerate your path towards growth.