November is a busy month for anyone starting a business. Chambers of commerce hold their networking evenings before the holidays. Regional pitch competitions and entrepreneurship contests are accepting entries. The bank wants a meeting before year-end. In each of these settings, someone will ask the same question: what does your business do?
Most people answer it poorly. The reason is rarely the quality of the business. It is that they have never practised presenting it out loud, in order, in under two minutes.
We teach pitching as part of the 12-week business launch program we deliver online, and the structure below is the one we consistently rely on. It is effective on a competition stage, in front of a loans officer, and in conversation with a stranger at a networking reception.
What structure should a two-minute pitch follow?
An effective pitch has four parts: problem, solution, proof and request. Each takes roughly 30 seconds, although the timing does not need to be strict.
1. The problem
Begin with the problem rather than with yourself. Who faces it, and why is it costly or difficult for them? Be specific. "Small businesses struggle with marketing" is too general to hold attention. "Most of the campgrounds in our area still take reservations by phone, and they lose bookings every night after the office closes" is a problem the listener can picture.
If the listener agrees at this stage, you have their attention. If they appear confused, the rest of the pitch is unlikely to be understood.
2. The solution
Explain what you do about the problem, in plain language. One or two sentences on what the customer receives are sufficient; a feature list is not needed. Leave out the technical details unless the listener asks for them.
3. The proof
Most pitches omit this part, yet it is what distinguishes a pitch from an aspiration. Why should anyone believe the business will work? Proof can be modest: pre-orders, a first paying customer, twenty interviews that all reached the same conclusion, a pilot that ran for a month, or your own background if it is directly relevant. Figures are helpful when they are accurate. Avoid rounding up, and do not present market sizes you cannot support.
4. The request
Conclude with one clear request: a loan of a specific amount for a specific purpose, an introduction to someone, a meeting the following week, or a first order. A single request is essential. People can act on one request; when presented with three, they tend to act on none.
How can you remove jargon from a pitch?
We recommend a simple test: imagine explaining the business to your grandmother, and remove or replace every word that would prompt her to stop you.
Examples include "omnichannel", "scalable", "disruptive", "solution-oriented", "synergies" and "AI-powered platform". Since the arrival of ChatGPT, the last expression appears in almost every pitch we hear about, and it usually conveys no information. If AI plays an important role in your business, state what it does. "It answers booking questions at night so the owner does not have to" is clear. "Leveraging AI" is not.
The same applies to industry acronyms. They are familiar to you, but not to the person across the table.
Plain language does not simplify the substance. It shows respect for the listener's attention. It also demonstrates that you understand your own business, which is precisely what a lender or a judge is trying to assess.
How should a pitch be adapted to different settings?
The structure remains the same; the emphasis changes.
- At a bank or a funding meeting, the proof and the request deserve more time. Present the amount, its intended use and the repayment plan. Have the cash-flow forecast with you, but do not open with it.
- At a pitch competition, the problem and the solution carry more weight, because judges review many files in a single day. Make the problem concrete and stay within the time limit. Exceeding it gives an impression of poor preparation, even when that is not the case.
- At a networking evening, reduce the pitch to thirty seconds and keep the request modest. "I am looking to meet people who run campgrounds in the region" is an ideal networking request, because people can help with it immediately.
How can you practise a pitch without sounding memorized?
Start by writing the pitch down. Then read it aloud and time it. The first version is almost always too long. Shorten it until it fits, then shorten it again.
Next, stop reading. Learn the four parts and the one or two key sentences in each, while allowing the wording to vary slightly each time. A pitch recited word for word sounds like a recording, and listeners lose interest. The goal is to know the order well enough to present it naturally, even under pressure.
Practise with real people. Friends are suitable for this stage, unlike for customer research. Ask them to restate what the business does. If they cannot, the pitch is not yet clear. Mentors are even more valuable. Organizations such as Futurpreneur Canada pair young entrepreneurs with mentors, and your local SADC or chamber of commerce often knows people who have served as judges in these competitions.
We also recommend recording yourself once on your phone. The exercise can be uncomfortable, as it reveals every hesitation and every sentence that trails off, but it is very effective.
What should happen after the two minutes?
A good pitch does not close a deal; it earns a follow-up conversation. Be prepared for the questions it raises: how much, how soon, who else offers this, and what happens if it does not work.
Have something to hand over: a card with a working website address and, at a minimum, a simple landing page that explains what you do and how to reach you. If someone looks you up the next morning and finds nothing, the pitch loses half its effect.
Follow up within a couple of days with a short email that reminds the person who you are and restates your request. Most people do not follow up, which makes this a simple way to stand out.
Two minutes may seem short. It is sufficient when you know precisely what you want the other person to do once you have finished speaking.