How do you pitch a business idea so stakeholders understand and back it?
Plan and deliver a persuasive pitch that communicates the value proposition and business case to stakeholders.
How to structure and deliver a persuasive business pitch that communicates the problem, value proposition, business model and ask to stakeholders, backed by evidence and a clear story.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
Have a quick question? Jump to the Q&A page
Jump to a section
What this dot point is asking
You need to show you can communicate your venture persuasively and concisely, supported by your prototype and evidence, and respond to questions.
Who the stakeholders are and what they want
Stakeholders are anyone with an interest in the venture: investors, customers, partners, mentors, a panel of judges. Different stakeholders care about different things. Investors want returns and a credible business model; customers want the benefit to them; partners want a workable arrangement. A good pitch is tailored to the audience in front of you.
A structure that works
A reliable pitch arc moves the audience from the problem to your ask:
- Hook and problem - open with the problem, ideally as a relatable story or a striking statistic.
- Solution and value proposition - what you offer and the value it delivers to a defined segment.
- Evidence - proof it works: customer research, testing results, traction, the prototype.
- Business model - how you make money and why it is viable (key numbers, not a spreadsheet dump).
- The team - why you can deliver it.
- The ask - the specific support you want (funding, a partnership, a trial) and what you will do with it.
Delivering persuasively
Persuasion combines a credible argument, evidence and an engaging delivery. Keep slides clean (one idea each), tell a story rather than reciting facts, show the prototype live if you can, and use confident, clear body language and pace. Practise to time - many pitches are strictly limited (for example, three to five minutes).
Handling questions
Expect questions on demand, competition, costs and risks. Answer honestly; acknowledging a weakness and explaining how you will manage it builds more credibility than pretending there are none.
Linking forward
Your pitch draws on every earlier stage - the opportunity, value proposition, model, financials and prototype - and is assessed directly in the Business Idea Pitch and Prototype task. The reasoning behind it also feeds the external Business Plan.