NAILING THE VIRTUAL INVESTOR PITCH

When seeking money these days, some things are different—and some are exactly the same.

- CHENOA FARNSWORTH

As the managing partner of the Hawaiian global startup accelerator Blue Startups, as well as an active angel investor, I’ve heard hundreds of virtual pitches since COVID-19 began—and seen entrepreneurs repeat the same errors. Virtual calls can be stressful, but entrepreneurship is about solving problems. If you can’t nail a virtual call, I worry about your ability to solve more critical issues. Parts of pitching haven’t changed: You should still get a warm intro to investors (I pass on hundreds of cold emails every week!), and you should still thoroughly research whom you’re talking to. Beyond that, here are five ways to hold an investor’s attention during a virtual pitch.

1 Make sure they’re writing checks.