The CMO of a San Francisco startup backed by A-list investors emailed about her new sales deck. "It lacks oomph," she said. "The information is there. The slides look great. But we're not telling a compelling story."
"Andy, what did you send Zack? Because his deck got a lot better. Kind of like night and day."
The Reference
What got sent was a link to Elon Musk's presentation for the Tesla Powerwall.
Musk's delivery isn't stellar. He's self-conscious and fidgety. But at the end, his audience cheers.
For a battery.
That's because Musk does five things right that you should emulate in every pitch you ever make to anybody. And you should do them in this order:
The 5 Elements
- Name the enemy
- Answer "Why now?"
- Show the promised land before explaining how you'll get there
- Identify obstacles -- then explain how you'll overcome them
- Present evidence that you're not just blowing hot air
1. Name the Enemy
Never start a pitch by talking about yourself, your team, your product, or your total addressable market.
Instead, start by naming the thing that's getting in the way of your customer's happiness.
Do that by painting an emotionally resonant picture of how your customer is struggling, who/what is to blame, and why.
Musk's villain: Fossil fuels. When he shows the image of burning fossil fuels, you can practically hear Darth Vader's ominous breath.
2. Answer "Why Now?"
Audiences -- particularly investors -- are skeptical. They're thinking:
"People have lived this way for a long time -- are they really going to change now?"
Handle this objection by showing that we're at a critical point. If we don't act now, things quickly get much, much worse.
Musk's approach: He shows the Keeling Curve -- the growth of atmospheric CO2 concentration. When he says, "We should collectively do something about this," his audience howls in support.
3. Show the Promised Land First
Before saying anything about your product, describe your version of happily-ever-after.
Showing the enemy's defeat before explaining how you'll make it happen can feel wrong -- like blurting out the punchline before you've told a joke.
But when an audience knows where you're headed, they're much more likely to buckle in for the ride.
Musk's promised land: A civilization powered by "this handy fusion reactor in the sky, called the Sun." He describes this vision before saying anything about batteries.
4. Identify Obstacles -- Then Overcome Them
Now that you've shared your vision of the future:
(a) Lay out the obstacles to achieving it
(b) Show how your company/product/service will overcome each one
There had better be some big, nasty obstacles -- otherwise who needs what you're selling?
Musk addresses three obstacles to a solar-powered world:
- Obstacle 1: The amount of energy produced by solar panels varies throughout the day and night (thus the need for batteries)
- Obstacle 2: Most people think the land area required for batteries to store enough energy would be really huge (but according to Musk, it's a tiny red dot in Texas)
- Obstacle 3: Currently available batteries "suck" in seven specific ways
By this point, Musk's audience is practically salivating for the Powerwall product video, which will explain how Powerwall does not suck in each of those seven ways.
The fancy graphics and dramatic music only work because Musk has set up the Powerwall not as a battery, but as the salvation of mankind.
5. Present Evidence
Audiences are skeptical. So you must give them evidence that the future you've laid out is, indeed, attainable.
Musk's proof: He lets the audience in on a secret -- Powerwall batteries have been supplying the energy for the auditorium in which he's speaking. As proof, he zooms in on a meter which registers zero power from the grid.
Types of Evidence (Most to Least Persuasive):
- Results from early/beta customers -- Most compelling
- Live demos -- Strong, especially for early-stage companies
- Testimonials from potential customers -- Better than nothing, but least persuasive
The Complete Framework
- Name the enemy -- Paint an emotionally resonant picture of the struggle
- Answer "Why now?" -- Show we're at a critical point
- Show the promised land -- Describe happily-ever-after before the product
- Identify and overcome obstacles -- Big, nasty problems your product solves
- Present evidence -- Prove the future is attainable
Why This Works
Most pitches fail because they start with the wrong thing. They open with:
- The team's background
- The product features
- The total addressable market
- The technology stack
None of these create emotional resonance. None of these make the audience feel something.
The enemy does.
When you name the enemy first, you're not selling a product. You're leading a movement. You're inviting your audience to join you in defeating something that matters.
Musk didn't sell a battery. He sold the salvation of mankind. The battery was just how you get there.
That's why they cheered.
Apply This Today
Take your current pitch deck. Ask yourself:
- What slide do you open with? Is it the enemy, or is it about you?
- Where do you answer "why now?" Do you even answer it?
- When do you describe the promised land -- before or after you explain the product?
- Are your obstacles big and nasty enough that people need what you're selling?
- What evidence do you present? Is it compelling enough?
Restructure in this order. Then watch what happens.