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Giacomo Balli
The Mobile Guy

Over a decade of mobile experience at your service.
I help business owners leverage mobile technology.

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Startups – How NOT to pitch a big brand

DON'T:
Insult me by insulting the company for which I work.
Tell me what we're doing wrong, and how you can fix it.
Tell me what you think my brand's problem is.
Pretend like you know my brand when it's obvious to me that you don't.
Don't tell me that my competitors are working with you, and that's why we should work with you, too.
Show up half an hour late to a meeting. Ever.
Don't think that we're going to sign a contract and start working together in two weeks. That's never going to happen.
Tell me that your impending acquisition depends on securing my brand as a partner.
Expect my brand to provide a resource to manage the partnership. DO:
Your research. I will know within one minute of our meeting if you know anything at all about my brand.
Explain how your product compares to others like it.
Tell me what my competitors are doing and how working with your company can help my brand surpass them.
Provide current metrics – real ones. I know the definition of “projections”.
Have a pitch deck prepared. I may not want to see it, but might choose to circulate it to other stakeholders.
Explain why you, as an individual, are awesome, but don't start with “I'm so amazing because…” People connect with people AND products.
Have an idea of exactly how you want to work with my brand. And provide options.
Offer to take on ALL of the heavy lifting. It shows that you value my brand, my bottom line, and are willing to work, a lot.
Visit my brand's website before our meeting. Obviously.
via practically fancy.
A little bonus: the original Foursquare investor pitch deck from 2009 when they were just another startup.

#pitch, #startup
Published: Sun, Feb 3 2013 @ 8:42:43
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