Showing posts with label vancouver. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vancouver. Show all posts

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Elevator pitching: taking you to the next level


You have a brilliant idea that’s going to change the world (or at the very least give Angry Birds a run for its money). Now all you have to do is come up with the dough to make it happen.

After tapping out all your friends and family for money, you realize it may be time to hit up some VCs for investment. Like an audition for the Shark Tank or its Canadian equivalent, Dragon’s Den, you may only have a few seconds before one of your “judges” hits the buzzer sending you packing.

The secret to a successful meeting? Having a strong elevator pitch that captivates your potential investors within the first few seconds and has them wanting to hear more.

The summary of your product or company should be delivered within the time span of an elevator ride (hence the suitable name) and is your opportunity to leave a memorable impression and get your audience hooked. A well-crafted elevator pitch is also helpful during interviews when asked to “describe yourself”, when meeting people at trade shows and networking events, when speaking to reporters or marketing products. This is your movie trailer, and you want your audience to leave thinking “I want to see that”.

Tuesday, July 26, (W)right On Communications’ Julie Wright (President) and Tomica Divic (Vancouver office Account Exec) will be hosting a presentation on Elevator Pitching at Wavefront in Vancouver. Wavefront, the commercialization centre accelerating the growth of Canada’s wireless companies, will bring in a slew of innovative start-ups seeking seeding. The session will include everything from key content elements to how to effectively deliver your message in person.

The following day Julie and Tomica will attend a session where Wavefront companies pitch one another. Stay tuned as we’ll plan to be tweeting live from the event, from 11 to 1:30 Wednesday, July 27th . Follow us at @A_tomica and @juliewright.

In the meantime, check out these fun examples of a winning elevator pitch and one that’s sure to leave your funder stunned.



Friday, March 19, 2010

5 ideas for a better Team Canada chant


A long-time client with business on both sides of Canada-U.S. border was telling me how much he enjoyed the Vancouver 2010 games. And then he threw down a great and fun challenge.

Dave is a proud American, but he found himself pulling for Canada during the Olympics while he was in Vancouver on business during the games.

He could not bring himself to audibly cheer for the Canadian athletes, however, and not for the reason you think! His problem? Canada's chant of 'Go Canada Go' was just too goofy.

My challenge, with your help, is to draft a new Team Canada chant that Americans can comfortably use. Let me know if you have a favorite or an alternate suggestion:

1. Apology Chant: This is a 'when in Rome' strategy and can be country-specific such as "Sorry Sweden! Sorry Sweden!" (Note: it's 'sore-ry,' not 'sahr-ry.') Or, it can be generic and fit all occasions: "Pardon us! Pardon us!"

2. Anthem Chant: "O Canada O!" While Canadians are famously polite, their national anthem carries a more-in-your-face message: Canada is "the true North strong and free." (The civility thing is just a facade. Don't believe me? Consider the brawling nature of Canada's national sport. This hommage to the anthem is all about the subtext.)

3. Obama Chant: "Yes we Canada!" About 45% of Americans will either love or hate this chant. The other 10% are undecided and could swing either way.

4. U-S-A Chant:
"Ca-Na-Da!" (Chant and repeat).

5. Bilingual Chant: "Allez Canada! Go Canada!" or "Vive la Canada! Long live Canada!" If you're the guest of a Canadian government official, this is the recommended chant.

What would you propose?