Module 5, Video 11: Making a Pitch (Part Two)

Transcript
Part 2, Product Description. In Part 2, the speaker describes the product, explains how it is used, and highlights the
benefits. Here's an example:

Best Bicycle Delivery Service is a delivery service that helps busy people quickly deliver goods in the local market
and help the environment at the same time. It's very easy to use. The customer calls a number, schedules a pick
up, and gives the package to a cyclist who makes the delivery. Best Bicycle Delivery Service delivers important
packages five days a week, even in heavy traffic. It's much faster than a delivery truck and better for the
environment.

Did you notice that this part started with the one sentence product description we have seen before? Also, did you
notice how part two includes adjectives, intensifiers, and comparatives, making the speech more persuasive
as you learned in unit three?

Let's review a simple structure for part two.

Start with a simple one sentence product description. Best Bicycle Delivery Service is a delivery service that helps
busy people quickly deliver goods in the local market and help the environment at the same time.

Then add, it’s very easy to use, followed by an explanation of how to use the product that includes a simple verb
phrases. The customer calls a number, schedules a pick-up, and gives the package to a cyclist who makes the
delivery.

Continue with another explanation about something special the business offers. Best Bicycle Delivery Service
delivers important packages five days a week, even in heavy traffic.

And close with a strong comparative statement. It's much faster than a delivery track and better for the
environment.

Part 3, Opportunity Statement.

In Part 3, the speaker makes a statement to show that the new product or business presents an opportunity in the
market. Often, the entrepreneur does this by sharing survey results from market research. This shows that the
entrepreneur has done research, and that the new product has a good chance of success. For example, Our surveys
show that 90% of respondents buy and sell products by phone or online in the local community and 80% of
respondents are interested in using the Best Bicycle Delivery Service.

By using the phrase, Our surveys show that, followed by persuasive survey data, the speaker can make a
persuasive opportunity statement in one simple sentence.

Part 4, Confident Closing. For many people, the most memorable part of a pitch is the closing. Therefore, it's
important to finish with three sentences that remind the listener of the Company/Product Name, express
confidence in the idea and invite further discussion.

© 2022 by FHI 360 M5 T11: Making a Pitch (Part Two) Transcript for the Online Professional English Network
(OPEN), sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. government and
administered by FHI 360. This work is an adaptation of Making a Pitch by University of Pennsylvania licensed 1
under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 4.0 License, except where noted. To view a copy of this
license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Here's an example:

Best Bicycle Delivery is a great business opportunity. Here's my business card. Please feel free to contact
me if you would like to know more. Notice that in the first sentence the speaker uses the positive adjective,
great, to highlight the opportunity and describe the business with confidence. Preparing a pitch like this
helps an entrepreneur communicate clearly and more persuasively. However; delivery is also important. In
other words, the way the speaker makes the pitch can make a difference.

Remember, a pitch is a persuasive speech that encourages someone to support the business in some way. The four
parts of a possible elevator pitch are, a hook, a product description, an opportunity statement, and a confident
closing. You can review a more detailed template for an elevator pitch on the course site. In our next video, we will
learn about different ways to create an effective pitch. Then, we'll discuss the ways entrepreneurs appear
confident and persuasive when giving a pitch.