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The 8s2c Startup Pitch Accelerator

Founders, are you struggling to get your pitch together?

You’re not alone, pitching is tough & we don’t get enough practice & support before big opportunities.

Do you find it hard to get the important messages you want to share out of your head & into a clear logical flow?

Do you dread the thought of standing in front of investors?

Do you keep running out of time & pitching a just finished deck?

Pitching feels overwhelming because we want so much to succeed. But we don’t know where to even start.

We tell ourselves:

“I’m too busy right now, I’ll do it tonight.”

“I can use what I’ve pitched before & just change a few slides.”

“Once I get started, I will be fine.”

This results in wasted time, wasted energy, & wasted breath because it feels like no one’s listening.

Why does this happen?

Because we are missing a proven, repeatable process, something you can use time & time again to help you easily craft a winning pitch. We’re also missing feedback & a comfortable, welcoming space in which to practice.

Not only that, but we tell ourselves negative stories

We spend more time pitching to ourselves why we will fail rather than working on our pitch.

“They won’t like my idea.”

“They will ask hard questions.”

“They’ll be judging me.”

This only fuels our anxiety towards pitching.

When we are anxious…it feels like nothing goes right.

We struggle to focus our ideas because we lose sight of our goals.

We panic when finding visuals & designing the slides, so the pitch ends up wordy & cluttered.

We feel like we have nowhere to turn for support, or to get constructive feedback.

Yes, there is some help out there for free.

There are 100’s of ‘how-to-pitch videos’ on YouTube. There are 1000’s of great blog posts breaking it down step by step. There are tons of online resources & charts.

 

But that’s only head knowledge. 

Often more information is not the answer. Without someone to guide you through the entire process, it can get confusing & overwhelming, leading to decision fatigue & zero progress.

 

To master pitching, we have to both create the pitch, & deliver it, with confidence.

 

We need to practice & demonstrate our learning, with support & feedback from people we know & trust.

Do you tell yourself this time it is going to be different?

 

“I will make the time.”

“No more interruptions.”

“Focus focus focus.”

 

But then you keep getting distracted & find yourself stressed out, rushing to finish your pitch, hoping it will somehow magically come together by itself at the last minute?

It's time to rewrite the negative stories you tell yourself about pitching.

It’s time to learn, practice, & own the great stories you have & get your winning pitch together.

Hi my name is Martin & from 20 years of experience pitching to CEO’s, leaders of multinational brands & working with 1000’s of founders & I know how stressful & frustrating pitching can be. Especially when it’s one of many tasks in our lives & one which has a big impact on our success & progress.

I’ve learnt the hard way that to reach our full potential & pitch whatever we want, whenever we want, with total confidence we need process, practice & feedback.

 

To make this happen I’d like to personally invite you to join the Startup Pitch Accelerator.

 

The accelerator is a mix of online videos, live Zoom sessions, asynchronous performance and feedback loops designed to help you learn not just how to craft a bullseye pitch, but to deliver it with confidence, too!

 

Learn from the videos in your own time then practice your new skills in the weekly group classes.

 

The Startup Pitch Accelerator gives you a zero-risk environment with stakes, nothing to lose, yet healthy pressure to perform.

You’ll be learning from peer feedback & on-the-spot coaching; your new knowledge will be applied in live pitches with assessment & goals

 

Group feedback & accountability is the key to your improvement.

The Startup Pitch Accelerator works to your schedule and we stay in weekly contact in direct message as well as group calls.

As soon as you have booked your spot, you’ll receive a link to schedule a 20-minute 1-on-1 call to get started.

  1. Learn in your time from 18 online videos (4 hours total).
  2. Supported with 18 worksheets to organize your thinking & progress in a structured way that gets results.
  3. Access your private Volley pitch channel to send me videos as your performance improves and get personalised video feedback.
  4. Practice in weekly group sessions with peer feedback, self-assessment & live coaching.
  5. Review your pitch slide by slide with personalized feedback.
  6. Share and reflect in 1-on-1 calls to really discuss your personal development.
  7. Stack your learning & grow your confidence in a structured way following a process.
  8. Perform in increasingly challenging moments.

Learn a process you can use for every future pitch.

I’ve worked with 1000’s of founders at startup events with Chinaccelerator, Pitch Club, Plug And Play, Startup Grind, The HULT Prize, TechSPARK, AngelHack, The Startup Club & The British Chamber of Commerce in Asia & Europe, helping founders structure their message, perform with confidence & connect with their audience.

“Martin inspires founders to change & improve which is instrumental to deliver confident & engaging pitches. He really helps them enjoy their presentations & get the best of each founder.”

Oscar Ramos SOSV/Chinaccelerator Partner/managing Director

“Martin captured the audience’s attention with humorous & educational learning points. He motivated some founders to try their pitches in the workshop were they were given clear & honest feedback”

Holly Clayman Communication & Community Manager STARTUP AUTOBAHN Powered by Plug And Play

“I found attending the workshop to be very beneficial & useful for how I structured my message & my preparation for pitching online at the virtual event.”

Louise Bashall, Founder, Concussion IQ

“Having feedback is a great way to improve, & Martin’s insights are becoming my checklist to prepare myself for not just pitching, but whenever I need to present.”

Shaun Moore, Founder

The goal of the Startup Pitch Accelerator is to eliminate doubt & anxiety & replace it with skills & confidence.

Every time you pitch you increase your value.

 

Pitching is a life skill that constantly improves.

 

We can all be excellent at pitching, it’s in our DNA.

 

From positive, challenging & supportive experiences, you will improve & be empowered with a new growth mindset

Now is the perfect time to start.

On this accelerator, you will commit to build momentum & feel a surge of improvement. At the end you will have mastered your pitch.

 

I have pitched to Hollywood A-listers, senior leadership at The Volkswagen Group China & made the presentation for leaders at Mercedes.

 

I have worked with the CEO’s of million-dollar tech companies to simplify their message & tell powerful stories. 

 

I have coached 1000’s of founders at startup events in Europe & Asia so they own the stage at demo-day.

I've learned from 20 years of pitching that progress & improvement are closer than you think.

I will share with you the mindset, structures & process for pitching with confidence & clarity.

Don’t be trapped by the stories you tell yourself of what you can’t do.

Instead, be liberated by the stories you tell others.

Own your story & have the confidence & skills to pitch your success.

Join the Startup Pitch Accelerator & let’s sort your pitch out.

Start now, success is closer than you think.

Terms & Conditions

  1. Lifetime access to the video content and worksheets.
  2. If the course is taken offline for any reason, you will receive access to the video files on Youtube.
  3. Seven-day money-back guarantees no questions if you are not satisfied with the content and remote feedback steps.
  4. If you are unable to make the live sessions for any reason, you will be provided with a recording and you can submit a pitch for remote feedback via Pitcherific.
  5. You are responsible for all your confidential information. Eight Seconds To Connect is not liable in any way for the potential misuse of your business ideas which are used during the 14-Day Pitch Accelerator. The Accelerator training does not require you to share any sensitive or confidential information.
How fast can I do the Startup Pitch Accelerator?

As fast as you need to. If you have a pitch event coming up we can work on this however we need at least 10 days to prepare and make the most of the opportunity.

 

You can watch the video content as fast as you like, in fact I watch videos on x1.5 speed and then rewatch them a few weeks later to refresh myself.

 

You will get the most out of this course by having momentum and focus. Sprinting and crossing the finish line, not sprinting and falling short.

 

We want to build momentum and stack skills at a swift pace, so you feel the effects of the focused application of new ideas and processes. 

 

Pitching skills are not rocket science, so the faster they are learned, practiced, and applied, the quicker you will feel results.

What happens if I miss a live session?

All sessions will be recorded, and a link to the session will be shared in the Linkedin Group Chat.

Are my new pitching skills guaranteed to secure investment?

No.

 

Nothing in life is guaranteed. It all depends on how hard you work at making opportunities happen. If anyone 100% guarantees success, avoid them.

What is the difference between the price options?

The main difference is the amount of 1on1 contact time to discuss your personal development and provide bespoke feedback and recommendations.

What happens after the Startup Pitch Accelerator?

You will have a superstar pitch and feel confident with your pitching skills, and we will stay in close contact on Linkedin.

Who else will be in the accelerator?

Fellow like-minded founders. 

Will any investors see the pitches?

No.

This accelerator does not include the participation of any investors. 

However, I am connected with pitch events with active investors and, in the future, can connect you with the organisers and valuable online content. 

When I pitch, is my business idea protected?

Please be aware that you will be sharing your business ideas during the training as we develop your pitch, but you are responsible for keeping sensitive information confidential.

The training does not require you to share IP or detailed financial information.

Why is this accelerator a group program?

I have seen first hand that you make the best progress when receiving and giving peer feedback. 

You need to pitch in moments when there are stakes to perform to your best ability, yet this accelerator is a zero-risk environment as the only person who can influence your future is you.