I’ve been involved with startups, new business ventures, and innovation processes for decades. New ideas are always exciting. I get to see new technology, hear big visions of the future, and meet up-and-coming leaders and companies.

With the explosion of artificial intelligence, there’s now an unprecedented wave of new products, services, work processes, and business models flooding into the world. As a result, people are pitching ideas more than ever before, whether to investors, partners, or their own teams.

But despite the recognition that pitching is a critical step in moving ideas forward, many innovators don’t fully appreciate the importance of the role of psychology in making their pitches successful.

When you pitch a new idea to investors, senior leadership, or even just your team, you’re not only proposing a product, business investment, or project. You’re inviting people to believe in something new.

You’re asking them to change how they see the world, their role in it, and the value of doing things differently. You’re asking them for a psychological shift.

This isn’t just about how behemoth companies like Airbnb, Uber, and Dropbox get their initial funding. It’s about how any idea gets off the ground and gains traction. It’s also not about promoting whizbang technology or flashy new products. It’s about connecting to, influencing, and convincing people to pause, listen, connect, and take action that makes change.

I’ve written a lot about the structure of a great business pitch. You need to have a big idea, identify the target market, articulate clear customer needs, define your proposed breakthrough solution, and talk about how you’ll create competitive advantage supported by a compelling business model.

These are the “mechanics” of a good pitch. Without them, your storyline falls flat.

But while mechanics are necessary, they’re not sufficient. How you present these elements separates good pitches........

© Psychology Today