You’ve done all your work and you’re finally ready to do some face time with your investor. Before you get too comfortable, face this. Your investor (or funder or distributor) is very busy, probably a whole lot busier than you. (If not, you’re probably meeting with the wrong person.)

Worse, there’s a line of people behind you, all waiting for their turn. And even worse than that, you only have FIVE MINUTES to make your impression, make your pitch and make your way back out again.

Heart stopping, ain’t it?

At its heart, this is that elevator speech* you’ve always feared. The stuff of nightmares. Your whole life boiled down to five blood-pounding, heart-stopping minutes.

* The elevator doors close and you’re alone with The Money. The Money smiles and asks “so what brings you here….” All you have are your wits, your pitch and the time it takes to get from the ground floor to the executive suite.

Now how in the world are you going to do that…?  Pretty easily actually. If you’ve done your homework.

Unlike your imaginary elevator companion, your investor is not there by fluke. Your potential investor has agreed to meet with you because there’s a problem that needs fixing. You’re in this meeting to solve that problem. Maybe your investor just needs a good investment. Or happens to be on the lookout for new opportunities. Or might even have a tale to tell the world….

You have to know exactly why. That’s your job here. If you don’t know the investor’s problem, you’re delivering your pitch way, way, way too soon.

Of course you know why YOU’RE there. You want money, in one form or another (cash, sponsorship, grants, maybe product placement, distribution, even a contract). But you also have to know why this investor is meeting with you. (I can promise you, it’s not because you asked nicely.)

Before you step into that elevator (office, boardroom, whatever) you have to come equipped with all the solutions to your investor’s problems. As long as you keep your focus on your investor, you’re going to do just fine. Chatter on about the wonderful story you want to tell, you’ll go home empty-handed and probably heartbroken, too.

Here’s a barebones structure for your five minutes. These first two will go quickly.

1.    Introduce yourself
2.    Acknowledge the investor’s previous work
3.    Discuss current cinema as it applies to your film
4.    Describe your film, casting, producer & director

Three minutes to go and they should all belong to business.

5.    How will this project solve the investor’s needs
6.    What’s the DEAL you’re offering
7.    Where will profits come from
8.    What’s the anticipated ROI

That’s it, you’re done and this meeting is over. Stand up. Shake hands, hand over your business card, your deck, and any leave-behinds. And leave. Don’t even think about lingering like a teenager on a first date. No kissing will ensue no matter how long you stand and shuffle. Get up and get out.

Can you really do this?  Of course you can.

Think how much information gets crammed into one thirty-second TV commercial. The secret is careful planning and endless rehearsal. Hone, trim, think, rehearse. Then start all over and do it again.

Gather criticism like manna. Rewrite, revise, rethink and rehearse yet again. And again and again.

That’s all it takes. Three very basic steps.

1. Get your pitch down pat.
2. Know who you’re talking to.
3. Never pitch until you’re really, really ready. 

And relax, too. No one gives money to a nervous filmmaker.

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“Winding Up, Going Into the Pitch” was originally
published by the New York Times’ site, Baseline, as
“Winding up, going into the pitch…” in their Research Wrap Blog.
It is still available at that location.