Everybody learns to pitch at Pitch Club

(That’s the first rule of Pitch Club. The other rule is: everybody talks about Pitch Club).

Marie Dowling of Newsary practicing her pitch skills at Pitch Club’s last workshop

Over the years I’ve become known as one of Australia’s best startup pitch coaches, for programs such as Australia’s best-known accelerator Startmate as well as Atto, BlueChilli, Catalysr, Collider, CyRise, Fishburners, LuminaX, Monash Generator, Moonshot, muru-D, QUT Collider, Remarkable, Sydney School of Entrepreneurship, Sydney University Genesis, UNSW and UTS Startups.

I would estimate 1–2% of the startup founders I’ve met already knew how to create and deliver a great pitch at the start. Yet many of those I’ve coached have gone on to deliver standing-ovation-level pitches. I’m good at this. And I can make everyone better at this.

Why does it take work? The answers are simple: pitching skills are not something anybody is born with, they don’t come naturally to most of us, and so pitching is something most of us have gone to great lengths to avoid doing, or even practising.

If you ask me, that’s very understandable — standing in front of a room of people (or seated across a boardroom table, or up close across a coffeeshop table, for that matter) and trying to tell a convincing story of the future of your company is stressful and hard… At least,, it can be if you try to do it alone.

So, I’ve launched a pitch training program of my own — Pitch Club — and I want to prove to you that you can do this.

Pitch Club’s members meet regularly to learn how to improve their pitching skills and practice, with expert help from me, and the support of a growing community. In-between Pitch Clubs we practice what we’ve learned and share it in a Slack community.

One of our members describes Pitch Club as “like a masterclass in storytelling x open mic night x improv” and that nicely captures the collaborative, informal, supportive atmosphere.

It also helps that Pitch Club happens in a cool underground bar, with food and drinks included in your ticket price.

Antony Joseph asking for a show of hands (always a risky move) in the opening of his pitch for Bike Party.

The power of Pitch Club is only 10% about what I’ll teach you — it’s 90% knowing that you’ll be accountable to your fellow Pitch Club members, and we will expect you to do your practising between Pitch Club workshops and upload your pitch recordings for more feedback and advice.

For now, Pitch Club is limited to 20 people per workshop, and previous participants get first dibs at a ticket. And for now, Pitch Club only happens once a month, in Surry Hills. Our next session is Monday, 1 July.

Your pitch doesn’t have to suck. Join us at Pitchclub.coach