The 3-Minute Rule

By Brant Pinvidic

Say less to get more from any pitch or presentation

• The three-minute rule also applies to your audience and the people they have to pitch to
• Your pitch needs to answer four questions
  • What is it? (What problem it solves, who it can help or what makes it unique) (in 9 sentences)
  • How does it work? (in 7 sentences)
  • Are you sure? (in 6 sentences)
  • And can you do it? (in 1)
• Make sure your pitch is filled with your most important and interesting information
• Opening
  • reason for being - story of how and why you became interested, invested or involved in the idea, product, service or company you're pitching
  • Tell your aha moment - the moment everything clicked and you realized you were onto something with whatever it is you're pitching
• Callback
  • This is a moment in your pitch where you return to your opening and tell an anecdote that helps to illustrate and confirm your reason for being
  • butt funnel: area of a bar where a corridor becomes so narrow that patrons have to rub their butts against each other to scoot by
• Preempt your audience's skepticism by acknowledging the elephant in the room
  • all is lost moment, overcame a tough problem
• Finish your pitch by making sure it has a correctly placed hook and an edge
  • Hook is simply the element of your pitch that will make your audience think "Wow, that's cool!"
  • Edge will provide your audience with a vivid illustration of your hook