Pitch Like a Director: Turning Presence Into Persuasion

Capturing Attention and Positioning Yourself as Central to the Value You Pitch

Cinematic Secrets of a Great Pitch (Part 2)

The first time I walked into a meeting to sell something, I was terrified. I had produced a film called Every Time I Die and was pitching it myself because I was frustrated with the way sales agents (who normally pitch to distributors) managed distribution. So I decided to sell it myself, and booked a flight to the American Film Market in Santa Monica. Picture a massive hotel, every room stripped of its beds and turned into a makeshift meeting space, where agents and producers pitch their films to distributors in a nonstop, high-stakes market. It was fast-paced, cutthroat, and overwhelming.

Most pitches feel like a one-way monologue from a founder, following a fixed structure. But while it keeps things organized, this structure can actually make it harder for a founder to stand out, and leave a lasting impression.

Booking meetings was the easy part. But since I had no idea how these pitches actually worked, I started by scheduling meetings with small distributors I had no intention of working with. I wanted to get some low-stakes practice in before the high-stakes conversations began. That move turned out to be a trick I’ve used ever since. Starting the day pitching to people I didn’t care about gave me confidence and momentum for the real meetings later on. I also began asking for feedback from the very people I pitched to, and quickly improved. In the end, I sold the film. Every Time I Die had a limited theatrical release and eventually landed on Netflix. I learned that who we pitch to has a huge impact on how we pitch, and what happens next.

Keeping Attention

Most pitches feel like a one-way monologue from a founder, following a fixed structure: introduction, problem, solution, market, opportunity. This format helps the presenter stay on track and remember their points, and over time it’s become the norm for investors and audiences. But while it keeps things organized, this structure also has major downsides. Following this pre-determined routine can actually make it harder for a founder to stand out, and leave a lasting impression.

One of the toughest challenges in pitching is holding your audience’s attention. When we are in the audience, our brains work a bit like laptops—they try to save energy by powering down when nothing new grabs their focus. So when a pitch follows a familiar format, the audience quickly recognizes the pattern. Even if the details change, they already know what’s coming. It’s like rewatching an old TV episode you’ve seen before—you don’t need to pay full attention. At the start of a pitch, attention is at its highest. But as soon as the brain identifies the pattern, that attention quickly fades. Studies in cognitive psychology and neuroscience show that the brain is most active when it’s trying to figure something out, such as solving a problem or answering a question. We also remember better when each new piece of information to resolve is a little different from the last, pushing us to use different skills or make new connections.

The takeaway is simple: to stand out, your pitch should mix topics instead of following the usual, predictable path. When you interleave ideas your listener stays engaged because they can’t rely on the familiar flow, and must pay closer attention. A great example of this comes from education. In math, a student might need to use addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division all in one problem. Instead of fully teaching addition first, then moving to subtraction, research shows it’s more effective to teach small parts of each and switch between them. This forces students to adapt and apply what they’ve learned in different ways, which boosts learning and memory. The same idea works in pitching. Rather than starting with the product, and then move to the market, try connecting information in new ways to support a broader message. For instance, you could start with a real client story, then link it to the market size with data, before circling back to how your product solves the problem. Keep coming back and repeat your core value proposition as you go, showing how each point strengthens it instead of treating each section as separate. And if you find yourself jumping around in your deck, skipping slides or returning to earlier ones, even better. It shows you’re confident, fluent in the topic, and in control of the conversation. Just remember: your slides aren’t the pitch itself, they’re something people review closely after a successful meeting.

In addition to interleaving topics, another effective way to keep your audience’s attention is by using a method called dual coding. Just like our attention fades when we recognize a familiar pattern in content, it can also drop when the delivery remains flat. A pitch spoken in a steady, monotone voice, with no pauses or changes in pace, quickly becomes hard to follow. Research shows that our brain processes and stores information differently depending on how it’s delivered—whether through text, images, or sound. The key isn’t simply repeating the same information across mediums (like showing a name on a slide while saying it aloud), but using each format to add something new. For example, saying a person’s name while showing their face gives the brain two different cues to remember. You can see this principle in action in movies. Often, what the characters say differs from what we see on screen—it’s the mix of spoken words and images engages different parts of the brain, making the moment more meaningful and easier to remember.

Finally, taking short breaks can help reset your listener’s attention span. Not just actual pauses, but especially breaks in the expected flow of your presentation. In some settings, stopping to answer a few questions during your pitch can work well. It not only re-engages the audience but also gives you useful clues about what matters most to them, helping you adjust your message on the fly. Some founders, especially those who pitch often or speak publicly, may feel comfortable with this back-and-forth style. Others might need a bit more structure. The good news is that creating the feeling of spontaneity is easier than it seems—it just takes a little planning and performance. Start by finding small stories or attention hooks for each point in your presentation. For example:

• Your introduction: A story about how you discovered the problem and its potential, that highlights your expertise
• The problem: A character who experienced the challenge first hand
• Value proposition: A happy ending where a character overcame the problem with your solution
• Business model: Examples from comparative successes in the form of a story

You won’t end up telling all these stories, but having them ready gives you a real advantage. If you sense your audience’s attention slipping, you can pull them back in by pausing and delivering an attention hook. “This just reminds me of something a customer told me yesterday…” Don’t shy away from spicing it up, your goal is to tell the story well. Good storytellers often add some color to a story to help their message land more effectively.

You Are Part of the Pitch

Part 1 of this two-part series opened with the story of Jordan Peele pitching Get Out. He needed to convince producers not only that his idea was strong, but that he was the only one who could bring it to life. If you believe your idea deserves a chance, and you’ve done the work to cover all the necessary parts of a pitch—this two-part series is here to help you structure your story in a way that grabs attention, keeps people engaged, and makes your message stick. But what about that critical piece: showing that you, the founder, are the only one who can truly execute the idea?

When making movies, directors must arrive to set well prepared, but they usually have to adjust their plans as soon as filming begins. Maybe the real location doesn’t match what they pictured, a new idea sparks on set, or something just doesn’t go as expected. The result is a constant mix of creative problem solving and quick thinking to bring the vision to life. Founders and CEOs face the same kind of challenge. Your job, especially during a pitch, is to embody those same skills—adaptability, creativity, and the ability to navigate the unexpected—while showing others you're uniquely qualified to bring the idea to life. Here are five principles to help you demonstrate those qualities:

1. Knowledge: You need to know your space, whether it’s an industry, market, or niche, better than anyone else in the room. Look for chances to show that depth of understanding. One of the most effective ways is through off-the-cuff anecdotes that feel spontaneous. These attention hooks work best when they come from real experiences with people in the field. More than data or charts, it’s the stories that reveal how connected you are to what’s actually happening on the ground. For example, it’s one thing to talk about a supply chain breakdown in broad terms, and another to describe a truck driver struggling to keep up with an overwhelming delivery schedule. That kind of inside knowledge stands out. So spend time where your customers and partners are, because nothing builds credibility like firsthand experience.
2. Confidence: People often think confidence comes from deep knowledge, but that’s not always true. In filmmaking, for example, directors lead with confidence even if they don’t know more about cameras, sound, or music than the experts around them. Real confidence comes from trusting your own ability to guide the process and deliver the result. It shows in hiring the best people (even if they are more experienced than you), being able to admit when you’re wrong, take feedback without getting defensive, and change your mind when something better comes along (even if the best idea is not yours). The best way to build that kind of confidence in a pitch is through practice. Start by pitching to low-stakes audiences (people or groups you don’t plan to work with), and ask for honest feedback (practice listening and really considering this feedback, even if you disagree with it). If you’re new to pitching, begin your day with a few of these low-pressure sessions before heading into a high-stakes meeting. It’s a simple way to get your rhythm, sharpen your message, and settle your nerves. Finally, treat your audience as potential partners who want you to succeed, regardless of how they present their feedback.
3. Constant Learning: Insecure leaders only focus on their successes. Secure leaders are willing to talk about their failures. Don’t shy away from sharing the lessons you’ve learned and the challenges you’ve faced. Whenever you can, turn those moments into stories. Experienced investors know everyone fails at some point—they’re more interested in how you respond. It’s a bit like how directors audition actors: the goal isn’t to see a perfect performance, but to give direction and see if the actor can adjust. That ability to adapt says far more about long-term potential than getting it right on the first try. When it comes to ventures, small failures aren’t the end, they are a chance to adjust and grow. Show that you’ve done this more than once by weaving these your failures into your pitch. They’ll reveal your ability to learn, adapt, and keep moving forward.
4. Nerding out. Don’t hesitate to go deep into an area where you’re the expert, where you bring something no one else in the room can. This isn’t just about showing off what you know. It’s about tapping into your passion and using it to build confidence in real time. In these moments, it’s your energy and conviction that come through more than the exact words you say. If it makes your process easier, feel free to come up with your own terms or frameworks. For example, I use the term "Movie Science" to refer to research from neuroscience, cognitive and social psychology, as well as narratology and linguistics, that backs up the cinematic techniques I talk about—even though no university officially recognizes such a field. Creating your own labels can make your thinking quicker and more straightforward. Find ways to naturally fold these into your pitch. Don’t just know the field, change it and shape it so that if someone quotes you to another expert, they’ll only half follow what you’re talking about.
5. Vision: Have one. Not just a vision statement (that’s not the vision, just a way to express it) but a real, personal vision. Your vision is built on your unique identity and the impact you aim to make on the world. Movie directors need a clear vision to bring a film to life, and the same applies to you as a founder. If you're unsure how to define your vision, consider borrowing techniques from filmmaking. Visions are emotional messages that tap into people’s aspirations and align them with yours. Here's an article that explores how directors shape their vision.

Embodying these five qualities can greatly improve your ability to deliver a strong, memorable pitch. Getting there takes time through practice, research, and thoughtful planning around when and how you meet with others. But ironically, even though a pitch gives you the floor to speak, it’s your ability to listen that will determine its success. The real key to connecting with the people in front of you isn't just in what you say—it's in how well you hear and respond to what they say. Create moments for those words to surface. Ask questions, then reflect ideas back to show that you're truly engaged. In filmmaking, actors memorize their lines not to recite them word-for-word, but so they can listen and respond naturally in the moment. Acting, in reality, is reacting. Without that, a film would just be a series of monologues. The same goes for pitching. To truly be present and listen during a pitch, you need full command of your material. That kind of ease comes either from deep experience or from rehearsing like an actor.

Every pitch is different, and the skills for success depend on the speaker, the audience, and the industry. If this two-part essay feels overwhelming, don’t worry. Just start with one technique. Try using it in everyday conversations or small “mini-pitches”—any time you’re trying to persuade or get someone on board. Once that feels natural, move on to the next. Keep in mind, these are simply tools for leadership and communication, and at its core, a pitch is just a conversation with a goal.