More than half of the pitches I take as an investor happen on Zoom. I also frequently pitch to LPs on Zoom, so I’ve gathered plenty of experience here.
Over the years, I’ve realized that pitching effectively on Zoom is a completely different skill from pitching in person. In fact, I almost always nail in-person meetings, but Zoom can be hit or miss.
In-person meetings have a consistent energy and setting—standard surroundings, small talk, and even table arrangements. Zoom, however, introduces external factors that can impact the experience: audio quality, lighting, background noise, AI note-takers, joining delays, screen interruptions, and even the lingering mood from a previous (probably also Zoom) meeting.
TL;DR:
Attention spans and patience are significantly lower on Zoom than in person. Participants lose interest and get irritated much faster.
While first impressions, body language, and icebreakers set the tone in an in-person meeting, on Zoom, you have 60 seconds to capture attention and pull your audience into your pitch.
If that’s true, Zoom pitch meetings should be structured very differently. Here’s what I recommend:
1. Open with Your Strongest Points
With only 60 seconds to grab attention, avoid meandering intros or generic company overviews. People tune out fast on Zoom. Instead, start with the three strongest parts of your pitch in the first 30 seconds.
❌ BORING:
“I’m the founder of… We’re based in SF and started three years ago after identifying this opportunity while working at…”
✅ INTERESTING:
“[COMPANY NAME] is [1-line description]. We’re at $X ARR/N users, growing Y% week-over-week. Our team comes from [COMPANIES], and here’s our unique insight: [1-line unique value prop].”
Think of your Zoom opening like a 30-second elevator pitch. PS: I have covered detailed aspects of the 30-second pitch in the post ‘How to cold-pitch your startup in 30 seconds to VCs at events‘.
2. Use Slide Sharing Sparingly
Walking through slides one by one makes Zoom meetings boring. It also reduces face-to-face engagement, shrinking participants to tiny squares above a massive slide. This makes it harder for investors to read facial expressions, passion, and conviction.
Instead, use slide sharing only when diving into specifics—metrics, product visuals, or key data points. If a conversation naturally leads to deeper discussions, screen-sharing makes sense. And if someone asks for more details, that’s a great sign—they’re engaged.
3. Prioritize Stories Over Generic Narratives
Broad business narratives and jargon make Zoom meetings dull. They’re harder to internalize and, in the worst cases, cause brains to switch off entirely.
Instead, use specific, personalized stories to make your points.
- Rather than saying “Our product saves companies X dollars”, share a real customer success story.
- Show how one specific customer (name, picture, and all) used your product and what impact it had.
Investors remember compelling stories more than numbers and percentages.
4. Leverage Visuals – Videos & Images Work Best
Spoken words are harder to absorb on Zoom, but visuals—especially videos—have a much stronger impact.
After your opening, incorporate relevant images or a short video to drive home key points. A well-placed visual can communicate in seconds what might take minutes to explain verbally.
5. Design Zoom Slides Like a TED Talk Deck
Verbose slides won’t be read. While your full pitch deck can be detailed, the version you present on Zoom should be simple, bold, and visual—like a TED Talk deck.
- Each slide should focus on one core idea
- Use minimal text and large fonts
- Whenever possible, let charts, images, or visuals tell the story
For inspiration, check out the following slides used by top TED speakers—they prove that less is more.
TLDR: for Zoom meetings, like for TED Talks, less is more…
6. Let Your Personality Shine
Too many Zoom pitches feel robotic—monotone delivery, deadpan expressions, and no effort to break the ice. That’s a missed opportunity.
The easiest way to be interesting? Be yourself. Show quirks, humor, and enthusiasm. Your journey, energy, and passion make the conversation engaging.
Your job isn’t to blend in—it’s to stand out. If you can’t get people to actively listen and engage, a future investment isn’t happening anyway.
Closing Thoughts…
Mastering Zoom pitches is an evolving skill, but structuring them thoughtfully can make all the difference. Adapt your approach, test what works, and refine as you go.
Have you found any techniques that work particularly well in Zoom pitches? Would love to hear your thoughts!
PS: as a general resource for getting better at sharing ideas, check out this video ‘TED’s secret to great public speaking‘.
