MIT Sloan Management Review Article on How Women Can Improve Their Venture Pitch Outcomes

Successful entrepreneurs are aware of potentially biased responses to their pitches and take control of the conversation.

Entrepreneurs looking for advice on pitching their business ideas will find abundant resources on what to include in their presentations but less about how to respond to questions. Is it wise to showcase strategies to deal with a project’s risks? Is it smart to show competitive aggressiveness? Are there downsides to being too intense? Evidence suggests that the answers to those questions depend in part on whether you’re male or female.

There are specific ways for women to be more successful in venture capital pitch situations: Their presentations can sidestep gender stereotyping traps by avoiding discussions about their willingness to take on risk. Women should also find out about the gender composition of the panel they’re pitching to so they can prepare their language accordingly. These strategies may be useful for women making pitches for initiatives within established organizations, too.

About the Author

Malin Malmström is a professor of entrepreneurship and innovation at Luleå University of Technology in Sweden. Henrik Wesemann is a research associate at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland. Joakim Wincent is a professor of entrepreneurship and management at the Hanken School of Economics in Finland, and at the University of St. Gallen.

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