During each round, the ENGEN Pitch & Polish judges use a rubric to help them score each pitch based on almost 20 aspects. Some aspects are weighted higher than others, and the final score is based on both the pitch itself and the answers to the judges’ clarifying questions. The aspects considered by the judges can be roughly broken down into four categories:
First watch the video of the pitch which also includes the judges’ clarifying questions and the contestants’ responses. Then read through “What did we hear in the pitch?” and “Judges’ clarifying questions and responses” for more detail on what the judges were listening out for and trying to understand in order to determine whether or not the pitch was strong and believable.
Often, an entrepreneur’s strong oratory skills may mask the fact that there is a flaw in the pitch’s logical construct or a lack of true understanding about the business. This would mean that any investment in the business would likely prove ineffective in scaling it.
Discussion questions
If you are a teacher or lecturer teaching entrepreneurship or presentation skills, we have included a list of useful discussion questions which are also available as a downloadable worksheet.
Additional resources
At the end of each case study, we’ve provided additional resources for further reading, listening and learning about the concepts covered which you can use to hone your own pitch.
So, what did the contestants get right? What did they get wrong? Let’s share some of the lessons . . .
