In a recent study on pitching styles, researchers found that radical ideas are better received when explained with concrete “how” terms, while progressive ideas do better with abstract “why” terms.

Earlier research showed that professional audiences, like investors, prefer concrete pitches that explain “how,” while lay audiences, such as students and crowdfunders, respond better to “why” pitches for abstract ideas.

The best approach

Professor Simone Ferriani, an entrepreneurship professor at Bayes Business School, City, University of London, said, “We wanted to find the best way for entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas to get attention and investment. Could their success depend on how they pitch? What if great ideas were being presented the wrong way? We explored which pitching styles work best for different types of ideas.”

To test this, researchers ran two online experiments with business students evaluating pitch decks. They varied the originality of the ideas and the style of the pitch: abstract “why” versus concrete “how.” They then looked at how these factors affected people’s reception of the ideas and their willingness to support them.

The results suggest that the pitching strategy should match the idea’s novelty to make it more appealing and likely to attract investment. The study explains this in detail.

Concrete details

“Imagine a tech startup introducing a new virtual reality (VR) gaming platform that changes the gaming experience,” the researchers explain. “Our findings suggest that in their pitch, they should emphasize concrete details like advanced feedback technology, immersive visuals, and seamless integration with existing consoles.

“When ideas can disrupt the status quo, explaining them in detail helps offset the confusion they might cause. But for incremental innovations, abstract language focusing on ‘why’ can be more effective.”

This approach connects new ideas to familiar concepts and emphasizes their place within a larger vision.

The research advises a tailored approach: use detailed explanations for groundbreaking innovations and focus on the big picture for incremental improvements. As the language of entrepreneurship evolves, this study offers a guide for using the right pitch style to turn new ideas into successful innovations.