How can we make the most of it to build our business presentation (pitch)?

Design thinking (DT) is an empathetic process that allows us to solve problems by getting closer to people. It requires going to meet people to understand their real needs, their concerns, their frustrations.

Entrepreneurs started out as empathetic: they founded their company by finding a solution to a problem, but as it grows and becomes more structured, they lose their empathetic nature. Design thinking can help them reconnect with their key stakeholders in order to come up with relevant solutions that actually help people.

This approach can help us find our reason for being, our “Why” as Simon Senek says . Once we have found it, we can have a vision that enlightens everyone in our organization.

It is then possible to create your pitch in three phases, namely:

1. present the problem

2. present our solution

3. present the benefits that will result from it

Sometimes business leaders redefine their entire business model after undertaking a DT approach. So you have to be prepared to reconsider everything?

Absolutely. Entrepreneurs sometimes have difficulty letting go. When you enter a DT process, you have to accept that you may have been wrong and that can be hard on the ego. Entrepreneurs must then ask themselves: what is more important: being right or taking my business to another level in order to ensure its sustainability, good performance, profitability?

Should the DT process precede the development of every good pitch?

The storytelling that is so highly praised in the context of pitching was developed by marketing agencies. These are often stories that are sewn with white thread, a little romanticized. The trap with this approach is that it oversells an idea and then delivers the product/service below expectations.

The advantage of DT is to define a problem intuitively, to find ideas based on what we have discovered in the field. Storytelling is therefore fueled by this approach of empathy, prototyping, testing and adjusting the product/service.

What do you think is the main flaw of SME entrepreneurs when it comes to pitching?

The lack of a common thread in the pitch. This is proof that the company or entrepreneur does not understand the value that their product or service can bring. This happens often and it shows that the real needs of customers are not well understood.

What is your role during the Montreal SME Innovation Course ?

I co-facilitate the Innovation, design thinking & value creation training. It is given over three days. The first two alternate between theory and practical workshops. Between day 1 and day 3, there are six weeks during which entrepreneurs must meet with their key stakeholders to better understand their reality. They come back with many ideas on how to adjust the course in the future. One participant once came back crying because she realized she was not helping her customers. Subsequently, she made an incredible change in her organization. The process also allows you to get closer to your employees and better understand what they experience on a daily basis before, during or after their work day. The company can then make their lives easier and act on the retention and attraction of the workforce, among other examples.

DESIGN THINKING IN A FEW WORDS…

Developed at Stanford in 1980, design thinking is inspired by the approach of designers, basing itself on user needs to solve a problem or develop an innovation project. Learn more .