How to pronounce "backing"

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Do you know the secret to successfully pitching an idea?

Well, it's something kind of unexpected.

It’s FOMO: the fear of missing out.

[The Way We Work]

As someone who invests in companies early in their journeys,

I listen to nearly 2,000 pitches a year,

and I work countless hours with company founders

to help them make their pitch even more compelling.

You may equate pitching with a slick deck

based on some standard format,

but whether you're pitching a company

or trying to get buy-in for a passion project at work,

so much of pitching is a storytelling exercise.

You need to bring people along with you.

You need to tell your audience a story that not only will draw them in,

but it will make them feel that if they don't say yes,

they will be missing out on something really big.

[Step 1: Know your audience]

When people think about pitching, they're thinking inwards,

they think about their nerves,

how smoothly they're talking or what it takes to get to a yes.

But the secret of successful pitching is to flip it outward.

Who are you pitching to?

What do they care about?

How can you speak to what motivates them?

For example, if you're pitching your start-up idea to a venture capitalist

who has lots of money to invest and needs big returns,

they probably care about backing the next Uber or DoorDash.

So you should focus your story on the size of the market opportunity.

If you're pitching to a philanthropist or a nonprofit,

their motivation is likely about large social impact.

So focus on showing how your product or idea will improve things

in a lasting way.

If you're pitching a project at work,

focus on the people you're pitching the project to.

What do they care about?

More customer loyalty, more revenue,

or perhaps a promotion?

Tell them how your project will help them attain the goal that they want

in a way that makes it almost inevitable.

Give them that feeling of: “If I don’t support this,

I'm going to miss out on something I care about deeply."

[Step 2: Think about the hero's journey]

Pitching is much like telling a story.

Just like a movie tells a story.

You're charting the hero's journey in three acts.

First, you start by telling about the hero's world, the status quo.

In this case, the current situation

that your product, idea or service will be addressing.

Then introduce tension and conflict,

showing all the problems that existing products aren't yet addressing.

This will lead you to the big confrontation.

You, the hero, swooping in to save the day.

And from there, give the resolution.

How are things changed as a result of your actions?

How does your product, idea or service solve the problems

you highlighted earlier?

One of the best pitches I've heard followed this arc perfectly.

The story started with a disturbing status quo.

Depending on where and how it's produced,

one gallon of milk can take roughly 1,000 gallons of water to produce

and can create about six kilograms of CO2 equivalent or more in the process.

In this case,

the hero was the CEO and their team of scientists

and food industry experts

who have come up with a way to engineer plants

to produce the animal proteins.

They showed how a small crop of soybeans could create lots of delicious cheese

and how this could feed the global population

in a sustainable and yummy way.

To anyone who cares about both the environment and good food,

it was an irresistible story.

It made me feel like I needed to be part of it

or I would be missing out on a big opportunity.

[Step 3: Shore up your weakest point]

When people are done charting their hero's journey,

I make them identify their biggest weakness.

Is it that they're missing somebody on their team

or that it's very competitive

or that they're trying to do something that has never been done before?

Most people's instinct is to gloss over it or even skip it altogether.

But that's exactly the wrong thing to do

because the audience will notice it and will ask you about it.

Instead, face it directly.

Tell your audience, "Hey, you may think this is a problem,

but here's exactly what I'm going to do about it."

And by showing the strengths and weaknesses of your story

and not hiding anything,

you inspire confidence not only in you but also in your story.

The best storytellers, they live in the future,

and they come here not to just tell us about it,

but to show us the steps to get there.

And this makes the audience lean forward.

And all they need to do to be part of this amazing story is say yes.

Phonetic Breakdown of "backing"

Learn how to break down "backing" into its phonetic components. Understanding syllables and phonetics helps with pronunciation, spelling, and language learning.

back-ing

2 syllables

Standard Phonetic Pronunciation:

/ˈbæk.ɪŋ(ɡ)/

Phonetic representation based on standard dictionaries

IPA Phonetic Pronunciation:

B AE1 K IH0 NG

Standard phonetic transcription to help with precise pronunciation

Pronunciation Tips:

Stress the first syllable
Pay attention to vowel sounds
Practice each syllable separately

Spelling Benefits:

Easier to remember spelling
Helps with word recognition
Improves reading fluency

Definition of "backing"

Pronunciation: /ˈbæk.ɪŋ(ɡ)/

Verb

To go in the reverse direction.

Example: "the train backed into the station; the horse refuses to back"
To support.

Example: "I back you all the way; which horse are you backing in this race?"
(of the wind) To change direction contrary to the normal pattern; that is, to shift anticlockwise in the northern hemisphere, or clockwise in the southern hemisphere.
(of a square sail) To brace the yards so that the wind presses on the front of the sail, to slow the ship.
(of an anchor) To lay out a second, smaller anchor to provide additional holding power.
(of a hunting dog) To stand still behind another dog which has pointed.
To push or force backwards.

Example: "The mugger backed her into a corner and demanded her wallet."
To get upon the back of; to mount.
To place or seat upon the back.
To make a back for; to furnish with a back.

Example: "to back books"
To adjoin behind; to be at the back of.
To write upon the back of, possibly as an endorsement.

Example: "to back a letter; to back a note or legal document"
(of a justice of the peace) To sign or endorse (a warrant, issued in another county, to apprehend an offender).
To row backward with (oars).

Example: "to back the oars"

Noun

Support, especially financial.

Example: "It's a volunteer organization that works with backing from the city and a few grants."
A liner or other material added behind or underneath.

Example: "The cardboard backing gives the notebook a little extra stiffness."
A backdrop.
Musicians and vocalists who support the main performer.
The mounting of a horse or other animal.
The action of putting something back; a switching into reverse.

Adjective

Providing support for the main performer.