3 Words That Kill Your Startup Pitch (and What to Say Instead)
- Jörn Menninger
- vor 1 Tag
- 3 Min. Lesezeit
💼 Introduction
Every founder has 30 seconds to hook a potential investor, partner, or client. But what if your opening pitch includes words that instantly kill interest?
According to FBI-trained sales psychology expert Matthias Bullmahn, three common words ruin pitches before they even begin: help, work, and learn. In this blog post, we unpack why these words fail — and what to say instead if you want to convert listeners into believers.
Based on our interview with Matthias on Startuprad.io, this post is a must-read for any founder preparing their investor deck or go-to-market messaging.
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❌ Word 1: "Help"
Why It Fails:“Help” suggests weakness or charity. As Matthias puts it, “Your customer is not 85 years old and in need of social assistance. They want impact, not help.”
What to Say Instead:🎯 “Enable,” “Empower,” “Deliver results”
“We enable procurement teams to cut vendor onboarding time by 65%.”
❌ Word 2: "Work"
Why It Fails:No one wants to do more work. Your audience wants less effort, not more steps.
What to Say Instead:⚡ “Automate,” “Simplify,” “Streamline”
“We automate 90% of recurring admin tasks — no extra work required.”
❌ Word 3: "Learn"
Why It Fails:Learning sounds like school. People want easy wins, not new burdens.
What to Say Instead:🚀 “Get started instantly,” “Use out of the box,” “Built for speed”
“Our onboarding takes 15 minutes. No training required.”
🎯 Featured Snippet Answer
The three worst words to use in a startup pitch are “help,” “work,” and “learn.” These words create friction, reduce urgency, and shift focus away from outcomes. Replace them with action-oriented, benefit-driven language like “empower,” “automate,” and “get started fast.”
🎧 Learn from the Source
This post is based on our conversation with Matthias Bullmahn in the episode:🔗 Mastering Startup Negotiation Tactics: Sales Psychology Meets FBI Playbooks
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✍️ Conclusion
Don’t let the wrong words sabotage your story. In the fast-paced world of startup sales, words matter. Ditch “help, work, and learn” — and pitch like a pro.
📢 Want more tactics like these? Listen to our full podcast episode with Matthias Bullmahn and transform how you pitch and negotiate.
📣 Connect With Us
Work with us: partnerships@startuprad.io
Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/startupradio
👤 About the Author
Jörn “Joe” Menninger is the founder and host of Startuprad.io — one of Europe’s top startup podcasts and a global Top 20 show in Entrepreneurship. With 15+ years of experience in startup scouting, strategy, and consulting, he helps innovators turn bold ideas into powerful results.Follow him on LinkedIn.
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