Sales Reframed | The GPS Blueprint: Build a Pitch That Lands
In 2013, Jamie Siminoff walked into Shark Tank with a product called Doorbot.
The numbers were impressive. The opportunity was huge.
And the Sharks still said no.
A few years later, Doorbot became Ring… and Amazon bought it for $1B.
So what changed?
Not the product.
The pitch.
It’s a moment every entrepreneur, job-seeker, and seller eventually hits: you can have real value to offer and still lose the room if your message doesn’t land.
That’s why, in this episode of Sales Reframed, we break pitching into a simple, repeatable framework: G.P.S.
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G: Grab attention and get your audience to lean in.
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P: Explain the problem that you solve — and why it matters.
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S: Make your solution feel like the obvious next step.
You’ll hear from Brendan Kennedy, an investor who raised the first institutional money in cannabis; Ashley Ehmann, co-founder of Twigz Craft Pretzels; Chloe Beaudoin, co-founder of Apricotton; and Dragons' Den investor Brian Scudamore of 1-800-GOT-JUNK and O2E Brands.
Together with host Eric Janssen, they unpack what separates pitches that sound ‘fine’ from pitches that actually make people lean in – and say ‘yes’.
Reframe Takeaway
After listening, you’ll understand that a great pitch isn’t about saying more or sounding smarter. It’s about creating clarity. When you grab attention, define the real problem, and position your solution (or yourself) as the best next step, “yes” stops feeling risky… and starts feeling inevitable.
Episode Guests
Brendan Kennedy: Entrepreneur and investor; co-founder of Privateer Holdings and Tilray Brands, Inc., founder of MONTyMER, and owner of Katalyst.
Ashley Ehmann: Co-founder of Twigz Craft Pretzels.
Chloe Beaudoin: Co-founder of Apricotton.
Brian Scudamore: Founder of 1-800-GOT-JUNK and O2E Brands; CBC’s Dragons’ Den investor.
Top Episode Learnings
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Great Pitches Grab Attention and Guide Thinking
The best pitches don’t overwhelm with information or try to convince too early. They create curiosity and credibility first, then guide the audience step-by-step toward understanding why something matters and what to do next. You’re not trying to close in the opening moments. You’re giving people a reason to lean in and think, “Alright… tell me more.” -
Confidence Is Built Through Preparation (and Confidence Builds Trust)
Great pitches aren’t winged.They’re rehearsed, refined, and grounded in a deep understanding of the problem and the audience. Preparation creates calm, clarity, and shows conviction under pressure. Passion may get you in the room, but confidence in your pitch (and your answers) is what makes people believe you once you’re inside. -
The Best Pitches Make the Solution Feel Inevitable
When the problem is articulated clearly and in the audience’s language, the right solution doesn’t need to be forced. It feels obvious. That’s what separates pitches that sound ‘fine’ from pitches that actually move people to act and say “yes”.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode
Case Example: Jamie Siminoff of Doorbot (Ring) pitch on ABC’s Shark Tank television show.
Case Example (1) + Case Example (2): Brendan Kennedy and Privateer Holdings’ early investment thesis in the legal cannabis industry, including Privateer’s role in securing early institutional capital for cannabis ventures and its early investment in Tilray prior to the company’s NASDAQ listing.
Case Example: Ashley, Kirk, Mark and Ruth Brandt of TWIGZ Craft Pretzels pitch on CBC’s Dragons’ Den television show.
Case Example: TWIGZ Craft Pretzels distribution partnership with Air Canada.
Entrepreneur Passion and Preparedness in Business Plan Presentations: A Persuasion Analysis of Venture Capitalists’ Funding Decisions - Article by Xiao-Ping Chen, Xin Yao and Suresh Kotha in the Academy of Management Journal (2009).
Can Joy Buy You Money? The Impact of the Strength, Duration, and Phases of an Entrepreneur’s Peak Displayed Joy on Funding Performance - Article by Lin Jiang, Dezhi Yin and Dong Liu in the Academy of Management Journal (2019).
Case Example: Chloe Beaudoin and Jessica Miao of Apricotton pitch on CBC’s Dragons’ Den television show.
About Sales Reframed
Sales Reframed is a podcast that redefines sales as the ultimate life skill. Blending research, storytelling, and strategy, it explores how influence, resilience, and purpose drive success in every field.
Developed by award-winning professor and entrepreneur Eric Janssen, and powered by Ivey Executive Education, the show makes sales human, practical, and accessible to everyone.
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