My Top 5 Tips To Nail A Winning Pitch
- Build an emotional connection to the problem – before talking about the product. This is so important, otherwise if the person hasn’t yet really felt the issue, they won’t fully buy into the solution. Note: A story is a very simple and powerful way to do this.
- Keep it simple – It’s very hard to catch and comprehend lots of information, especially if it’s complex. Less is definitely more, if you want people to remember and then take action based on your pitch. Stick to 3 key sections and don’t forget to summarize the key points at the end. Also don’t be afraid to repeat a stat / key statement if it’s important. These tips will dramatically improve recall in your audience.
- Get creative with your use of props and visual aids – Don’t fall into the trap of using bullet points of text on slides that mirror what you’re saying. It’s a sure fire way to disengage your audience and stop them from taking in what you’re saying whilst they read your slides. Visual aids must enhance your message.
- Show your passion for your product or solution – don’t be afraid to get excited. You’ll find that visible passion is catching!
- Use the power of pauses – this can help you from speaking too fast, for dramatic effect or to emphasize key stats or points. In addition this tip helps to avoid filler words, like ums and ahs.
If if you have a pitch or important presentation coming up that you need to nail, follow these tips. If you want to bounce ideas off someone else, I’d love to help. This is my passion and it’s why I’ve volunteered my time outside work to Toastmasters for the last 4 years.