Knowing how to deliver great pitches and presentations is an essential skill for entrepreneurs. Few people are naturals, but pitching – communicating what is important and compelling about your business – is an art and science that can be learned, practiced and refined. Your mission is to engage your audience so they feel like participants and ensure that you evocatively share the value your business brings to the world.
Interact: Whether presenting to a client or pitching to an investor, consider starting with a question. Your listeners can often benefit from a prompt to jumpstart and activate the brain as if telling it, “Hey, pay attention because what you are about to hear might be pretty darn amazing.”
Say it with your body. Studies show that up to 93% of our communication is non-verbal. Yes, that means that there is just 7% attributed to the actual words you choose. So in the first instance, select your words wisely. When it is time to step up to the stage, remember to use hand gestures, maintain eye contact, smile a lot and be conscious of your body language. The sum of how you act will have more of an impact over what you say.
Tell a story. Make it purposeful, and make it personal. People love a good story. Narrating your message through a story will bring your facts to life and help your audience empathise with you. Telling stories has been one of our most fundamental methods of communicating as it literally activates our brains. Consider structuring your pitch so that there is an authoritative outcome and takeaway. Curious people love to learn, and you will have taught your listeners something new.
Use a clicker. This may seem trivial but it’s important. Unless you have an assistant that you’ve practiced with to change the slides for you, using a clicker is going to set you free. Namely, you want to stay focused on your audience and not on your computer. The clicker becomes your best friend as it functions as the enabler between your visual aids (the technology) and the main attraction (you).
Foreshadow. Start off by giving your audience an overview of what you’re going to say. Then say it, and at the end – sum it up. People like to know where they are going and by practicing this you put your listeners at ease.
Less is more. A picture really is worth a thousand words. Your slides should be text-light and encompass strong imagery – the more emotive the better.
Show enthusiasm. Inject some passion into your presentation. Your business is likely the realisation of a dream and its potential for growth is something you are determined to make happen. Let it show. It’s difficult for others to get excited about your venture if you’re not.
Welcome silence. A long pause or break can be a very powerful thing. In certain instances it can provide your audience with room to breathe, digest what you just said and really let it sink in. Silence can also add drama in the right doses when used at the right time.
Inject humor (sometimes). Building rapport with your audience is key, and there are fewer and faster ways to do so than making your listeners laugh. If you are not one for comedy that’s OK – there are other ways to make your audience at ease. You can show vulnerability or just tell a very personal story so they can relate to you. Of course humor is not always appropriate so use your judgment in this regard.
Practice. Don’t take my word for it. The most epic Ted Talks see the speaker practicing their presentation in excess of 200 times. The other benefit of practicing is that it is one of the only proven methods of alleviating fears. Indeed public speaking is rated as the thing humans fear most in the world, that is more than spiders (3rd place) and even higher than death (7th place). In the end, practice really does make perfect.
Wrap up all of these together with a compelling business proposition and what do you get? A sure fire way to stimulate and move your audience to join you on your journey.