Pitch perfect! Elements that will make or break your pitch
The art of communication is extremely crucial for individuals pitching an idea, the success of which depends less upon what is said as compared to how it is said. Whether you're making a pitch to potential investors, clients or customers, you need to communicate your vision clearly and inspire confidence in the person/people you are pitching to.
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Don't be mistaken that pitches are reserved for entrepreneurs or salespeople, we all make pitches in our everyday lives. If you want to influence someone to adopt your ideas, here's a five-step guide you should follow to make your pitches remarkable.
Avoid beating around the bushes
We live in a time when people's attention span is almost negligent. Therefore, if you want a certain group of people to buy your idea, you need to get to the point quickly and efficiently. Don't waste too much time with preambles. Give your listeners a quick overview of the topic and your take on it. Don't drone on or else you'll put everyone to sleep. Don't take more than a minute or two to explain yourself, your business and its goals.
Turn your pitch into a story
Instead of just throwing facts and figures at your listeners, try capturing their attention with a story. Just like children, adults too love it when they are told stories. Take advantage of this point and turn your pitch into a story. When you do this, you're bound to make your pitch unforgettable. Spreadsheets and numbers will only take you so far. Even the most data-driven investors love a good story.
Avoid using too many slides in your presentation
Talk to any investor and he/she will tell you to reduce the number of slides in your presentation. If you can, completely do away with slides. There are a variety of rich media options like videos and audios that you can use instead. If you have to make use of slides, make them visually appealing and use minimal text. Also, go through the slides quickly to prevent the setting in of monotony.
Talk about your competition
Never say, "I don't have any competition." All entrepreneurs have competition. Present your competitive advantage to your listeners. State the USP of your product or service. Show your audience that your product is better than what your competition is offering. Face your competition head-on instead of crouching and cowering in one corner.
Show your passion
Whether you're pitching your content services to a client or you're pitching your business to an investor, your audience needs to see that you are passionate about what you're selling. Make sure you don't look at the slide and read from it during the presentation. Instead, let your voice take on an animated tone and use hand gestures to convey enthusiasm. Enthusiasm will not obscure your integrity. It will enhance it.
The goal of a successful pitch is to convince your audience about your vision. Keep the above mentioned five tips in mind the next time you are ready to deliver a pitch.
Read Also: What six top accelerators want to hear from startups
