You have the bright idea and the smarts to make it happen, but standing in the way of your success is the pitch meeting of a lifetime.
If this sounds familiar, the first point on your agenda should be to avoid panicking, and with the right preparation, this will get a whole lot easier.
In order to break down your barriers and turn your vision into a profitable reality via a business pitch to remember, here are some tips you may wish to consider.
Do Your Research
There might be nothing more nerve-racking than having to deliver an underprepared pitch, particularly if you need to answer questions at the end of it.
Taking your time to conduct thorough research can arm you with a wealth of stats and figures to fall back should you need to add substance to your points from real-world examples.
First-hand research tends to come across as more impressive, especially demonstrable first-hand research.
If you need some extra support in this area, it is worth checking out OnePulse for some exceptional survey tools and insight.
Practice
Practice does make perfect, and even if you feel like a goofball practicing in front of the mirror each night, it is still worth doing.
This can help you get accustomed to the length of time it takes to present each of your points, and can even help you get used to your body language.
Non-verbal communication is seriously important in pitching, so do not be afraid to rehearse your ‘act’ as it were.
Clear and Concise Visual Aids
Instead of swamping your presentation with screenfuls of inaccessible statistics and reams of information, focus on highlighting the crux of your point and display it clearly and concisely.
It can be tempting to hide behind impossibly detailed graphs and page-long quotes, but this ultimately detracts from the pitch itself.
While using memes should not necessarily be out of the question by default, this might be a case of reading the room, so think about your audience before making your decision to include humorous material – sometimes it can be a great icebreaker, while other times it can be a cringe-fest to forget.
- Using the right presentation tools is critical in this area, and there are many more great options than just PowerPoint, like Canva and Prezi, but go with what you are comfortable with, or with what you have time to learn.
What Are You Selling?
This might sound despicably obvious, but you need to make sure you explain what your product or service actually is.
It can be easy to forget this in the heat of the moment, despite it being the main feature. It could be because there are just so many points to make, but as long you do not forget to fully explain the main point, you should not go far wrong.
Don’t Forget to Smile
A simple smile can make you feel better, even if smiling seems like the very last motion on earth you want to attempt in the moment.