Let’s maximise your impact on the day!
I was asked to speak as part of a panel of experts on Pain-free Pitching for an Oxford Independent Consultants event. The ambitious part of the invitation for me was to get a message across in just five minutes.
What could I communicate of real value during that time when I spend up to six hours preparing clients for such a challenge as this?
Here is what I shared, plus a little extra; I hope you find it valuable. Please ask questions if you want to know more.
How do you make an impact on the day? Firstly, start by asking yourself: why is there even a face-to-face pitch when you’ve spent hours, days or weeks putting your genius into a wonderful proposal?
“Emotion trumps reason” Simon Sinek
My thoughts on this? Even in this highly digital age, people engage people, not paper or products. In the words of Simon Sinek, ’emotion trumps reason’, so you’re in the room to answer their ‘why?’ Why choose you?
I’m going to cover just three of many elements:
- Prepare
- Prioritise and
- Presence
Prepare
How do you prepare so that you are engaging and ready to maximise your impact with your audience on the day? If you want to instil confidence, you need to be confident.
Eliminating as many unknowns from the environment as possible would be easier. Find out what you can.
- Where is, and how big is the space?
- How many people will be in the room, and who will they be?
- Are you expected to do a presentation, and if so, what technology will be required?
- Will you be sitting or standing?
- What else can you do to ensure a seamless setup for a great first impression?
- Can you liaise with a key person or member of their support staff?
Eliminate as many of the unknowns to increase your confidence. PREPARE!
Prioritise
Secondly, prioritise. On the day, you can’t regurgitate the entire document, so what matters – to them, not to you? What will make your proposition stand out for them?
I suggest a small exercise for this: when you’re practising, speak aloud in 3 sentences what summarises the very essence, the heart of what you believe your audience needs to hear that differentiates you from the competition.
- Is it the what, the why and the where?
- Or maybe the who, the how and the when?
- How can you condense it to 3 sentences?
Then, speak it aloud in just one sentence. What one message does the audience need to hear?
If you can do this, it doesn’t matter if you have 30 minutes or 3 hours; you will be able to keep that core message at the very centre. A focused message will ensure you maximise your potential to engage with your audience.
Presence
Finally, how do you ensure you’re present in the room? How do you maximise your body and your voice to really engage with your audience?
Firstly, you need to ensure that you’re free from tension. You need to be relaxed because tension affects your voice and your ability to connect with your audience. I do a series of exercises to help clients prepare and use them myself before I present.
Find what works for you, but do a body check and ensure you’re relaxed and smiling.
Then, make sure your posture is strong so that you project power and confidence. My blog post, How You Can Use Posture to Improve Your Presentation Skills, includes a short video on this. I call it the Bespoken Technique of Posture.
Why is it important? Would you trust a chair that appeared wobbly? You might hesitate to invest in someone who looks or sounds a bit shaky, too! Plus, whether you’re sitting or standing, you need to support your voice in the room so that you are totally present, projecting and engaged.
I also suggest you stay off your phone for at least half an hour before the pitch so your body is open and energised.
Watch Amy Cuddy’s TED talk, “Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are.” Some form of stretching or power posing will ensure your energy balance is right when you’re in the room and that you are present and engaged.
Summary to Provide the Perfect Pitch
In summary, there are three Ps to help you speak publicly: prepare the environment as much as you can, prioritise your message so that you’re focused, and be present to project power and confidence.
And when you end, remember to thank your audience for their gracious attention! Thank you for reading this article; I’d love to read and respond to your thoughts.
