How to Make a Great Pitch
When it comes to presenting your idea to potential investors, clients, family, friends and passers-by there are some key things to remember. Here are some of the components we think contribute to making an effective pitch:
- Know your product : Fumbling on what you are trying to present will give you make your listeners hesitant to trust that there is truth to your words. Know the ins and outs of your product or service. Who is your target market? What are the costs are associated with it? What problems is it solving? What are the flaws in the current model or offering? Questions like these will definitely arise make sure you can answer them with confidence.
- Be yourself: This point speaks for itself but we often forget to just relax and be ourselves. The people we are presenting to are human just like you. Nobody cares if you can use big words or if your English isn’t great. If they can tell that you are at ease then they too will be at ease. Remember that first and foremost you are selling YOU and your listeners will know if it’s not authentic. Treat it like a conversation. Enthusiasm is infectious, so make sure to show plenty of it!
- Keep it short: DO NOT WING IT! Preparation is the key here, make sure to practice. Making a recording of yourself doing the presentation usually works best. Using a recording to watch yourself present will highlight where to cut out the jargon so you can make you pitch as simple and precise as possible. A video recording can demonstrate to you what parts of your pitch might be weak so you know what to work on. The more clean, clear and direct your presentation is the higher the probability that the listener will remain engaged.
- Have something to show: Just using your voice might be adequate in some cases but usually a little bit of “show and tell” can add the edge that you need for your pitch. If you have a product that someone can hold in their hand let them explore it for themselves. You can even narrate how they are supposed to be using it while it’s in their hands – that’s usually a good trick to make your product seem really user friendly. Charts, slideshows, pictures and demos will always be helpful but make sure you aren’t too reliant on them or that might become distracting.
- Demonstrate the value: Value, value, value! This is a point that cannot be missed in your pitch. People want to know how your product or service can help them, not just how cool it is. Make sure to harp on the incredible value your product or service can bring to the people’s lives. If it’s a client clearly show the value for money in your offering. If it’s an investor let them know how much money they will make by investing in you and the length of time you think it will take before they gain their money back.
- Be open to criticism: Leave some room for people to tell you how you can improve on what you are already doing. No product or service is perfect. The more improvements you make the better it will ultimately be. Have the mentality that your offering is always going to be a work in progress.
Believe in yourself. Believe in your offering. It will go great!