4 Ways to Improve Your Skills at Pitching

Whether you have been working in your industry for many years now or else are a fresh-faced graduate who is passionate about sales, marketing, and the world of business in general, then you will already be fully aware of the importance of pitches.

Here, for your information and, of course, reading pleasure, are the top four ways to improve your skills at pitching for a more impressive and effective result.

1.   Never Neglect Your Elevator Pitch

 Just the same as a tag line for a film, which not only summarises the main themes and genre but draws the viewer and wants to know more, the same needs to be focused upon when designing your pitch. This is referred to by those in the proverbial know as an ‘elevator pitch’.

Essentially, your elevator pitch should be a few sentences, or ideally just the one sentence, which you design to deliberately stick in the minds of each and every attendee of your presentation. Again, exactly as a tag line for a film, such a pitch should serve to provide just enough information to accurately summarise your core point yet leave the audience guessing as to the details.

2.   Never Rely on PowerPoint

 Obviously, PowerPoint and other similar applications and software programs are a fantastic aid to a pitch. However, the mistake is made time and time again whereby the presenter relies too heavily on PowerPoint to tell the ‘story’ instead of engaging the audience on a personal level. If all that can be learned from your pitch and presentation can be done so by watching a video, then what is the point of you standing there in the first place!

Instead, engage your audience by using the PowerPoint as a prop, a proverbial safety net if you will, and use each slide as a springboard to move your story along as you tell it in a personal way.

3.   Never Over Rehearse

Another huge mistake people make when presenting a pitch, regardless of the subject matter and one that Presentation skills training London will most definitely advise you against, is that they have clearly rehearsed their pitch within an inch of its life.

Think of it in the same way in which an actor approaches a monologue; yes, they know the words, each line, and the way every sentence should be delivered, but they ensure that each and every performance is delivered in a natural way.

4.   Never Use Overcomplicated Language

Finally, the last most effective way to improve your pitching and presentation skills is to simplify the language you use within your pitch wherever possible.

Obviously, if you are dealing with a tech-heavy concept, idea, or premise, you will unavoidably be bound to the technical jargon which is associated with it. Apart from such terms, however, it is much more influential and engaging to break down the more complicated theories into bite-size chunks. If you neglect to do this, then it is highly likely that shortly after you begin your pitch, many members of the audience, including potential investors, are likely to mentally switch off and disengage from the fundamental point you are making.


About the Author: Debby Burchill

Debby thrives on collaborating with businesses to enhance their job advert potential. She takes pride in assisting clients in discerning optimal salaries based on location and job type, ensuring they attract the crème de la crème of candidates.



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