Yesterday I attended the final for Scottish EDGE round 8 which saw 22 companies pitching to a panel of expert judges for up to £100K each in grant funding and loans. Once again, I was delighted that several entrepreneurs who have attended my training or had individual coaching with me were awarded money to grow their business to the next level.
I’ve attended most of the finals and I thought the standard of pitches for this round was very high. If you’re considering entering any kind of pitching competition, read on for my tips on how you can ensure your pitch stands out for all the right reasons.
Do
Have a good hook to capture attention from the opening (here are some ideas)
Make it simple and straight to the point (the more you tell me the less I remember)
Be prepared to elaborate on your points during the Q&A session
Be confident with humility
Get set up quickly (ideally rehearse everything including walking on stage and setting up)
Familiarise yourself with the space prior to the event
Express your enthusiasm (if you’re not enthusiastic, why should anyone else be?)
Practice your timing so that you can complete it within the required time frame
Project your voice (it ensures people hear you and you will sound more confident)
Ensure you have variety in your voice; emphasise the important words and phrases
Show your products where possible (carefully consider what you give the panel to look during the pitch at if you want the focus on you)
Incorporate stories as well as some humour where appropriate
Know your market, your figures, your competition, your customers, etc
Use strong simple images on your slides with few words
Do something different to help you stand out from the competition
Make your delivery conversational and engaging
Put your Twitter address on all slides if there is an audience and they are encouraged to tweet
Know your audience
Be your wonderful, authentic self – the best version of you
Don’t
Read from your notes (it looks like you’re unprepared and it is difficult to engage your audience when your eyes are on looking down)
Learn your script and simply recite it (think about what you’re saying and inject some energy and meaning into it)
Hold notes unless it is bullet points on cue cards (notes can limit your ability to gesture)
Rush your delivery (less is more)
Say you’re passionate if you’re not actually expressing that through your body and voice
Be arrogant
Say ‘um’ before answering a question (instead pause briefly to gather your thoughts before answering)
Use words like ‘hopefully’, ‘might’, ‘probably’ (instead use words like ‘certain’, ‘will’, ‘confident’)
Finish a sentence by trailing off with ‘erm’ or ‘and’…
Go over your allocated time
Look bored (especially if presenting with a partner and you are waiting for your turn to speak)
Fold your arms across your chest or leave hands in pockets (it can look quite casual or too defensive; keep your body open)
Rock from side to side as it can be distracting; stay grounded and centred (bringing your weight slightly forward onto the balls of your feet can help with this)
Show ‘busy’ slides with too many words (people can’t read and listen at the same time)
These are just a few tips; here is some additional advice I wrote in a previous post. Remember, you can have the best business idea in the world, but whether you’re entering a pitching competition or not, if you can’t communicate it effectively you will struggle to make it a success.
Basically a great pitch boils down to my simple formula:
PREPARATION + PRACTICE + PASSION = PITCHTASTIC!
Mel Sherwood is a Presentation Skills and Personal Impact Speaker and Founder of The RED Effect™. She works with ambitious business leaders, teams and individuals who want to express themselves with confidence, credibility and charisma. An Australian based in Scotland, Mel is an award-winning speaker, author and coach and combines over 25 years’ experience in business with a background as an actor, presenter and singer.