5 tips for a winning pitch

Blog by Rutger Mollee

Pitching, we do it more and more. What exactly is a pitch? A short presentation with a clear goal, namely to recommend or sell something. Think of a sales pitch by a consultant for a client assignment. A competition where an entrepreneur must speak in front of a professional jury. A short presentation at a meeting of your company where you promote your department.

Where do things often go wrong? Pitches are often too boring, or too clumsy. Or just fun, but people forget afterwards what it was about, or the jury was not convinced. How to make your pitch a success? Speak to Inspire regularly gives pitch training to companies and top managers. Here are some tips that will make your pitch winning.

1. Surprise your audience, preferably with interaction

Can you think of a way to grab your audience by the scruff of the neck, by making them do something or experience something they are not expecting? Don Draper managed to do this aptly in Mad Men during his pitch.

2. Make it urgent for your listener

Who is in the audience? Why is this pitch important? Speak to a problem or essence that has urgency for the people in the room. "Do you also sometimes organize a conference where you see that some speakers are totally out of place?" In this way, you evoke recognition from your interlocutor and they connect with you. After all, there isn't a congress organizer who hasn't experienced this situation.

3. Formulate and repeat your message

What do you want to say in 1 sentence? Do so at the beginning and at the end of your pitch, preferably in the form of a rambling one-liner. Guaranteed to make the message stick, like this Old Spice commercial.

4. Practice and prepare for questions

We regularly see cases where the pitch is a strong story, but still doesn't come across because it hasn't been practiced properly. What we also regularly see happen is that the pitch runs like clockwork, but there is no answer to questions from the judges or people in the audience and the pitch is still lost. The video below from Dragon's Den makes it painfully clear what can happen.

5. Finally: stay within the time limit

Measuring is knowing! 130 words is 1 minute of speaking time. An elevator pitch has an average of 118 words. Within a minute, you'll evoke real interest so we can talk about your proposition together.

The secret to any successful pitch is preparation. Choose in advance whether you are going to do the pitch or not. If you do: leave nothing to chance and prepare it so well that it seems like it will happen by itself.

Want to work with us on your pitch? Call us (020-4204068) or read our weekly tips.