Are you pitch perfect! How to improve your elevator pitch

Here are a few simple steps to help craft the perfect 60-second business pitch

Life's a pitch - but are you pitch perfect? Regardless of whether you're a business start-up, staff member or ceo, you need to be able to pitch your idea, yourself or your company any time, any place, anywhere.

You may not even realise the many opportunities you get in a day to pitch. It doesn't have to be a formal networking event, it's often just a conversation with the right person at the right time in the right place!

Pitching can be a daunting experience, especially if you're not comfortable speaking in public. Aside from nerves, many entrepreneurs tend to over-complicate and over-intellectualise their pitch.  You can't expect people to be interested just because you're speaking - you really have to work at engaging your audience and listeners.

The 5 Components Of Your 60 Second Business Pitch

 A fact or statistic about your industry/your customer’s problems

• The benefit that you provide that is directly related to that statistic
• Validation of your credibility or an example of how you’ve solved this issue for someone in your target demographic
• Conclusion
• Memory Hook

Research

In fact, the starting point of any pitch is the audience. You need to research and tailor your pitch to your target audience. Who is in your audience? What's in it for them? Why should they care?

Wow your Audience with a strong opening

You need to start your pitch with a wow opening that will capture the attention of any listener. This is followed by between three and five main umbrella headings, with a logical flow and a smooth transition from one point to another.

Golden Nuggets

Think of your pitch like the trailer of the movie. You're just giving the golden nuggets of information - enough to make them want to watch the whole movie!

Sound Passionate and believable

It's not what you say, it's how you say it. Your voice is like a musical instrument. You need to vary it through pitch, pace, pause and emphasis to avoid monotony. You also need to have a confident posture in order to instil confidence in your audience. Shoulders back. Feet fixed to the floor. Eye contact and gesture that reinforces your message. Manage nerves using mindful breathing, visualisation or positive affirmations.

Strong Close

Your pitch should end with a strong closing that overlaps back to the opening. For example, if you open with a question, quote or reference, mention it again in your closing. This brings the story full circle. It's like 'The End' at the end of a movie.

The Conclusion

At the end of your pitch, you must clearly communicate what it is you want from your audience. If it’s money for the company, potential partnerships, or something else – your audience must be made fully aware. Thank the audience for their time, and leave them with a great “tag line” or memory hook that they will not forget.

For further information on how to deliver your perfect 60 second pitch, contact Joanne Fenelon on 053 9170507 or email jfenelon@rda.ie