“Hey, here’s your mic, soon as he finishes you can take the stage” – Boom, this is it, you’re just 5 minutes away from your time to pitch.
You feel your sweaty forehead, shaking hands and your stomach feels like its spinning at the speed of light in a washing machine. While you realize that all the work, effort and sacrifices you’ve done are now depending on a 5 min-pitch, that Exit sign in the back somehow begins to stand out, almost sinfully attractive to you.
You hear the audience clap after the last speaker and without realizing it, your body is already walking towards the stage. Time to take a deep breath and go for it.
Even though there are certain universally accepted steps to follow to create a good pitch, pitching is more of an art than a science. Naturally your main focus is on how to structure the pitch – how will you present the problem and the solution? Among all the things that seem relevant, which ones really need to be included?
The internet is packed with pitching tips about everything you should include but soon as you have all the info structured and while you’re practicing countless times you should also pay attention to other, often forgotten, techniques that can help you deliver a great pitch.
Your aptitude to tell stories, your posture and the tone of your voice, your speech rate and your ability to create a connection with the audience through empathy are just a few examples of other different factors that can have a huge impact on the way you engage with the audience and the way they can understand your message clearly.
So here are 3 great Ted Talks that will help you to deliver a pitch that everyone will carefully listen to and will not forget
How to Speak so That People Want to Listen by Julian Treasure
Have you ever felt like you’re talking, but nobody is listening? Here’s Julian Treasure to help you fix that. As a sound expert demonstrates some useful vocal exercises and shares tips on how to speak with empathy, he offers his vision for a sonorous world of listening and understanding.
Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are by Amy Cuddy
Body language affects how others see us, but it may also change how we see ourselves. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy shows how “power posing” — standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don’t feel confident — can affect testosterone and cortisol levels in the brain, and might even have an impact on our chances for success.
The Clues to a Great Story by Andrew Stanton
Filmmaker Andrew Stanton (“Toy Story,” “WALL-E”) shares what he knows about storytelling — starting at the end and working back to the beginning.