Photo by Austin Distel
Public speaking is an essential skill to master for anybody, especially when it comes to pitches. Delivering a memorable pitch wins investments, boosts sales, and solidifies valuable relationships for the future. Sometimes nerves can get in the way of making that happen. Luckily, with some preparation and practice, you can easily strengthen your public speaking skills and be confident in front of potential clients.
Take Control of Your Pitch
Giving a pitch can feel a lot like being under a microscope. Just a single slip-up seems like the biggest mistake in the universe, which makes some people think they’ve already ruined the pitch.
One of the few tricks to staying calm under pressure is naming emotions as they happen. That way, they don’t snowball into much bigger feelings; instead, they de-escalate and eventually disappear.
The body often responds to anxiety in ways that aren’t noticeable at first, like irregular breathing. By naming those emotions, it’s also possible to harness the breath to calm down. Many breathing techniques give immediate calming effects, but the most common way is to breathe through the nose for four counts and exhale through the mouth for eight counts.
These are a few tips that can help just before or during a pitch. However, if you have a little extra time, there are some ways to ease tension before presenting.
Get Pumped
When you feel good, it shows. You feel powerful and free when you’re confident, so anxiety takes a backseat.
Everybody has their own way of pumping up their adrenaline, like listening to their favorite upbeat music or doing a bit of light exercise to get the blood flowing. Others call a friend to clear their mind. Finally, some might journal to gather their thoughts.
Whatever it may be, taking just a bit of time to feel good makes all the difference.
Come Prepared
When people feel anxious, it’s because they don’t know what to say or how to say it. Information flies around them in a haze, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact thing they want to say. That’s why preparing a loose script helps to keep the pitch moving. Instead of grasping at straws, you can easily describe the function of each moving part of your pitch.
If you want to create a concise yet thorough script, it’s important to break down your research into bites. For instance, if you were pitching a new slots game, an interesting way to explain how it works would be to divide the information into dos and don’ts for players. Information about a game’s RTP and how it could be compatible with various devices makes a game more real to audiences and makes it easier for them to envision its gameplay.
Photo by Headway
Practice Makes Perfect
Nothing beats the power of practice. When people think of practicing for a pitch, they often think of standing in front of a mirror reciting lines for a school play.
The problem with practicing a pitch alone is that you just can’t get any feedback on how you’re doing. Perhaps you stop halfway through, start summarizing, or resort to reciting it in your head and aren’t aware of your habits. That’s why it’s important to have an audience; especially because practicing in front of others will build your confidence.
Delivering the pitch in front of familiar faces makes it easier to get an honest response. It lets you know what works and what doesn’t from the get-go. Then, provided you’ve left enough time, you can streamline and edit your pitch to make it an absolute knock-out.
Final Thoughts
To deliver an excellent business pitch, you need to follow a number of steps. If you suffer from stage fright, incorporating breathing exercises into your daily routine will help you master your emotional response. With more time on your hands, you can study and practice reciting the pitch to make a strong, memorable delivery.
This content is a joint venture between our publication and our partner. We do not endorse any product or service in the article.
