87. 5 Step Method To Prepare A Perfect Pitch For Founders, Leaders & Storytellers (Part 2)

This is part two of on step A) Preperation for perfecting your pitch for founders, storytellers,  entrepreneurs, or anyone looking to elevate their ability to sell themselves or their ideas. Next week, we delve into B) pitch delivery and C) refinement. 

Last episode, we delved into the "who" and "why" of preparing your pitch. In this episode, lead UpSkiler Michel Shah takes you on a deep dive into the "what," "where," "when," and "how" of planning a pitch that will command attention and drive results.

She guides you in asking the right questions like: What is allowed with your pitch? Can you use visuals? How is it timed and structured? Furthermore, she emphasizes the importance of defining the desired outcome of your pitch. Is it to sensitize the audience about a topic, practice and learn, ensure engagement, gain funding, or aim for a promotion?

Join us on this journey towards perfecting your pitch. Tune in to discover the power of a well-crafted presentation and learn how to articulate your vision compellingly.

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Transcript

0:01

This is part two in a two part series to help you perfect your pitch, whether you're a founder, entrepreneur, or just looking to upskill and sell yourself. Last episode, we covered the who and the why you need to prepare your pitch. This episode, we're diving deeper into the what, where, when, and how to plan a perfect pitch. Welcome to Upskill Talks, I'm your host, Michelle Shaw, lead Upskill at Upskill Community. Upskill Talks is a podcast for leaders, leaders who are actively seeking innovative and creative ways to interact. Lead themselves and others in every episode through real life stories and enlightening conversations, we will explore the challenges and opportunities real leaders face in today's everchanging workplace. We will present you with real strategies. For you to leverage your soft skills and produce transformative results. Thank you for joining me on this journey. Let us begin. In preparing for a successful pitch or presentation, it's important to ask the question, what? One of the W's in five W's and an H is what? A few what's. What is allowed with your pitch? Are you allowed visuals? What is the timing? How is it structured? Because that is going to define the scope of what is possible and really help you to navigate successfully. That's one. Sometimes it's a one where you can bring slides and demos. Sometimes it's a plain pitch, just you and your words. What is the outcome you desire is another what for you to think about. This is important. When we are pitching or presenting, we need to define our own expectations. What is the outcome you desire? Is this just to ensure that you so you sensitize The audience about this information, is this an opportunity to practice your pitch and learn from it to move forward? Is it to ensure that this audience engages with your offering? Define what that is. Is it to get funding? Is it to get promotion? What is this for? Make sure you're clear about that because that's going to help with how you prepare your pitch, presentation, or value proposition. And the most important of these what's is, what is the solution that you're offering? to the problem. We talked about why. Now what? What is the solution to the problem? What's in it for them? Now that you've highlighted that there's a big problem, how are you going to solve it? What is the solution that you bring? The unique solution that you bring that no one else is bringing in the same way, with the same approach, with the same strategies. So this is very, very important. What? is your value proposition. What is your product? What is your market? What are you bringing now that they need to pay attention to? So really define this and articulate this, that this is what I bring. Make sure that you are clear when you are doing this, that you have done competitor research. It's important that you have Done this research and almost done a grid. These are my five competitors. These are the five different things, and these are the ones that they bring. This is what we bring that they do not bring. You literally need to make sure you have a unique value proposition that differentiates you from all the other offerings in your area, whether that's an individual offering, a strength that you have that no one else come into this role has a business offering. That's the what. In preparing for a pitch, the five W's and an H, two W's include where and when. Where will you pitch? Are you pitching where there are other competitors pitching to? Are you pitching in a smaller space, a larger space? Do you have a stage that you need to use? Is there going to be a lot of noise around? It's very important for you to become aware of. Where you're pitching because you have to be able to flex your style and your presentation to fit into a physical space or other spaces that are really important. Understanding how you pitch differently. If you have a team of competitors, if you're doing a group interview versus an individual interview, really understanding where in terms of The use of space, location, time, those things are very important. And when, when will you pitch? Because time matters. Are you pitching before your competitors? After? Is this a one minute pitch? A three minute pitch? A five minute pitch? Where will you find what you're looking for? Where should you be? When should you be there? This sounds quite simple. However, I was at a conference before and I was registered to pitch and I showed up at the right stage at the right time and I sat down. What I missed was that there was a process. There was a specific place that I should have gone and lined up. And so about the. Second presentation, I've thought this is interesting. Everybody seems to be coming from that place. So I walked around there. When I walked around there, they had already registered me as absent because I was at the right place at the right time, but I did not know exactly what. I needed to be standing in at that time. I was able to get to perform that day, but it's very important that you're not just thinking I need to be at point a, but do ask the specific questions. Is there a check in area after I've registered? Is there someone I need to speak to? Who do I need to connect with? Is there a process? Ask those questions so that you can be clear, reduces frustrations and anxiety and really. Positions you to better do a pitch. So in this preparation process is when you need to reach out to organizers and ask those questions and have your little information log so that when it's time to pitch, you don't have these anxieties to deal with. Getting the specifics up front will really support you to be able to be your best when it comes to the delivery. When it comes to preparation, the five W's and an H, the H is very important because sometimes we do a great job preparing our pitch, but not sufficiently great job making sure that the instructions are very clear to our audience on how to access our offering. What do we need them to do? Very specifically and understand that we need to not just write this down, but in this preparation process to run this by different. People who could replicate people in the audience to see, is it understood? I had these instructions written before and I shared it with someone and they asked me, what does this word mean? And I thought, wow, I did not understand, like someone would not know what that word means in this particular audience. It helped me to immediately remove that word, redefine that instruction and clarify it so that We cannot afford to have an instruction where there's a word blocking the audience's ability to participate with our products. So these are really important things to make sure the steps are clear. And in that preparation, it's not all in your head. It's preparing and participating with your sample group, with others in your community or in your business that can help you to make sure your instructions are clear, how can they participate, whether that's. funding, knowing the next steps and it perhaps it's not just for you to tell them, it's for you to find out if you're pitching to investors is for you to understand what the next steps are. If you want the audience to purchase something from you that the instructions are clear that they understand how to get there. If it's signing up, what do you need from them? Make sure you're clear on this and that you give clear instructions on the specific steps that they need to follow in order to Participate in your offering that they know exactly how to access your offering and that the process is not an obstacle to your success even after the most amazing pitch When preparing your pitch or presentation, one of the W's is what then? This is usually left out of presentations, but it's really very important. It's really defining the impact of your offering. What you gain by engaging or lose by not participating with this particular offering or idea. How is your offering making a difference? We're in a social enterprise mode right now. Everyone wants to participate in making a difference in some way. Demonstrate proof. Whenever possible, provide evidence of your idea or business success, identify key data points, testimonials, case studies, any other relevant proof you have to demonstrate the viability and potential for your business and how it will help to make people's lives better and how those who don't engage with it will lose out. That's that fear of losing out. You really need to include that component. And certainly remember, one size does not fit all. So tailor your approach based on the specific context and the specific audience. When it comes to how you do this presentation, this preparation, make sure you map it out, you write it out, say it out loud, you share it with others, you have it edited, you take the feedback, you practice, you practice. You practice and continuously seek feedback to improve your pitch over time. Over time. Your pitch won't be perfect on the first shot. If this is your first time pitching, don't expect it to be perfect. If it's your second or third time, it still won't be perfect. What I recommend is you start off knowing it won't be perfect. This is my practice run. Once you've gotten some practice, Incorporate the feedback and practice again. Your body will give you feedback. You'll feel good about certain parts. You'll notice the audience. You'll get feedback directly and indirectly from the environment. So aim in your head if you're someone who thinks about marks or percentages. Aim in your head not to hit 80% try to hit 60% the first time if you have that kind of mindset. If you get less, record your lessons learned. If you get more, record your lessons learned. The pitch is a work in progress. The first pitch will set you up for success if you go in with the right mindset that this is a practice opportunity for me for subsequent pitches. Remember, pitching effectively, presenting effectively, marketing ideas effectively, owning a room and getting engagement. It's a journey and you get better with practicing, but the most important piece is that you dedicate time for effective preparation. And remember the funnel start at the top with engagement and the problem, making sure we understand why if you do sufficient of that, you can limit the amount of time spent on the other elements coming down the funnel. And you will still have people engaged and willing to ask questions about how can we move forward with you. Pitching is the greatest way to learn about how to pitch. So start on your journey one step at a time. It's time to take that next step now. Thank you for listening to this episode of Upskill Talks. We bring you new episodes every Monday. Please take a moment to subscribe. Leave a five star rating and a written review at Apple Podcast or follow us on Spotify, Google podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Don't forget to share Upskill talks with other leaders like yourself, so they too may gain the skills and insights to produce amazing results. Please go to upskill community.com to review show notes, and learn how you can join a community of leaders from across the globe. Collaborating to lead in a more meaningful and impactful way. I'm your host, Michelle Shaw, and again, thank you for joining me on this episode of Upscale Talks.