"Give someone a pitch, and they eat for a day. Teach someone to pitch, and they feed themselves for life."
We often make similar mistakes when pitching, skipping information that’s needed for a proper evaluation. Then we get judges who don't get it, or ask questions we've already covered, or just make dumb faces at us while we talk. Or they start asking tough questions and trying to poke holes, rather than see the opportunity.
Templates don't help. Each pitch is as unique as the startup, and should lead with its strengths. So how do we deal with this?
Source Pitch Training is based on focusing on a few easy sound bites, speaking naturally without memorising every word; and then using a fun, rapid-fire peer feedback session to direct systematic improvements.
It improves presentations way faster than endless practice in front of a mirror, or adding in all that different advice from so many mentors.
We start by picking out 2 or 3 key sound bites, the most important ideas for the audience to understand. They're each only a few words or a sentence, but saying them right gives you a solid foundation for the audience to understand everything else.
Then we have a rapid-fire, fun way to keep improving based on peer feedback. But rather than give advice, peers only ask questions and use a quick voting system to highlight problem areas. So when you hear this feedback, you know exactly what to fix in your pitch.
Each iteration, you'll identify one key thing to fix, and you'll try again in 20 minutes. After 2-3 hours, you'll have done 4-6 iterations on your presentation and you'll see night-and-day improvements. This works really well, even for first-timers and people who don't have a strong command of English.
You'll leave with the confidence and the skill to improve your presentations for life. Not to mention the time savings to actually work on your business instead of your presentation.
No preparation necessary. Just show up with a smile.
Salim Virani Writing The Peer Learning Guide. Founder of Source, and formerly Leancamp and Founder Centric.
Peer Learning that keeps up with our fast-changing world.
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