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Count from 6 to 10: A Quick Guide to Great Pitch Decks

We’ve previously discussed how the numbers one to five can make your business pitch decks count. This was based off keynote speaker Stephen Boyd’s tips to create a presentation countdown. With our own take on it, let’s continue counting from number six to number ten.

6. Presenting after SIX o’clock P.M.

Business professionals work eight hours on a regular basis. After a long day, only a few stay later than six o’clock p.m. to polish their paperwork, web designs, pitch deck slides, and the like. After all, we want to get back to our families and our lives, right?

Deliver your pitches as if you’re doing them after six in the evening. Embody the elements of fun, involvement, and learning to keep your audience awake. Treat your audience like close friends and family you’ve been longing to see. Sustain their interest from the beginning to end, no matter how late it is.

7. Seven Means Complete

According to the Bible, the number seven has three Hebrew roots: saba, shaba and sheba. These three biblical ideas are associated with oaths, perfection, and completeness. Whether you’re delivering a pitch to a potential client or discoursing a monthly report with co-workers, your pitch deck should contain complete data.

Providing evidence supports your argument or main idea. Maximize the use of graphs and charts, statistics, and other visuals for a more comprehensive discussion. Inevitably, your audience will have questions or clarifications which you can tackle in a Q&A session. However, it pays to address all of these possible questions from the beginning to make things easier for everyone.

8. Eight for Affinity

The number eight is drawn with two interconnecting circles. Lacking one circle, either at the top or at the bottom, means you have zero. Pitches are about making connections. Your business speech is useless without an audience.

Command interest by connecting with them on a personal level. You can best engage an audience by exuding a credible aura, by appealing to their emotions, or by challenging their intellect. Building networks after your business pitch is another way to solidify your core message, and get viable results as well.

9. Nine for Anticipation

Where there’s nine, an end is anticipated — nine is followed by ten, ninety-nine makes way for one hundred, and so on. Anticipating unforeseeable circumstances in your talk is a good pitching skill. Don’t make your audience tune out because you panicked or lost your train of thought. Always be prepared for whatever can go wrong in a speaking engagement.

Planning ahead increases your chances of foreseeing or dealing with such problems.

10. Perfect Ten

There’s no denying that the number ten connotes perfection. Ten is a rounded number, which is why our counting system is based on the power of ten. We rate things with one being the lowest and ten being the highest. Striving for perfection is the best mindset for succeeding in your business pitch.

Make sure that your pitch deck design has the perfect font combo and title slide. Reinforce it with confident delivery and compelling content. Always aim for a deck that will get a perfect ten rating.

To Sum It Up

Use numbers six to ten as your guide for delivering fun, complete, engaging, planned, and perfect business pitch decks. Remember the importance of connecting to your audience, sharing complete and pertinent data, appealing to emotions, anticipating crises, and striving for perfection.

Need a pitch deck to give you an edge? Check out our portfolio for inspiration, or contact our slide design experts for a free quote.

References

Boyd, Stephen. “Public Speaking By Numbers.” Speaking-Tips, August 17, 2011. Accessed June 10, 2015.

3 Things to Remember When Disaster Attacks Your Pitch

Most presenters’ initial response when accidents happen is to worry. They think that there’s no way out when they make mistakes. The same things apply to business pitches.

While some presenters prepare well before they speak in front of their audience, they may fail to account for accidents or delays in their presentation.

When Disaster Strikes

You’re now in front of your prospective clients, ready to deliver your most outstanding pitch. Suddenly, your laptop shuts down, or your pitch deck slides freeze.

What will you do?

Continue.

It’s been said that “When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.” This means that when certain problems arise, don’t stop. Continue with what you’re doing and focus on your main objective. When you concentrate on delivering your presentation, you’ll eventually set aside your negative thoughts and feelings, allowing you to achieve your desired outcome without being distracted.

Being mentally present also helps you to focus on your audience and avoid getting interrupted by unexpected circumstances. Here are three things to recall when you experience unavoidable situations:

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1. Your Client Understands

When mistakes or accidents happen, it’s normal to feel bad about it. However, remember that your audience feels the same way, too. Understand that this can happen to anyone at any time. After all, there are no perfect presentations.

What’s important is that you’re able to maintain your composure during the pitch.

2. Your Client Still Wishes to Listen.

The reason why your audience attends your pitch is because they want to listen to what you have to say. There may be distractions that will prevent them from getting your message.

However, it’s your job to capture their attention and keep them interested.

3. Your Client Wants You to Continue

Your audience is on your side. Even if you make a mistake, they still want you to continue.

Don’t let these negative thoughts hinder you from delivering your message effectively.

Conclusion

Understanding these three things will help you attain your main goal: the audience’s attention. However, these shouldn’t stop you from planning ahead. Being well-prepared and staying focused allow you to properly manage possible disasters.

When that happens, remember: don’t stop. Just continue. You’ll feel better when you do.

To help you with your presentation needs, let pitchdeck.com experts assist you!

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References

Dlugan, Andrew. “The Only Thing to Do When Disaster Strikes Your Speech.” Six Minutes, March 18, 2010. Accessed June 8, 2015.