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Pitching Skills We Can Learn from Gymnastics

Posted on by Rick E

Gymnastics is not solely about learning split leaps, jumps, and handstands. It’s about harnessing an individual’s physical strength, agility, and determination to execute astounding physical feats. In an article on FloGymnastics, Keri Monstrola shows us that the sport transcends its craft and manages to relate itself to other parts of our life as well.

The skills gymnasts learn in training are perfect building blocks for presentations. Here are some more gymnastics skills you need to learn to become a well-rounded speaker:

Overcoming Fear

Gymnasts work through their fears to undertake difficult routines on uneven bars, springboards, and balance beams. It’s impossible for them to pull off perfect tens on each activity without mastering the first step: overcoming fear. Likewise, presenters must set aside and face their personal public speaking fears.

If you’re afraid of being the center of attention, making mistakes, or feeling dissatisfied with your presentation skills, consider the hardships of gymnasts. The tumbling passes at different heights are more terrifying – and have greater physical consequences – than speaking in front of a crowd.

Your life isn’t put at risk, but your business reputation or sales deals are.

Social Interaction

All professionals pass through the beginning stages. Aspiring gymnasts are also given the chance to develop their social skills like listening, taking turns, and following directions. In turn, the senior students learn to become role models to foster a good learning environment for the newbies.

The same goes for keynotes or pitch decks. Your discussion is a two-way street, breaking the wall between you and your audience. Establish a successful and productive dialogue by asking questions, responding to feedback, and allowing participants to speak up to develop an engaging, audience-centered discussion.

Balance and Control

Balance and control are two of the most important skills to succeed in the sport of gymnastics. The perfect combination and understanding of the two must be incorporated for a seamless execution of every routine.

In public speaking, a harmonious combination of verbal and non-verbal cues demonstrates an interactive speech delivery. Your emotion is what connects you to your audience. Keep them under control so that you appear genuine, but not threatening or insincere.

Conclusion

Gymnastics doesn’t only teach sports enthusiasts positive lessons learned through daily training, but it can also inspire people who make presentations for a living.

Before you can start presenting, you have to overcome your fears to begin your public speaking journey. Presenting isn’t a solo effort. After all, you’re presenting to an audience, so you must make it a conversation by involving the crowd.

Lastly, master a balance of verbal and non-verbal cues to engage different types of audiences in the ways they best learn.

Looking for high-quality pitch decks for your business? Give us a call at 1-858-217-5144 or request for a free quote from pitchdeck.com today.

Reference

Monstrola, Keri. “10 Life Skills Learned From Gymnastics.” FloGymnastics. November 2, 2014. Accessed August 19, 2015.

Featured Image: “TWU Gymnastics [Floor] Mollie & Amy” by Erin Costa on flickr.com

5 Pitch Speaking Tips from Winston Churchill

Posted on by Rick E

One of the most effective speakers we can learn from is Winston Churchill. In fact, both advertising agency gurus and pitch experts have cited his skills, be it crafting and rehearsing a presentation speech, as brand communications expert, Carmine Gallo lauded, or for writing persuasive advertising copy, according to creativity mentor, Luke Sullivan.

Churchill’s speeches have always been powerful and persuasive. These can be used as inspiration for more convincing business or sales pitches, especially if you’re selling something. Use these five pitch speaking tips to get the most out of your pitch:

1. Begin Strongly

Start with a question, cite a relevant quotation or challenge your audience. Whichever way you pick, be sure to give your audience a strong and credible impression. You also need to empathize and show that you’re willing to help solve their problems.

Remember that you need clients or partners to invest in you. Giving a confident impression and backing it up with an effective pitch make for a strong introduction.

2. Have One Theme

A compelling idea is the cornerstone of an effective business pitch. Being able to centralize your speech around one idea describes and clarifies what you want to say. Sullivan suggests that in order to find that one idea, look at your product and find the best way you can describe it.

If you can summarize that within one description, putting in the supporting points to back up your claims will be easier to make. Your audience will also have an easier time following your pitch too.

3. Use Simple language

Using a conversational tone, together with simple and easy-to-understand language gives potential partners an easier time following your pitch. This saves you time in reiterating your key points and explaining them to the audience.

Rather than giving a technical explanation, stick to highlighting what your product or service can offer your clients. Gallo suggests you let them know what they get out of it and why they should care about your pitch.

4. Leave a Picture in the Audiences’ Minds

Words are more than just a means to convince your clients. They can also be used to paint pictures in the audience’s minds. This is important because people buy what they can see, more than hearing the description, more than reading about it, clients and prospects need to visualize the product and the situations where it can help them.

To help you get the most out of this, try to find out what a professional pitch deck design specialist can do to enhance your pitch deck.

5. End Dramatically

As with your beginning, you need to make a dramatic ending. It can be a call to action, a challenge for your clients to invest in your proposal, or an important fact they can associate with your brand.

When you make your conclusion, always refer to your main idea and how it is organized. If your pitch is structured with the strategy of highlighting your best selling point, you already have an edge against the competition.

One Last Thing

Leaving a lasting impression can potentially be as powerful as an initial impression. Learning to apply these tips will give you the same edge that Winston Churchill enjoyed.

To help you make your speech work with a matching pitch deck, take a few minutes to get in touch with us, all for free!

References

“Audio Archive.” Winston Churchill. Accessed August 18, 2015.
Gallo, Carmine. The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to Be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010.
Sullivan, Luke. Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This: A Guide to Creating Great Ads. 3rd ed. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, 2008.

Featured Image: “NY – Hyde Park: Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library – Winston Churchill Portrait” by Wally Gobetz on flickr.com

4 Tips on Speaking like a Professional Pitch Deck Presenter

Posted on by Rick E

A well-crafted and rehearsed speech is crucial for an effective professional pitch deck presenter. Once you’ve made your deck, sync up your words with your slides.

Use these four tips to get effective presentation ideas for your speech:

1. Begin with Your Basic Argument

Start with your idea, then build it up. One effective way to give a sales or business presentation is to craft it into a story. From introducing new product clients to reporting your company’s latest market shares to your superiors, narratives are a great way to close a sale or get your recommendations approved.

Once you’ve achieved this, add supporting points to solidify your argument. According to creativity mentor, Luke Sullivan, it’s more effective to put it in a sequence from your first to last points. This will make your pitch easier to follow.

2. Get to the Point

The first three minutes of your presentation are often the most crucial. It may depend on the crowd you’re facing, but for business presentations, once you start talking, get your introductions over and done with, and start your pitch. As speech coach Joey Asher suggests, today’s busy work schedules pull people’s attentions away from your pitch and back towards their own lives and work desks.

Throw in your main point and the reasons why your clients should be invested. If you can be interesting or persuasive from your first lines, do so. Even with ten to fifteen minutes at your disposal, you need to get your audiences hooked from the start. It saves time if a host or emcee will do the introductions for you.

3. Write the Way You Talk

If a conversational tone works best for presentations, then writing the way you talk gives you a more persuasive speech. A smooth and easy rhythm makes you sound more natural and easier to understand.

Stick with the rules of grammar to sound professional and use your adjectives wisely. Be clear about the features and points you’ll be talking about. Remember: you’re selling something.

4. Add Your Brand’s Personality

As a presenter, you are the representative of your company and your brand. One trick to bring in your brand’s voice is to find out its own distinct personality. Try to describe it in one adjective or in one word if you can.

This allows you to put your proposal on a different level away from the competition, making it stick long enough in your client’s minds for a possible second look. If you want people to invest in you, give off a presentable image and follow through with convincing reasons. The first step is to make your sales presentation different and effective.

To get your presentation speech and presentation to the level of the pros, take a few minutes to get in touch with us for free!

References

Asher, Joey. “For Presentations, Half As Long Is Twice As Good.” Fast Company. December 20, 2012. Accessed August 17, 2015.
“Craft Your Corporate Presentations into a Great Story.” pitchdeck.com, May 15, 2015. Accessed August 17, 2015.
Sullivan, Luke. Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This: A Guide to Creating Great Ads. 3rd ed. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, 2008.

Paul Boross: The 7 Secrets of a Successful Business Pitch

Posted on by Rick E

Competition exists in every business. It’s what drives them to introduce new and original ideas that stand out from those of other companies.

To achieve this, make a pitch that brings positive results.

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Your pitching style, delivery techniques, and body language are other important elements in getting your message across.

Craft your message’s content in an engaging and powerful way to convince your clients when starting your business proposal. This gives them an idea that you’re interested and you know your subject matter well.

Pitch like Paul

In his book, “The Pitching Bible,” Paul Boross revealed seven secrets of a successful business pitch. With over twenty-five years of experience in business, psychology, and performing arts, Boross has been recognized as the Pitch Doctor, having trained politicians and business professionals to deliver effective messages.

Develop your business pitch with his seven secrets:

Secret 1: It’s All About Them

Your audience is your pitch’s main focus. They’re the reason why you’re presenting.

Know what they need and propose a strategy to convince them to buy your ideas. This is to show that you care about them and their concerns.

Secret 2: By the Time You Start, It’s Already Too Late

Your pitch begins when your audience decides to attend, not when you introduce yourself and show your first slide.

Meet their expectations before your performance starts by coming in well-prepared. If they can see that you’ve spent time doing your research and practicing your speech, they’ll decide that listening to you is a good use of their time.

Secret 3: Steady, Ready, Pitch!

Before you speak, breathe deeply to ease your anxiety. Establish a good relationship with them before you even begin by showing you’re comfortable with your audience.

Engage them by telling a story or by asking questions that require their participation.

Secret 4: Dream the Dream

Since your goal is to connect with your audience, your idea should appeal to their emotions.

While you present your facts and figures, incorporate stories that build an emotional connection. Though business pitches should be professional, having a genuine connection will help them remember your message.

Secret 5: Mind Your Language

Your business pitch’s content is as important as your body language. Though nonverbal communication greatly influences your message, your verbal language also plays a vital role in motivating your audience.

Since they look for things that benefit them, apply “benefit because feature” to generate interest. This helps you connect with their needs and address their concerns.

Secret 6: Say It Again, Sam

Repetition is significant when talking about your main points. It helps your audience recall your message by reiterating it in different ways.

More than words, tell your message by means of how you dress, how you interact with them and give them a good impression.

Secret 7: The End… Or Is It?

Your pitch isn’t limited inside the boardroom and doesn’t end after you’re done speaking.

Motivate your audience by making them feel that they want more. Distribute handouts or other forms of white paper to help them remember your message.

Doing a follow-up is vital especially when you want to give updates. You can also listen to your client’s side and get to know them better by networking.

Conclusion

Write a more powerful pitch that benefits both you and your audience by mastering these seven secrets.

Your pitch begins before the actual date you’ll be speaking. Being prepared lets you draw your audience to your message because they understand that you care about meeting their needs. This increases your chances of winning more of your clients’ business the next time you present.

To craft an effective and engaging business pitch deck, pitchdeck.com experts can help you out!

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References

The Pitching Bible. Accessed July 7, 2015.
“The Science of Effective Storytelling in Presentations.” pitchdeck.com, September 28, 2014. Accessed July 7, 2015.

Alan Monroe’s Motivational Sequence in Sales Pitches

Posted on by Rick E

Monroe’s motivational sequence is a powerful speech writing technique based on the power of persuasion and developed in the 1930s by Alan Monroe, a college professor at Purdue University.

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Presenters should focus on their audiences. Since people avoid discomfort once they encounter a particular problem, they’ll be convinced to take action that will solve that issue.

Monroe’s Motivational Sequence

The objective of a sales pitch is to compel clients to make purchase decisions.

As a presenter, you should answer answer their questions: “Why am I here?” and “What’s in it for me?”

If they don’t see why your proposal is important, they won’t bother to listen. This makes your introduction the most crucial part of your sales pitches. It’s where you hook your audience and keep them interested.

Here are five stages Monroe suggested to making audiences act on unresolved issues:

First Stage: Get Attention

How will you convince them to pay attention?

Getting your audience’s attention is the first step in motivating them. Storytelling achieves this by providing them with stories that pique their interest.

Explain the importance of having them as your audience. Include humorous stories, questions, and quotations to connect with them, giving them a reason to stay and listen.

Second Stage: Establish the Need

How will you address a problem that needs solving?

Stating and emphasizing the issue points out the discomfort and dissatisfaction it brings. Use statistics to illustrate how this can affect them. Appeal to your audience’s emotions to connect with them.

After this, they’ll start looking for a solution.

Third Stage: Satisfy the Need

How will you offer the solution?

Provide them with concrete solutions to address the issues. Avoid confusing and misleading technical terms to keep them from misinterpreting what you mean.

Explain and clarify each of your solution’s supporting details to show their importance.

Fourth Stage: Visualize the Future

How will you show the positive effects of applying this solution?

Contrast the problem against your solution to illustrate the difference between the positive and negative outcomes. What happens if you apply this solution? What happens if you don’t?

Create a picture of both to convince your audience to follow your advice and take action.

Fifth Stage: Inspire Action

How will you move them to act now?

Return to your message’s main idea to remind them of its impact. Create a sense of urgency that challenges and drives them to act immediately.

Tell them to quit delaying the problem. Reiterate the reasons why they should do it and how it can be done.

Conclusion

Monroe’s motivational sequence convinces your audiences to take action by getting their attention, making them stay and listen to what you have to say.

Establish their need for a solution to stop the issue. Satisfy them with clearer and easier-to-understand solutions. Help them visualize how their decision affects their future, and inspire them to act now.

This sequence increases your chances of persuading your audience enough to make them take action.

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References

Barker, Alan. “Five Steps to Action: Monroe’s Motivated Sequence.” Distributed Intelligence. Accessed June 23, 2015.

4 Components for Planning Speeches Like Pitch Experts

Posted on by Rick E

According to communicologist Eugene White (1960), there are four interrelated components for presentations: speaker, speech, audience, and occasion. These help pitch experts plan their pitch deck content and assist speakers with their actual discussion.

It’s hard to talk about these principles in the order you should tackle them. That’s why the concepts speak for interrelationship or connecting one to another.

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Determine as much as you can from each factor to focus your speech and make you sound more credible and convincing.

The Speaker

Think of yourself as a speaker. Do you talk fast or slow? Do you use a lot of technical terms? Do you find it easy to get along with people you’ve just met?

Before preparing a deck outline or storyboard, examine yourself. Familiarize yourself with your strengths and weaknesses; focus on finding your comfort zone to decide which parts should be best highlighted or discussed in a more in-depth manner.

Knowing yourself lets you set your pitch deck’s direction. If you’re more outgoing, start with a good joke. If you’re more to the point, begin with a poignant statistic.

The Speech

The language you use should fit your audience and the occasion. Imagine speaking about the common cold to a group composed only of children. Would you use terms lifted straight from a medical textbook? Your choice of words in slides and speech decides if you’ll be seen as boring and uninspired or interesting and rousing.

Once you have information on the other factors, adjust the amount of time you spend per slide. This affects your flow greatly, and also relies on what you can learn regarding the two remaining factors.

The Audience

Check up on your audience to identify important details you’ll need in your pitch deck.

These can include age, gender, number, educational background, group affiliation, nationality, and culture. These factors let you determine your approach’s formality and technicality.

You can determine a lot of things from simply checking up on your audience. Finding out audience size also lets you decide how intimate you should be with your pitch.

A larger audience will have to need a broader approach. Be aware of local cultural norms to avoid embarrassing situations that ruin your credibility.

The Occasion

Knowing the occasion narrows down your speech’s objectives. Know the event’s basic nature, time, and venue.  The event’s nature clues you in on the goals you’ll set for yourself.

The engagement’s actual starting and allotted time decides your speech and deck length. Be conscious of recent events, use good news, and avoid referencing recent tragedies.

Knowing the venue also clues you in on how formal your speech should be. How you dress up in a hotel function room is different from how you would in a smaller auditorium.

—

Interrelatedness may seem difficult, but simply writing plans on a piece of paper sets you on the right track. Getting everything down sets your pitch’s tone, purpose, formality, and its overall message.

It’s easy to understand and even easier to get right. If you’re looking for people who can get it done right away, then our pitch deck experts are ready to help.

Contact pitchdeck.com now and get a free quote!

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References

“Public Speaking: The Basics.” Speaking in the Disciplines. Accessed June 3, 2015.
White, Eugene. Practical Speech Fundamentals. New York: The McMillan Co, 1960.

How to Use Body Language Like a Pitch Expert

Posted on by Rick E

People communicate not only with words but with small actions like smiling, raising eyebrows, hand gestures, and other non-verbal cues.

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Words aren’t enough to effectively convey your intended message. Use body language like a pitch expert to deliver a successful pitch deck.

Defining Body Language

Non-verbal gestures are quiet, but they add impact to sales pitches. Posture, gestures, facial expressions, and eye contact contribute greatly to expressing and complementing your main idea.

In your next corporate meeting, use these non-verbal cues to reinforce your pitch skills.

Why It’s Important

Body language speaks louder than words. In fact, Albert Mehrabian’s 7%-38%-55% rule states that non-verbal communication covers about 90% of overall messages’ impact. Spoken words influence your audience the least.

Your audience judges your physical behavior because it reveals your character and signifies your intent. Align your body language with your message to display authority and influence.

How It Helps You

Here’s how each of the typical signals affects your viewers:

Eye Contact

Never discount the value of looking into your listeners’ eyes to connect with them. This makes your audience feel that they’re involved and also shows that you trust them and have nothing to hide. This is useful when giving and receiving feedback or prompting others to speak.

Posture

Good posture indicates competence and confidence. Stand up straight yet relaxed, and avoid slouching or hunching over. This shows that you’re in control while also expressing friendliness, positivity, and even detachment when needed.

Hand Gestures

Your palm has the power to persuade your audience. Use an open palm together with fingers toward the audience to express sincerity. Face your palm backwards with fingers upward for persuading. Use a precision grip with your index finger and thumb together for emphasizing key points, or a power fist for grasping an issue.

—

Go above and beyond the spoken or written language with nonverbal communication. Even the simplest body movements, such as glancing at your audience, gesturing with your hand, or standing up straight, give your pitch implicit meanings.

Be cautious about your body language and use only those actions that’ll support your content and delivery. With enough practice, you’ll be able to land those sales with one word and one gesture.

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References

“Mehrabian’s Communication Research.” Business Balls. Accessed June 2, 2015.

Canons of Rhetoric: Applying Arrangement to Pitch Decks

Posted on by Rick E

We’ve discussed the canons of rhetoric and examined invention’s importance in public speaking.

This post focuses on the second canon—arrangement.

In Classical Roman oration, arrangement is organizing a speech to maximize persuasiveness. This process of forming a coherent speech structure can be applied to any pitch deck presentation.

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If you’ve survived the invention phase, then this canon won’t give you trouble. Let’s talk about how to organize your argument the rhetoricians’ way.

Exordium: Introducing Your Speech

All speeches begin with introductions—stating your purpose and establishing your credibility. Tell your audience what your message is about and why it’s important. Your introduction may sometimes require storytelling to make your material more convincing while reinforcing an element of fun.

Narratio: Stating the Facts

Follow up your introduction by stating supporting facts, or further information on your topic. Narrating fact-based examples back up your argument, making it more persuasive. If you hook your audiences with your introduction, this is where you reel them in.

Partitio: Dividing Your Topic

According to the Roman rhetorician Quintilian, this is where you streamline your key points. This is your argument’s outline—the trail that your audience follows. This gives them an idea on how long your speech will take. Listeners always look for clues to find out if you’re worth their time.

Confirmatio: Proving Your Argument

The proof stage is the life of your pitch deck. Have you ever read a good story and expected a great ending, only to be let down because the ending doesn’t make sense? The elements for a good story were there; they just weren’t properly connected. That’s why you present and construct arguments that stem directly from your earlier stated facts.

Refutatio: Refuting Yourself

There will always be ideas that contradict yours. This is where you refute these counterarguments. Admit your argument’s flaws while assuring that they’re solvable or relatively insignificant. This shows that you’re human and lets you gain your audience’s sympathy and trust.

Peroratio: Concluding Your Speech

End your discussion with a potent conclusion. Don’t simply restate what you’ve already said. Make your ending meaningful by leaving a call to action that encapsulates your narrative, reasons, and explanations. This is your last and most important chance to leave a lasting impact.

—

The rhetorical canon of arrangement gives your speech good structure. If you’ve arranged your ideas in the right order, your audience will easily follow and understand your message.

Master this canon and the rest of your business pitch decks will not only make more sense but will also land you more sales and approvals.

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References

McKay, Brett, and Kate McKay. “Five Canons of Rhetoric: Arrangement.” The Art of Manliness. 2011. Accessed June 2, 2015.

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