5 Top Tips for putting together the perfect business pitch

Putting together a perfect business pitch can be a challenging but essential task in the successfulness of your business. Firstly, it’s important to gather a team of experts who can bring their own wealth of knowledge to the boardroom. From then, follow these 5 tips below that’ll have you on your way to pitching success.  

Be prepared

Talking in front of a crowd, no matter the size, can be daunting. In an interview with Speakers Corner, about beating nerves and increasing confidence in public speaking, Psychologist Dr Linda Papadopoulos says: “Prepare - the more prepared you are the easier you’ll find it.”

The more preparation you do, the more confidence you’ll get. It can be a good idea to present your business pitch to someone outside of the project. A fresh pair of eyes and ears can help anticipate questions that may be asked and detect any confusing presentation errors before it’s too late. The night before the big day, it’s important to relax and get an early night so you can wake up refreshed.

Be a performer

A business pitch is a show and you’re the main character. For the next ten minutes you’re going to perform in front of an audience who will be listening to your every word. This idea is not supposed to scare you, but inspire, as you can apply actor training techniques that would normally be used on the stage, in the corporate world. Develop your stage presence, master
your body language and project your voice.

Be a storyteller

Whether you are pitching for funding or to a new client, a winning pitch has people at the heart of the idea. Appeal to their emotions by talking about yourself, your company’s journey, your employees, or explaining a customer's journey. These anecdotes can help outline a problem or solution, but be careful to not stray into bragging territory. If you get the balance right, you’ll find it’s a much more engaging technique than just talking about facts and figures.

Be exact

Clearly outline your business model or idea. If you can’t sum up basics in a sentence you may need to rethink your strategy. Outline the problem and the solution by referring back to the core values of your business. You’ll need to know the target audience and what’s unique about the offer you’re trying to make. This is where you really sell your product so clearly explain how you expect to achieve your goals and in what timeframe.

Don’t expect to know this all from memory, real life is not like Dragons' Den. Write down important facts and figures to ensure you know exactly what you’re talking about. It’s also good to back up your facts with evidence to make them more realistic. If you’re going to make a company X amount of money, tell them how and give examples of your previous successes.

Be professional

It takes just seven seconds to make a first impression, so do remember that your pitch starts from the moment you step into their office. Do your research and alter your dress sense accordingly in a professional manner. Although, do make sure you’re comfortable in what you’re wearing. You don’t want to be worrying about your uncomfortable shirt or skirt whilst you are mid pitch. Be kind, polite and confident when speaking and you’ll no doubt ace it.