How to deliver a winning a pitch!

To me the key to delivering a successful pitch is in the delivery, the presenter(s) need to speak loudly, clearly, and smoothly most importantly be confident. Being confident is more than just about what you are saying it is also exuded through body language thus it is important not to slouch, fidget, or lean on anything. Also maintain eye contact with your audience and keep hand gestures and movements to a minimum so that when they are used they enhance your presentation (Think Obama!).
Remember you are selling yourself as well as your idea so the minute you enter the room your audience will be judging you so dress appropriately nothing beats a crisp suit. Also be sure to dress appropriately for your field it is important to look professional no matter what you are wearing so don’t wear anything too revealing or disheveled.
When under pressure for example when you are being asked questions be sure to stay calm, but be prepared so that you can react quickly yet don’t get defensive also be sure to be consistent with your answers.
Once again as I said in my last post be passionate! Your audience can tell if you are truly invested in your brief, so be enthusiastic! Lastly be yourself if you present your pitch in too much of generic stiff manner the audience will either fall asleep or forget what you said. So let your personality shine through a bit, a little humor (when appropriate) and a smile go a long way!


Here are some tips from Alan Gleeson the managing director of Palo Alto Software Ltd. creators of Business Plan Pro 2007. He holds an MBA from Oxford University and is a graduate of University College, Cork, Ireland. As found on bytestart.co.uk ‘the small business portal’.

1. Know your audience
“Investors have a range of asset classes to choose from as they decide on the composition of their investment portfolio. Hence it is necessary to understand the backgrounds of the prospective investors and their motivations prior to presenting. Once you have done extensive research on the investors it is then possible to tailor the pitch accordingly.”

2. Tell a Story
“One of the most effective ways to pitch is to place the investment opportunity in the context of a story. Ideally, the story will focus on a problem encountered and the fact that the new idea being pitched solves this particular problem.”

3. Prepare to win
“Pitching to an investor is not a last-minute afterthought – it is the culmination of weeks, if not months, of planning. All too often, entrepreneurs do not plan accordingly and then find that the preparation of their business pitch suffers. Preparation for the pitch should commence as soon as the business plan process commences.”

4. Pay strict attention to the detail
“Your typical investor will have a good eye for detail and hence the plan and its pitch need to be mutually reinforcing and containing no inherent contradictions. From the outset, there should be one owner of the process who can oversee all preparations and is ultimately responsible for the content. This is particularly important if a number of disparate contributors have worked on the plan and where the pitch consists of numerous participants.”

5. Avoid death by PowerPoint
“While the average plan is produced in Microsoft® Word and Excel, PowerPoint tends to be the tool of choice for presentations. While it undoubtedly has advantages in terms of aesthetics, it can be misused when utilised at the pitch stage. The number of slides should be kept to the bare minimum, the content must be rigorously analysed to ensure relevance and clarity and time must be managed carefully.”

6. Get the numbers right
“Investors tend to be very focused on numbers, so all facts must be accurate. The numbers should be realistic and defensible and at least one of those pitching the plan needs to be prepared for in-depth questions relating to the projected financials.”


7. Practise the Presentation
“It is clear that many entrepreneurs have not practised their pitches before impartial observers prior to pitching. This dry run should be arranged well in advance of the presentation date with a panel of critics who have a carte blanche to critique the plan and pitch.”

8. Excite them
Entrepreneurs pitch to investors to sell them an idea. There must be something unique about the idea, and it must be pitched with conviction, so as to grab the attention of investors who deal with hundreds of business plans every month. This was summed up by former Dragons’ Den investor Simon Woodroffe in a BBC2 show, when he said, “You got to make me feel like I’m going to miss out””.

9. Learn the Lessons
“Do not get too downhearted if a pitch is unsuccessful. The investors are likely to give clear reasons for their lack of interest, and this feedback must be considered carefully as it may shape improvements in subsequent pitches.”

10. Remember the purpose of the pitch
“Finally, while the emphasis may well be on an idea, it is important to remember that the pitch has a very specific purpose. This must not get lost in all the details.
If an offer is made, the presenter must have a full grasp on whether it meets his requirements, and options if not. So as to maintain credibility, the presenter needs to consider all the various eventualities before undertaking the pitch so that the pitch does not go flat at the end when the issues of substance need to be agreed.”

*While this example is based on businesses looking for funding I feel it translates well and can be applied to how to pitch a Digital Marketing campaign.