Presenting and Pitching skills

Presenting and
Pitching Skills
Peter Ramsden
Paramount Learning Ltd

Aim of the session
1. Be knowledgeable about what to do before
making a pitch
2. Identify with how to turn a good proposal
into an effective pitch
3. Generate an appreciation for good and bad
presentation techniques
4. Provide guidance in order to prepare a well
structured and well delivered pitch

(C) Paramount Learning Ltd

Well Done
 Your proposal has made it through stage one and
you have been invited to discuss your proposal at a
meeting with the client.
 What’s your first thought?
 Really!
 Fantastic
 Relief
 Panic
 Oh no I have to make a formal presentation!
 What do we need to do to secure the business?

What do we need to consider
in making an effective pitch?
 Audience
 Location
 Duration
 Content/Message
 Structure
 Delivery Methods
 Practice
 Do’s and Don'ts

Audience
 Try to find out
 Who will be there?
 What are their roles and
responsibilities
 Who else might be pitching
 Consider who will be
attending from your company
 Match numbers and skills as
appropriate
 Be aware of client corporate
style and reflect in your Research your audience
behaviour and look


Location; Where, When and
 What facilities are available
 Flipchart
 Overhead Projector (OHP)
 Data projector
 Projector Screen
 Whiteboard
 Interactive Whiteboard
 Room size, layout etc


Duration?
 Important to find out for a number of
reasons
 Knowing how long you have helps you develop
a well timed and structured presentation
 Determines the maximum volume of
information you can deliver
 People typically prefer shorter rather than
longer presentations
 Shorter high impact presentations are
generally more memorable
 It’s better to finish one minute early than five
minutes late


The Content/Message
 Be confident; you have been invited to
present
 Review the tender and your proposal
once again
 Identify any key points and ensure these
are included in your pitch
 Review your pre-proposal notes
 Which areas did you deem to be
important; accommodate into your pitch
 Create a list of any questions they might
ask and be ready to provide a well
prepared response. What messages do you want
the audience to take away?


Preparation methods
 Determine the structure of
the proposal
 Methods of creating a basic
structure
 Mind mapping
 A4-A5-A6
 Length of presentation


Example Mind Map


Structure
 Introduction
 Thank the audience for the opportunity to present
 Who am I or Who are we?
 Briefly outline what you are going to talk about?
 Advise if you will take questions during or at the end?
 Main Body
 Break into segments
 Focus on details as and when appropriate
 Wrap Up
 Summarize, And finally, In conclusion

Delivery; How People Listen
 Attention Span
 Bite Size Chunks
 Repetition (Milestones)
 Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic
(VAK)
 Observe non verbal
communication
 Conditioned for breaks
What’s my name?
 Use our own set of filters

Listening: Attention Span

High

Attention

Low

Time

Delivery; What Makes People
Listen
 Self Interest; What’s in it for me/us?
 Try to guess what they want to hear
 Who is speaking
 Can this person solve my issue
 What are they saying
 Is this relevant and easy to understand
 How they are delivering the message
 Are they engaging or vague and boring

What motivates people to buy?
 Credibility
 Expertise
 Passionate
 Honesty
 Independent referrals
 Economics
 Specifications
 Timing/convenience

Presentation Styles
 Positive  Negative
 Warm  Arrogant
 Honest  Vague
 Friendly  Patronising
 Exciting  Monotonous
 Passionate  Closed
 Knowledgeable  Complex (Depends on
 Confident Audience)
 Organised  Nervous
 Irrelevant

Getting Ready
 Be Yourself
 Make an impressive start
 Deep breaths
 Smile
 Introduce yourself
 Who am I
 Why am I here
 What am I going to say


Do’s and don’ts
 Practice, Practice, Practice
 If possible arrive early.
 Check projector
 Audience seating
 Room temperature, lights, layout etc
 Take backups. Powerpoint, printouts, OHP
 Never start with an apology


Do’s and don’ts
 Visual Aids
 Can work for and against you
 Can be prepared in advance
 Flipcharts, Whiteboard, Powerpoint, OHP’s,
Slides
 Keep simple; Easily legible
 Concentrate on the audience not the aid


Do’s and don’ts
 Use eye contact
 Do not walk in front of the screen
 Control nerves through deep breathing
 When using Acetates
 Beware of the shakes
 Fans can be noisy
 Can draw on them directly to illustrate a point


Do’s and don'ts
 Avoid handouts unless essential to make a
point; distribute at the the end
 Watch out for err’s and um’s
 Control of hands
 Clicking pens
 Shuffling coins in pocket
 Hand over mouth
 Scratching


Do’s and don'ts
 Control of Body/Feet
 Shuffling
 Walking backward and forwards
 Stand upright
 Invest in a presenter
 Use ‘and finally’ to raise interest once only
 Use peoples names if you know them


Do’s and Don’ts
 Voice and Vocabulary
 Vary pace and tone
 Speak to the back of the room
 Avoid jargon
• PowerPoint shortcuts
 Shift B = Black Screen
 Shift W = White Screen
 Right mouse click allows pointer options


In Summary (4P’s)
 Preparation
 Audience, Location, Message, Structure, Delivery
 Review tender and proposal
 Practice
 Try it out
 Refine
 Pitch
 You should now be ready to make you pitch
 Purchase order?

Presenting and
Pitching Skills

Thank You
Questions Please

Presenting and Pitching skills

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