If you have ever listened to a speech by someone who speaks monotonously, you will know that strong vocal delivery is vital to: 1) communicate your message clearly and 2) stop your audience going to sleep. The quickest way to make your startup elevator pitch stand out from the rest is to practise it with a simple technique: The Blind Cat Test.
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Show your startup: 4 types of demo to make investors see, believe and invest
When you pitch your startup to investors, you need them to understand it. The easiest way to do this is to show them your idea visually: through screenshots, a video, a prototype-as-a-prop or a live demo.
But be warned: although it is the ultimate show of authenticity, the live demo is fraught with danger. Even Steve Jobs was only a falsified phone signal bar away from disaster.
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Memorise your elevator pitch (without sounding like a droid)
Have you ever changed to the next slide in your elevator pitch, seen two long sentences and been forced to start reading them word-for-word until your brain remembers exactly what you’re trying to say?
Pitch rescue tip: You will remember your pitch, and present it more fluidly, if you memorise only 1-3 key words for each slide.
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Bait your elevator pitch - capture your audience with a hook
Given that no audience enters a presentation with their minds clear from outside concerns, is your responsibility as the presenter to capture their attention. The most effective way to do this is with a “hook”, a handy technique I learnt from my time in Deloitte Consulting.
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PowerPoint presentations - why less is more
Used well, a visual aid such as PowerPoint or a flipchart can be a valuable addition to a spoken presentation. For visual learners, myself included, the use of a clean, well-structured visual aid makes difficult concepts easier to understand than with speech alone. I’m a huge fan of speech-only presentations, but while powerful they tend to risk losing the understanding, and therefore attention, of audience members who are more visually oriented. But when it comes to PowerPoint, the crucial phrase is ‘used well’.
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Word order - how stand-up comedy will give your presentation more punch
Just like a business presentation or pitch, crafting good stand-up comedy requires precision. This blog post will show you how playing with the word order in your presentation can give you a powerful tool to maximise both humour and emphasis.
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Ending on a high - leave them wanting more
Have you ever watched someone give a presentation and been fascinated by it for the first six minutes, but then lost interest over time? We often think the more content we give our audience, the more satisfied they will be, but the opposite is generally true. Ending early, and on a high, will leave your audience wanting more.
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