Whether you are currently preparing for an incredibly important and influential presentation and are looking for helpful hints and tips to improve your presenting style, or else you are someone whose professional role requires you to regularly stand up in front of others to pitch your ideas, then you have certainly come to the right place.
Here, for your information and, of course, reading pleasure, is a guide on how to deliver engaging pitches and presentations, regardless of the industry in which you work.
Preparation is vital
As with most pursuits in both your professional and personal life, the more prepared you are, the more you will deliver an engaging and uplifting presentation or pitch.
Another benefit of researching and preparing properly for an upcoming presentation is that you can then far more naturally refer to any and all market research you have engaged in if you are pressed on a particular point.
When you have set out the basic story and proverbial bones of your presentation, it would then be advisable to practice your pitch in front of one or more family members or close friends to get an idea of timing.
Eye contact is crucial
If you only remember one technique moving forward after reading this article, it should be that you absolutely must always engage in eye contact with various members of the audience you are presenting your pitch to.
The importance of eye contact in any public speaking situation can never be overstated and aids the following important elements:
- An added level of believability and authoritative
- Communicating conviction and confidence
- The easiest way to invite your audience to come on board on the journey you are conveying
- Eye contact naturally slows down your speech and speech patterns and therefore makes it easier for the audience to understand and digest your story
Consider consulting with the professionals
There are many ways to make your presentation stand out and, even more importantly, to make your pitch encourage investors to part with their hard-earned money.
Animated explainer videos, for example, can elevate your pitch to a much higher standard in a number of different ways, including, but not limited to, the following:
- Crafting exactly the right succinct message to support your presentation
- Bringing your presentation alive with an engaging visual story
- Ensuring the audience and potential investors connect on a personal level with your pitch
- A fun and entertaining way to explain your innovative ideas and unique branding
- A way to summarize your pitch after the presentation is complete
Never neglect non-verbal communication
Often, when a person is standing in front of a group, and everyone else is listening, they are, of course, naturally paying attention to what is being said.
However, copious studies have revealed that non-verbal communication actually carries far more proverbial weight and the vast majority of the key messages and points, so it is, therefore, crucial to use your hands and body language cleverly and effectively to support what you are saying.
