If you have ever seen a Steve Jobs presentation than you know what it means to be “Pitch Perfect”. From the moment the first words come out of his month he has your attention (See iPhone launch). You also can’t help but believe him when he says “This changes everything” as he describes the next iGadget that you really didn’t think you needed until now.
My latest read, Pitch Perfect: How to Say it Right the First Time, Every Time shares techniques on how to get to Steve’s level. Renowned media Coach Bill McGowan demonstrates the importance of delivering the right message, to the right person and in the right tone to get heard and respected at work and home.
“If you can’t explain it simply, you can’t explain it at all” -Albert Einstein
Here is a list of my top 5 takeaways on how to become Pitch Perfect.
1. Don’t bury your best material
The quickest way to put your audience to sleep is to start slow and build up to your best material. The most compelling material should be shared first and grab your listeners attention. The audience should be thinking. “What is this about? I want to know more”. Make your opening short, suspenseful and surprising.
2. Use Analogies
Impressive statistics can fall flat if your audience doesn’t fully understand the context. Don’t simply say “Our service team has improved efficiency by 30%”. Make it an analogy and contextualize the data so your audience can better understand it. A better delivery would be, “Our service team has improved efficiency by 30% – that’s like Usain Bolt shaving 3 seconds off his world record 9 second 100M sprint”.
3. Your Eyes are Important
Don’t be the presenter with the 1,000 mile gaze or the rapid bobble head from one person to the next. Instead, evenly distribute your eye contact around the room and connect with a person for several moments before moving onto the next. Have something really important to hammer home? Zero in on the decision maker and vary your delivery.
4. Paint a picture
People have been telling stories from the beginning of time. Hold your audiences attention with visual images that illustrate the story. Start by pretending that everything you need to convey must be done with images not words. How would you explain it? Direct the film that plays in your listeners minds.
5. We talkin’ bout practice
It is often said that you “Play the way you practice”. Excellent presentations are no different. Know the first 90 seconds of your mouth and know it cold.
I have always considered myself to be just average talent and what I have is a ridiculous insane obsessiveness for practice and preparation -Will Smith
