"The Perfect Pitch": Ten Things I learned from Steel

I am working on this project and have to go before a panel of people to present my idea; so my daughter suggested I read one of her books on how to "pitch".  Being an avid reader, I proceeded to read Perfect pitch: the art of selling ideas and winning new business, written by Jon Steel - John Wiley& Sons - 2007. After reading it, I found I learnt some valuable lessons and decided to share my condensed version.

Basically, he states that the point of a presentation is to get you from point A to point B—where you are now to where you want to be. Once you have decided to do the presentation, it is no longer about what you want—if you really want what you want. From this point on, it is all about what the decision makers wants.  You have to think: a) WHY do they want to hear from you, see you, or should be interested in anything that you have to say or do; and b) WHAT do they want to see and/or hear. So hear are the 10 things I learned:

1. Don't worry - worrying will get you no where. Simply do what you have to do, because you never know what the outcome will be.
2. Always answer your own questions - if you can't make sense to yourself, who are you going to make sense to?
3. Tell your story your way - remember this is your story, you know it better than anyone else. Just remember to keep it concise: clear and to the point, and logical.
4. Influence them - you have to make it very believable: 1) tell it with passion; and 2) make them believe every word coming out of your mouth—to the point where they are forced to think, change their minds, and/or give you what you want—WOW them!
5. Use your time wisely - always keep in mind that "Time is of the essence." Nobody wants to or likes to waste their time.  The key is to keep it short, sweet, and simple. (3S). Remember: You don't want to give too much details to the point where it becomes counter-productive. "Less is more." —Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
6. Don't rely too heavily on technology - Seek out various avenues to present your ideas. Some products are very limited and structured which can kill or over-kill creativity. Too much fuss, jumping around, and layering of your ideas creates chaos and make the presentation confusing. 
7. Rehearse - Rehearse - Rehearse - enough said.
8. Relax and Take Control - breathe, get some fresh air, drink some water, and don't forget to use the washroom. Take care of yourself and have fun! (My favourite part of the book (p. 108 -114))
9. Present the heck out of it - Smile, own the room, and do your thing! Be confident!
10. Stick around - it's not over until it is over.  Answer any questions they or your audience may have, and always follow up. 

BAM!  There you go; in a nutshell.  I hope I have done Mr. Steel some justice.  I know he did me some.

Don't be that person with the intensity of a deep and thoughtful charisma; without actually being deep and thoughtful. Deliver your message with depth and knowledge without flip-panting around saying a lot of stuff, but not saying nothing. You must decide before hand, how far and by what means you are going to take your audience on your journey to success.  Give them enough to keep them wondering. Are you going to take them down the scenic view or straight and narrow? Do you want their input or not all? Do you care about what they want? Your answers to those questions will determined your success.

"The ability to speak well in public is a means to an end, not an end in itself." —Jon Steel 

Steel suggests that the best possible outome for success is to first find out what your audience want to hear or see.  Asking a series of logical questions and carefully listening to the answers, and incorporating those answers into your presentation is the best predictor of a successful presentation.  If you really want to help your audience help you, you must: a) know what questions to ask; and b) learn their preferences from the answers they have given you (if you where listening or paying attention). Remember, it is all about their preferences, not yours! At this point, they have something you want, not the other way around. So Stop and think before you present. This way you can carefully communicate those specifics with ease and flow to your audience.

He states that a message is a double edged sword. It can literally mean two different things and that we can never tell or distinguish between the two. "What you put into a message, may not be what the recipient(s) take out of it. You could put in gold, and they take out sh!t, Figuratively speaking. Sometimes, or most of the times for that matter, a well intended message can be misjudged or misinterpreted. An active recipient will look for your faults or mis-steps and point them out. Sometimes even read arrogance instead of confidence.  So do not be naive or take for granted that because people are wearing suit and sitting at the judgment table that they are not just "laymen" with the same complexity and subtly as any other individual on the street. Do your homework and be prepared. You don't want to "ruin a great idea by presenting it badly".

I would highly suggest you read the book for yourself for more insights and the examples provided.

Good luck in all your endeavours, and please drop me a line below if you have any comments or questions about this post or any other. 
Also, if you feel you have benefited from this post, please share it via one of the links below or leave me a shout-out to encourage me and let me know you were here. 

GET THE BOOK