Pitching a product idea or a business is a skill that you refine with practice, a LOT of practice. While pitching offers a platform for developing your storytelling and public speaking skills, it is also an excellent tool for rapidly learning, clarifying, and articulating the compelling value of your big idea.
The internet is filled with practical tips for “performing” a pitch. Indeed, you should be aware of these best practices. In my experience, a successful pitch is less about your performance skills and more about the expectations of your audience (things outside of your control) and your ability to clearly, confidently and succinctly answer the following three questions at any given moment (things within your control):
- “Who cares, and how do you know this?”
- “Why you?”
- “So what?”
Answering each question in one sentence and being prepared to back it up is a good exercise in clarifying how you add value to others. It’s not about you. And no one cares about your big idea until they do.
“Don’t raise your voice, improve your argument.” ~Desmond Tutu