Tag Archives: pitchcoach

Tennis lessons.

A characteristic of tennis, shared by cricket, is the tiny proportion of a game that is taken up by the actual amount of time when the ball is in play. For tennis its around  6 to 8 minutes  per hour on a slow clay court and rather less on the grass at Wimbledon.

This means that as spectators the majority of our time is taken up observing the player’s body language  between points.  The players too have more time to be aware of their opponents body language and be influenced by it.  In my own sport of athletics, the start of the 100 metre sprint is a classic showtime for the confident  swagger of a Usain Bolt or a Dwain Chambers.

Switching on Wimbledon  television as an experiment, with the sound turned down and scores masked,  it is easy to tell who was winning. It is the one with the  energy, the attitude, the freedom of movement,  the  positive expression and an irresistible air of confidence.

In pitch rehearsals I have not yet found a way of ignoring the words completely but have found that using my eyes only can be the best way of judging a  potentially winning performance!

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The way we say hello!

At the start of any pitch there is the opportunity, too often ignored, for team members to introduce themselves with panache!

Taking around 20/30 seconds each, a total of 2 minutes or so, around 5% of total presentation time, this 2 minutes can set the tone and lift response to everything that follows.

And yet in (first not second!) rehearsal  I find that team introductions are too often mumbled, almost apologetically, with zilch emphasis and zero personality. If we behave this way in a job interview we don’t get the job.

Much more telling than their rational assessment of your undeniable credentials, your excellent proposal and  strong track record is the prospect’s emotional response.  ‘Can I get along with these people?’   ‘Do they like each other?’

Rehearse your hellos! Personal, high energy, infectious enthusiasm,  and interested in them…

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The blacked-out rectangle, a brilliant visual aid!

When the Commons officials released their version of MP’s expenses, it is doubtful that they realised quite how powerful a visual aid they had created. It’s appearance across acres of newsprint resuscitated what had almost become yesterday’s story.  Almost.

The impact of the heavy black rectangles has been dramatic. They have given new life and drama to the story. They have added emphasis and stimulated fresh interest.

In fact, they have performed the way visual aids in any presentation should, adding to the communication takeout.  Too often so-called visual aids are crutches that only aid the speaker, little more than aide-memoire notes. They do not aid the audience.

Creating powerful visual aids takes thought and imagination. A striking emotional picture, a brutally explicit graph, product samples, a memorable quote or a redactive black rectangle!

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Mandelson. A lesson in confidence.

If there is one word that that characterises the winning pitch it is confidence.  Does the team have it? Do they inspire it?

In  my post on January 18th, ” His (Gordon Brown’s) appointment of Mandelson, who exudes an eery sense of confidence, could prove to be a masterstroke”.  And how!

We have witnessed pitching, the art of persuasion, at its very best.  Some of the editorial plaudits include: “Without Mandelson’s powers of persuasion, Gordon Brown would be out of a job” (IoS). “Gordon has clung to Peter’s presentational flair, tactical nous, coolness in a crisis..”(Observer).

And from Quentin Lett, master of body language observation,” You do not have to like Peter Mandelson–not many do–to admit he has played a presentational blinder these past few weeks …sleek, serene, brain ticking as fast as the workings of a Swiss watch.  He radiates natural authority.  He is calm.  He knows his brief.”

Love him or hate him, but learn from him. Know your brief, and ‘ooze’ confidence.  And this you can achieve through rehearsal, lots of it.

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Going, going…..

As unelected PM, Gordon Brown, and his  government sink ever deeper into the mire, all the polls are pointing in the same direction. I thought it would be interesting to assess their performance as if they were were pitching for our business/vote.

How would they do against the three questions identified by Martin Jones of the AAR as the ones at the heart of any pitch decision. The answers to these are much more important than issues, proposals or programmes.

1 . CAN I SPEND TIME WITH THESE PEOPLE?

NO THANK YOU! 

2. HOW MUCH DO THEY LIKE EACH OTHER?

NOT AT ALL.

3. HOW MUCH DO THEY WANT THE BUSINESS?

THEY DON’T, IT’S ALL ABOUT THEIR SURVIVAL.

A losing pitch!

 

 

 

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