The recent exhibition on Modern Day Slavery deserved a “best ever” accolade for three good reasons. The first of these being that it was in was the right place. After all where else would you be, if you want to reach MPs to alert them to slavery in Britain, than the House where the slave trade was abolished in 1807? Continue reading
Tag Archives: pitchcoach
COMMAND THE SPACE!
One of the first things drummed into aspiring actors is the need ‘to command the space’. They learn that this calls for stage craft and it calls for emotional intensity and presence. It is the latter that tends to distinguish the great from the good. Continue reading
The greatest first impression in history.
On March 13th we heard that the little known Cardinal Jorge Begoglio, 76 years old, from Agentina was to be Pope Francis. When he first appeared on that balcony, looking somewhat pensive, we did not know the now familiar ‘back-story’. He takes the bus, cooks for himself and lives in a small flat… He had been given only 70 minutes to prepare to meet the world.
He then made the greatest first impression in history! Continue reading
The overture, a state of mind.
Any pitch, however run-of-the mill, requires some level of performance if those pitching are to stand out from their competition and, more importantly, have an impact on their audience. It is show-time. Regrettably, so much effort and energy goes into cracking the strategy and preparing the content that little time is left to stage the show itself.
And all too often the aspect that is overlooked is the opening – the overture. Continue reading
A touch of the ridiculous
Most pitches and presentations can be judged under three headings. Firstly, those that are little more than a one -way proclamation and re-gurgitation of a document, typically chart or PowerPoint heavy on supporting facts and track record. These are “information transmissions”. Few succeed.
Then we have the “professional communications” covering a majority of pitches, where a few key messages deemed important to the audience are coherently and clearly articulated. Unless they are up against the final group, many will succeed.
The final ones, the ideal, are those that make “emotional connections“. These are pitches built around the understanding that people (including prospects) might conclude rationally but they act emotionally. And an emotional response to a pitch calls for performance! As Paul Arden, in his world-best-selling-book, said when you pitch “you are putting on a show”. Continue reading