May 192014
 
The message of a presentation is like water
The biggest presentation problem The biggest problem with most presentations isn’t that the slides are lackluster. It’s not that the message is missing (though, that’s a close second,) or that the presenter lacks confidence. No, the biggest problem with presentations is that, too often, they lack a clear structure.  You know the kind: someone walks in, starts talking, shows a bunch of slides, ...
Jun 232013
 
While preparing for the workshop on pitching that I'm giving later this week, I've been thinking about the purposes of a pitch. So far I've got two: 1. To initiate a conversation. In other words, to get the other party (or parties) to say "How do you do that?" or "Tell me more." or "How can I help?" 2. To be remembered. Here's an example. You're talking to someone between sessions at a ...
Jun 112013
 
A business pitch, just like a great pick‑up line, is an invitation to further conversation – or, better yet, to further action. However, all too often we end up feeling more like helpless teen-agers than successful businesspeople. We all need to pitch many times a day, whether it’s explaining what we can do for potential clients, selling our best ideas, or generating investment in our startups. Just ...