It is 2017. One of my marquee customers has invited me to London to see them speak on the main stage of a major HR conference. In front of a huge audience packed with HR leaders, she wants to talk about her successes with Textio, the software that my company makes, and she wants me to be there in case people have questions. I get on the plane.
It’s not every day that I’m traveling to Europe from our HQ in Seattle, so I want to make the most of the trip. I schedule onsite visits with nearby customers and organize a customer dinner. It turns out that the conference has a startup pitch competition, so I decide to enter.
The conference was enormous and the main stage was glitzy. There were thousands of attendees, many of whom with potential to become Textio partners. After my customer’s successful talk on the first day, I was excited for the pitch competition the next morning.
Imagine my surprise when I navigated to the location on the map and found not a glitzy stage setup, but a tiny space shoehorned in the back of the vendor exhibit hall. The entire competition was scheduled amidst the cacophony of 100 vendor booths, in the dark hall next to the bathroom. (Sorry, the loo. We were in London, after all.)
Nothing tests your pitch skills more than a suboptimal venue. I have pitched on all kinds of stages, from pop-ups to main stages. I’ve seen hundreds of other founders pitch too. The truth is that a strong pitch can shine in any setting.
Regardless of venue, there are a few things that the best presenters routinely do that set them apart. This is true of founders, operators, or anyone who is making a professional pitch.
They have a conversation with the audience
A lot of presenters get up on stage and recite their script. Those who are extra-fluent can fit lots of words in. It's like a word cannon! Even if you have smart things to say, it's frankly hard to follow.
The best presenters ask questions of their audience along the way. They talk like they would normally talk when they're not on stage. They pause sometimes.
Think conversations, not word cannons.
They know who they are trying to reach
Even in small audiences, your presentation isn't actually for everyone. When the audience gets bigger, or has people with a range of roles, trying to please everyone ends up pleasing no one.
The best presenters focus on a clear persona and they speak for that persona. It might even be an individual audience member. It’s better to reach one person in your ICP than to impress an entire crowd of people who will never do business with you.
They don’t show everything they could show
Many presenters try to shoehorn in every concept, idea, feature, and point they could make. They fear that if they don't show everything, they won't be impressive enough. But usually, this overwhelms your audience. They've had a lot less time than you have to synthesize how the details fit together.
The best presenters use their presentation to start a conversation. If you do well, people will want to continue it. Show enough to get people wanting more, and no more than that.
They don’t waste time on the wrong things
You may not always have to compete with the full vendor floor, but you are always speaking to an audience that has other things on their mind. You are intrinsically a lot more interested in your topic than they are!
Show up early and get ready, so you’re not rushing in at the last minute. Even better, attend the session or two before yours, so you understand your audience’s context. Be part of the audience before you speak to the audience. Get into the right headspace.
When you do speak, share stories rather than just reciting facts. Don’t just describe why your product is cool; show it in action. Don’t start your demo with one minute left. If the setting allows for questions, leave time for them. Never be surprised by the 5-minute warning.
Whether you’re scheduled for a keynote or a lightning session, every minute with the mic is a gift. Don’t waste it!
