Reflective paper 1 1200 word (+/- 10%), excludes reference list
Mohanad_talal
Week8-Lectureslides-11.pptxCreativity, Innovation & Design
Week 8: Pitching ideas
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In this lecture we will explore:
What is meant by pitching
Why pitching ideas is important
How to achieve the perfect pitch
What is an elevator pitch
The do’s and don’ts of pitching
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Consider the following scenarios…
A chemical engineer applying for a position in a major pharmaceutical company: ‘I am Mark Williams. I have a Degree in chemical engineering and nearly 10 years of experience in working for major corporations. You could say that I am the Willy Wonka of Chemistry!’
An advertisement for Twitter: ‘The only place where you’ll be excited when a stranger follows you’
Researchers seeking to recruit participants for their study: ‘Love to jest and joke at work? Then tell us all about it in our survey on humor behavior at work.’
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What is meant by pitching?
‘a speech or act that attempts to persuade someone to buy or do something’ (Cambridge Dictionary 2019)
A pitch is
A form of communication
directed towards someone with authority to make decisions
with the aim of convincing him/her
to do something
Image source: https://www.lucidchart.com/blog/3-keys-to-pitch-an-idea-successfully
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Why is pitching ideas important?
While the quality of an idea is very important, the way the idea is presented and promoted to organizational leaders makes the difference between bringing the idea to life and it remaining just an idea
Pitching helps:
To move the idea into the implementation stage
To convince relevant authorities with decision making power to adopt the idea
To compete for and acquire resources
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How to achieve the perfect pitch
Step 0: Create and refine your idea
NEVER pitch the idea BEFORE IT IS READY!
Spend as much time as possible on converting a vague and interesting idea to one that is specific and actionable
The idea should be able to successfully address the following questions:
What problem does this idea solve?
What evidence is there that the problem is real, and important enough to solve?
Do you have a prototype, sample or demonstration of an implementation of the idea?
Why are you the right person to solve it?
Why should this problem be solved now?
Why should our organization solve this problem?
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How to achieve the perfect pitch…..
Step 1: What is the scope of your idea?
Generally, bigger the idea, the riskier and higher the stakes will be
Big ideas require a more thorough and well-planned out pitch
Image source: https://www.israel21c.org/small-israeli-institutions-get-help-birthing-big-ideas/
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How to achieve the perfect pitch…..
Step 2: Who has the authority to green light the idea
Identify people who have the authority to take your idea to the next level
Examples:
Team leader
Senior leaders/CEO
Leaders in another organization
Private investors
Non-profit organizations
Community leaders
If there is no person(s) who is capable of giving you the green light for your idea, then there is no point in preparing your pitch
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How to achieve the perfect pitch…..
Step 3: Understand your audience and start with their perspective
Take time to understand and listen to your audience
Seek answers to questions such as:
Who are they?
What do they care about?
What interests and motivates them?
What questions will they ask?
What other ideas have they greenlighted?
It’s important to structure your pitch to fit into their needs, perspectives, and /or desires so that they listen to you and are likely to give you the greenlight
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How to achieve the perfect pitch…
Step 4: Structure your pitch
A good pitch usually has three levels of depth:
5 second pitch (elevator pitch): Expressing your idea in one concise single sentence
30 second pitch: Talk about how you’ll achieve what you described in 5 seconds
5 minute pitch: Provide greater detail and specifics so that the audience gets a clearer picture and understanding on what you are proposing
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How to achieve the perfect pitch….
Step 5: Test the pitch and get feedback
Test your pitch on a person (i.e., friend/ family member/co-worker) who can give feedback on it
Ask them to question you on your idea
Get their honest feedback and criticisms on your pitch
Modify and refine your pitch based on the feedback you receive
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How to achieve the perfect pitch….
Step 6: Deliver your pitch
Be mindful of your verbal communication and body language
Be calm and confident but not arrogant
Pitch your ideas with enthusiasm
Expect both positive and negative feedback
Be willing to listen to what the audience has to say
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If the pitch fails
Understand why the pitch failed
Learn from your mistakes
Go back to the list of people you made in Step 2 and try with a different audience
Or
Do it yourself
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What is an elevator pitch?
An elevator pitch is a pitch for an idea you may have to make within a very short period of time (no more than 20 seconds)
An elevator pitch involves grabbing the attention of your audience with a single concise and interesting sentence that depicts the gist of your idea
Steve Jobs when introducing the iPod for the first time in 2001: “1,000 songs in your pocket”
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The do’s and don’ts of effective pitching
Do
Know your audience
Practice your pitch and get feedback on ways to improve
Be mindful of verbal and non-verbal communication
Learn from your mistakes
Don’t
Pitch your idea till it is ready
Tense up during the pitch
Talk too much or brag
Berate yourself if you’re unsuccessful
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Summary
Pitching ideas involves communicating an idea to convince an audience who has the power to make decisions on that idea
Without successful pitching, ideas remain as ideas and do not go to the implementation stage
Successful pitching involves a number of steps where it’s important to identify and know your audience, structure your pitch accordingly, practice and test your pitch on another person and learn from your mistakes if unsuccessful
An elevator pitch is a pitch that is made during a very short period of time and can help people to get an introduction to a potential audience
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References
Berkun, S 2015, How to pitch an idea, Scott Berkun, viewed 25 April 2019, https://scottberkun.com/essays/38-how-to-pitch-an-idea/
Cambridge Dictionary 2019, Pitch, Cambridge University Press, viewed 25 April 2019, https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/pitch
Gallo, C 2018, The art of the elevator pitch, Harvard Business Review, viewed 25 April 2019, https://hbr.org/2018/10/the-art-of-the-elevator-pitch
Knight, R 2015, A guide to winning support for your new idea or project, Harvard Business Review, viewed 25 April 2019, https://hbr.org/2015/06/a-guide-to-winning-support-for-your-new-idea-or-project
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