What do you want to achieve?
Hi,
This question is one of the key question in our mind especially this time of the year. “By doing this, I want X or Y to happen”. But what is sometimes forgotten is the importance of this line of questioning while creating a pitch or a talk.
Meet the cloud in the sky
Some speakers are like that, they don’t seem to focus on a particular outcome. They a rambling on about their favorite subject and at some point, time is up.
When they have to be concise, they focus on details and miss the opportunity to tease the audience.
When asked a question, they answer it confusedly.
We have to remember that this kind of speaker isn’t like that because they lack skills or knowledge in their area of expertise. They are like that because they lack focus, purpose and guidance.
And this is a waste. A waste of energy, of time (both theirs and ours) and a waste of opportunity.
That’s why we have this card in our Method:
This card is for a specific purpose: to help you focus on what you want to achieve.
From the moment you create the opportunity of a pitch, a talk or any interaction, you have to determine what outcome you want.
Why is that? Because without focus you don’t have any impact. Without impact, you won’t succeed in your projects. And without success, you’ll feel that you wasted time, money and energy on something not worthy. You’ll end up being depressed about a situation you created because you wanted to be happy!
Of course, you cannot be a selfish bastard and think only about that but you have to.
From the smoke cloud to the laser guided pitch.
How can you move from your bad habit of unguided pitch to a precise, accurate pitch? A piece crafted for your audience?
First, by having the card previously showed in mind: What outcome do you want to achieve?
If you don’t aim, you will not shoot the target, if you don’t know where you are going, you’ll take a lot of time to go there.
By defining the desired outcome of your pitch, you will be able to create something unique, focused and adapted to your audience and to your needs.
Secondly, you can use another of our cards: “What do you want to give them?”
Pitching is about what you want to achieve but also and mainly about what you want to give to your audience.
If you don’t know that, how can you leave a nice impression on the crowd? How can you create a craving for more details, for a business card or a follow-up?
If you are not concerned by what your audience brings back home from your pitch, you miss totally the point of public speaking. And if you aren’t able to create a nice balance between what you want and what you want to give, you’re in knee deep sh**t.
Thirdly and this is a key point, you have to be able to get out of your project leader shoes to step into those of your audience. You’re talking tech and programming? Step into the noob programmer shoes if it’s your audience, into your client’s if it’s your audience and into your perfect investor if need be.
At any rate, you have to adapt, you have to craft your pitch like you craft your copy on a website: carefully, with variations, A/b testing and with the help of outsiders.
Be strong, you can do it!
Be cool, all is it control!
Start now.
Pitch Card Team.
