Pro advice on pitching by Ginny Radmall
Having trained as an actress, our long term pitch coach Ginny Radmall uses techniques from screen and stage to help founders learn the art of ‘storifying’ their pitch. She has worked with companies like Microsoft, Google, Techstars and Startupbootcamp being part of Amplify team.
We caught her for “5 wise minutes” chat, while she was in Riga to get the best out of our second Fintech batch teams and to join Riga TechGirls for a workshop (for those reading in Latvian, here are some takeaways from the event). Read on to get some tips for your next pitch and find the video below.
Preparing for a pitch is like preparing for a marathon
If you want to make a good pitch, you have to be as serious about your pitch practices as you would be if you trained for a marathon. As Ginny says, “If you are training for an athletic event you probably train for months in advance, you think about what you are eating, what you do on a day before, what do you do on the day of the event. But, I think, we have a bit of different principles when it comes to pitching. People think that practicing in their head is the same thing as practicing out loud. It is just not true! It is all about the preparation, what you do in a build-up. And growing the areas that you are weaker in. Otherwise, when you get on stage and the adrenaline kicks in and fear comes into play, anything can happen, and you are way more likely to stumble if you haven’t prepared beforehand.”
Practice does not necessarily make perfect
While people like to say “practice makes perfect”, Ginny and her colleagues at Amplify like to say “practice makes permanent”. It means that not only you need to practice, bet you need to practice well. Analyze your pitch, work on your weaknesses, iterate. One good way to do it is by recording yourself and afterward analysing the video. Another one is regularly pitching to various people that might also not know anything about your business, and asking for feedback.
Know your audience
This probably is one of the most overused tips for public speaking, but it is still so true. Ginny notes that styles, how people pitch, and also, how audience expects them to behave on stage, might differ greatly depending on geographics and mentality. In one part of the world a really energetic pitch might be expected, and in another, a slightly more reflective style might be the norm. That said, it’s worth noting that nowhere in the world does the audience want or expect you to be boring! For example, pitching on stage should differ greatly from a one-on-one conversation with an investor or a relaxed chat at networking. “Some people feel more exposed on the stage but others feel more exposed off the stage. So the tip is to identify when you are the strongest and then invest more time in the weaker parts. By exercising you will grow different muscles.”
In any case on or off stage, the most important thing is to be yourself and practice! But for more tips and some crazy stories from her trainings, tune in to “5 wise minutes” with Ginny.
5 wise minutes is a series of talks and interviews with the smart, awesome, and inspirational people mentoring or otherwise being part of Startup Wise Guys accelerators. Stay tuned for more.
