In today’s COVID-19 business world, virtual presentations and pitches have quickly become a new normal for most of us. It is also expected that virtual get-togethers will continue to be used by the large majority in a post-Covid-19 business world, as the convenience of connecting and pitching online is just one of the many benefits of virtual meetings.
As an entrepreneur, this means that if you master the skill set of effectively pitching, networking and connecting online, you will have a competitive advantage above your peers as most people don’t know how to do so competently and confidently.
Summer Entrepreneurship Contest
To support you in developing your virtual presentation and pitching skills, our brand-new Summer Entrepreneurship Contest, in partnership with BCIT and the Summit Centre, is designed to give you the opportunity to practice speaking with confidence on video when you need to pitch a business idea.
You see, your application for the contest will need to include a brief video in which you will need to explain your business idea.
(We won’t discuss the contest challenge or requirements in this blog post as I want to focus with this article on a few tips that will help you approach the creation of your video with confidence. You’ll find full contest details and requirements here.
4 Tips to Feel More Confident When Presenting or Pitching on Video
Whether you decide to enter the contest or not, here are a few quick tips that will help you to feel more confident on video the next time you need to do a presentation or make a pitch:
1. Make Notes or Speaking Points
Write down notes on what you want to talk about before you do your live presentation or recording and organize it into speaking points. It’s totally okay to look at your notes when you present to make sure you don’t miss anything. The goal is to maintain eye contact like you would with someone when you present to them in-person, so look down at your notes when you need to, but don’t look down the entire time by reading all of your notes word-for-word.
If you’re participating in the Summer Entrepreneurship Contest, speaking points will ensure that you’ll cover everything the judges will be looking for.
2. Be clear on what you want to say
What is the purpose of your presentation or pitch? What is the main idea that you want to communicate?
Practice your delivery a few times before you hit record or present at a live event. If you practice out loud, you’ll be able to hear when something isn’t clear enough for your listener to understand or when you’re going off-point.
3. Check the sound quality
How good do you sound to your listeners? Can people clearly hear what you’re saying? By doing a practice session with a friend before a live event or by doing a recording in advance to test the sound quality of your microphone or of your background environment, it will ensure that your listener can focus on what you’re saying instead of being distracted as a result of struggling to hear you.
4. Be yourself, remember to smile and have fun!
Be yourself. Let your personality show through. Have fun! If you’re enjoying the presentation or pitch, so will others. Don’t feel pressured to have your delivery be perfect. No one is perfect and most people use the odd ‘um’, ‘er’ or ‘ah’ every now and then. The more you present, the more practice you get, and the more confident you’ll feel, so just keep speaking up.
We hope these tips will help you to feel more confident during your next live or recorded virtual presentation or business pitch!
Do you need support? Would you like 1-on-1 support for your next pitch or virtual presentation? Connect with us by booking an online 1-on-1 appointment. Our services are free for BCIT students and grads and your BCITSA Entrepreneurship team members (Laura and Tania) are available virtually to support you.
Happy presenting!
Warmly,
Tania
