CREATIVE WAYS OF PRESENTING YOUR BUSINESS IDEAS Making

CREATIVE WAYS OF PRESENTING YOUR BUSINESS IDEAS Making an impact Kath Houston

SELL YOURSELF FIRST Your credibility influences. Handshake: Conscientiousness So how do you sell yourself? Eye contact: Intelligence Your non verbal communication. Tonality: Trustworthiness

GETTING THEIR ATTENTION Guess the average attention span. 2000 -12 seconds 2013 - 8 seconds http: //www. statisticbrain. com/attention-span-statistics/

ONE WORD ASSOCIATION Attention span cleverness. Now you try this. Associate your idea with one word ‘Comparethemarket. com’ – what’s the word? Come up with one word that perfectly describes your business idea. ‘Simples’ Thought shower! Mastercard advert – what’s the word? You have 3 minutes! ‘Priceless’ Daddy or chips Mc. Cain advert

QUESTION PROMPT Instead of a statement, ask a question. Create a question that relates to your business idea. Are you less stressed today than two years ago? No. You need … Hypothetical? (What would it be like if. . ? ) Do you find it easy to manage your social media platforms? Factual? (How much do you spend on…? ) No. You need… A Yes set. Question prompts deeper engagement with message content.

USE A CHEESY RHYME? ‘Learning keeps you earning’ (Appenticeships) ‘Pitches that rhyme are quite sublime’ Daniel Pink http: //www. danpink. com/2013/06/how-to-pitch-better-the-rhyming-pitch/ Research shows rhymes encourage ‘processing fluency’ and so ideas stick ( we get the message quicker) Make up a rhyming sentence related to your business proposal.

SUBJECT LINE PITCH An email subject line style pitch – what makes you open it? Example: Disneyland Paris (‘Making dreams come true is a real job’) Research shows that the ones that work, have: • Utility (it affects your work/will be useful to you) • Engage your curiosity. Create a subject line pitch Example 1: ‘Social Media Thunderclap clearing’ Example 2: ‘You don’t want to read this’ Now your turn!

MAGNA CARTA PITCH – FAST TALKING KH: Do you have a reporter to cover the Magna Carta celebrations in Cartmel? The historical significance is fascinating. William Marshal who founded the priory is credited with ‘forcing’ King John to sign the Magna Carta to avoid revolt from the barons. As an historical figure he is extraordinary (went on crusade with Richard the Lionheart, lived into his 70 s, defeated the French, over 6 feet tall). BBC Cumbria response: Sold!

TWITTER PITCH 140 characters – Java Juice: easily transferable high quality great tasting coffee for coffee lovers who travel or backpack. Just add water. http: //timberry. bplans. com/2009/08/can-you-do-it-business-pitch-in-140 -characters. html Deconstruct this. What is the pattern? Your turn.

A DIFFERENT WAY – INVERTED PYRAMID

USE THIS STRUCTURE Describe your business idea to a partner in 60 seconds. 1. Start with the most newsworthy aspect. 2. Back this up with some examples/details 3. Finish with your broad business proposal (And so…).

SOUNDBITE QUIZ ‘I feel the hand of history on our shoulders’ Tony Blair 1998 Good Friday agreement "Houston, we've had a problem. " James Lovell Apollo XIII ‘Elvis has left the building’ (public announcer after a concert)

SOUNDBITE TECHNIQUES TO TRY Rule of three ‘Government of the people, for the people, by the people’ Lincoln Surprise ‘Tobacco. Alcohol. Guns. Criminal items seized in a search of a 6 th grade locker in a bad school district. ’ Contrast and alliteration ‘Digitally dazzling or digitally disastrous’ http: //socialtriggers. com/sound-bites-traffic/

INFOGRAPHIC PITCH EXAMPLE

WHAT YOU NEED TO HAVE READY Two page PPT brief of business plan A 2 -5 minute speed pitch. Ockham’s razor thinking (William of Ockham 12851347– simplicity is important – pare down details to essence). 3 versions of financial projection (best case, moderate case, worst case).

SPEED PITCH PRACTICE (IN A NUTSHELL) Andy Bounds (The Jelly Effect) Not just ‘I’m an accountant’ but. . ‘I help my clients pay less tax’ Undertaker ‘People are dying to see me’ Try and use ‘One Word’ , ‘Question Prompt’, ‘Rhyme’, 140 characters, clever soundbite, ‘Rule of Three’, ‘Surprise’ or Contrast/Allieration’ (or combination of all). . Who you are – your name How you do what you do What you do Your business idea in a nutshell What you need (finance/mentoring. . ? )

PITCH CRITIQUE OBVIOUS STUFF Watch the video clip What do you notice about the first example? Speak. First What is different about the second example?

POWERPOINT, ‘NAKED’, PREZI OR PROPS ‘Death by bullet point’ – the cliché? Powerpoint – a crutch or a tool? A prop or artefact can hold attention. The ‘Naked’ Presenter?

TECHNOLOGY What could you use? How would it help? What could go wrong? What is your back-up? http: //blog. prezi. com/latest/2014/4/2/when-things-go-wrong-in-public-speaking. html

SUPERFICIAL MATTERS First impressions Tonal delivery Peripheral eye scanning Movement/immediacy effect Cognitive rehearsal 7/11 breathing

KNOW YOUR STUFF