The first impression, victory or defeat? It is the first impression that will be remembered above all by your audience. If you manage to capture the attention and interest of your interlocutors during the first 20 to 60 seconds, it’s won. It only takes a few moments for your interlocutor to form an idea about you and it is you who have given them the keys: look, hairstyle, attitude, look, clothing and if it is a podcast. your voice is essential with its rhythm and intonation and its energy. It is therefore you who will choose your appearance. It’s up to you to play to gain the esteem of your interlocutors.
How Do You Position Yourself?
Your gestures, the way you enter the room, your clothes, your facial expression, how you position yourself … all your non-verbal behavior will also send a message to your audience and everything will be decrypted without your knowledge but also without knowing it of whoever is looking at you.
Prepare Your Entry On The Scene
Dare to opt for an original introduction, which will surprise or amuse your audience. Many presentations look too similar. To stand out from the crowd, be inventive and daring! You can play the card of humor, provocation (but always with subtlety), play or creativity. From the first seconds, be energetic and show your enthusiasm. The stake must be perceived immediately. Train in front of a mirror or film yourself: you will be able to correct some faults (closed body attitude, shifty gaze, lack of gestures accompanying the speech, etc.). Try as much as possible to appear calm, take the time to breathe, and do not speak too quickly. Build confidence in yourself and your product. Try as much as possible to translate your strong ideas into images, it will remain strongly engraved in the brain of your interlocutors. And give examples, be concrete: show that you are a dreamer, but who knows how to translate his dreams into realistic elements on the ground.
Take Care Of Your Body Language
You should also become more attentive to your body language, asking for help from a loved one. He will be able to observe the body movements that you tend to make to decipher the message you are sending without speaking. Your gestures are of paramount importance. Pay particular attention to swaying legs when you are seated, not to twist your hair… and for that, ask relatives to show you your annoying gestures and take the time to train yourself to control them.
Find Your Essential Message, Your Challenge To Make An Impression
Above all, do not embark on the perilous exercise of the limited-time pitch with the desire to say everything. You won’t succeed and you risk losing your audience by going all over the place. Tap a strong idea that will become your core message, the one you want your audience to remember. Even repeat, if you can, a phrase “shock” that will remain etched in their minds. Get straight to the point, with no unnecessary frills: Explain how you’re different or why you do things better. Be careful not to just make a statement like “we are better at …”without substantiating with precise and measurable data. Ban any overly grandiloquent expression such as “we will quickly become leaders” that could make you come across as naive, unconscious, or just a talkative. Either way, stay concrete, factual and based on numbers.
Make Your Audience Dream Even With A Product That Is Not Fun!
A good pitch is a subtle mix between dreams and numbers, anything that will convince investors or juries that your business will go far, very far! It is therefore important that you talk about concrete elements such as your business model or your customer acquisition strategy.
Conclude Brilliantly
Even if you are happy with your pitch , don’t rush the conclusion. The final sentence should call for a follow-up, announce the future of the projects. You’ve probably heard someone say to you, “We don’t have a chance twice to make a good first impression” ? Know that it is the same in any professional meeting. Whether you like it or not, judgment is inseparable from them. It is therefore up to you that it be beneficial to you.
