33 tips to make the perfect innovation pitch
TRANSCRIPT
PRESENTATION SKILLS
boardofinnovation.com
To Make The Perfect Innovation Pitch
Flickr cc Ignite New Zealand
33TIPS
PRESENTATION SKILLS
Hi, I’m @nickdemey co-founder of Board of InnovationEvery week I do workshops, keynotes,…on innovation, design thinking & intrapreneurship.
Hi, I’m @nickdemey co-founder of Board of InnovationEvery week I do workshops, keynotes,…on innovation, design thinking & intrapreneurship.
Every year we help +150 corporate startup teamsto shine for their exco & colleagues!
In this deck, all our tips to make The Perfect Pitch.
3 topicsStorytelling
& Framing
Body Language &
Attitude
Slides&
Practical tips
We guide corporate startups from idea to executive pitch.
www.boardofinnovation.com
MORE INFO ON OUR INNOVATION ACCELERATOR
Storytelling&
Framing
Body Language &
Attitude
Slides&
Practical tips1
Flickr cc jkirkhart35
How not to start your story:
Flickr cc jkirkhart35
How not to start your story:Don’t start with an excuse:
- “My slides ar not finished but…. I’ll give a shot” - “My train was late so I couldn’t…” - “I’m a little bit tired today so ….” - …
Start with a BANG! Ignore what’s incomplete or the fact that you’re nervous. Show some confidence! 👊
Make a personal connection
Make a personal connectionI often share a story: “When I was 5 I wanted to become an inventor” (aka. Innovation consultant).
Know your audience & try to relate to their world.
Flickr cc Parchedwings
Always be positive!
Flickr cc Parchedwings
Always be Positive!
Don’t use your pitch to complain about corporate politics, frustrations,…
Be brave when needed.
Flickr cc Barty
Dare to speak up if a specific budgetor timing is needed
if this will impactanother project. if …
Flickr cc Barty
Be Brave when needed.
Flickr cc 83633410@N07
Be honest.
Flickr cc 83633410@N07
If you don’t know something (yet), just say so.
Don’t try to invent an answer out of thin air.
Be honest.
When you’re honest, the jury might be more open to help you with missing info. (vs finding out what you’ve got wrong.)
Flickr cc 83633410@N07
If you don’t know something (yet), just say so.
Don’t try to invent an answer out of thin air.
Be honest.
Flickr cc Maryna Sezonova
Make eye contact.
Tell your story with confidence and make eye contact with your audience.
Make eye contact.
Flickr cc Maryna Sezonova
Flickr cc Maryna Sezonova
Don’t focus too long on just one person. Look at the whole audience. Change your focus from time to time.
Tell your story with confidence and make eye contact with your audience.
Make eye contact.
Flickr cc johnnykoster
Repeat important
items.
Flickr cc johnnykoster
Seriously, repeat important items.
Repeat important items.
Flickr cc johnnykoster
Seriously, repeat important items.
Repeat important items.
It helps your audience remember. Repeating is important.
Flickr cc Csaba Cserepes
Use of silence.
Flickr cc Csaba Cserepes
Use of silence.
Use silence to enforce your statement. It really works.
Flickr cc Csaba Cserepes
A presenter has the urge to speak. Therefore a moment of silence may seem like minutes but the audience will not conceive it that way.
Use of silence.
Use silence to enforce your statement. It really works.
Involve your audience.
Ask questions to your audience. Don’t make it a one man show.
Involve your audience.
Ask questions to your audience. Don’t make it a one man show.
Involve your audience.
An interactive presentation will engage your audience more.
Purpose: Why should I listen?
Include a purpose to your presentation.
Purpose: Why should I listen?
Include a purpose to your presentation.
Purpose: Why should I listen?
Bring a direct message to certain people in the audience. Remind them why they should listen and what’s in there for them.
Flickr cc Thom Chandler
Humor & Jokes?
Flickr cc Thom Chandler
Humor & Jokes?
Avoid putting jokes inside your presentation. Unless you’re 90% mostpeople will like it…
Flickr cc Thom Chandler
Avoid putting jokes inside your presentation. Unless you’re 90% mostpeople will like it…
Humor & Jokes?
It isn’t easy to joke around. Even a stand-up comedian has a hard time to make the audience laugh.
Flickr cc Patrick Deuley
Use your Q&A time.
Flickr cc Patrick Deuley
Be prepared for questions. You may even leave some crucial information lead the questions and be a bit more prepared.
Use your Q&A time.
A team intro?
Flickr cc Zach Graves
Flickr cc Zach Graves
A team intro?
Give yourself a proper introduction but don’t get to detailed about yourself or your team.
Flickr cc Zach Graves
A team intro?
Give yourself a proper introduction but don’t get to detailed about yourself or your team.
Talk about your team when it’s relevant to the story, not as a lengthy intro.
Framing of big numbers.
Flickr cc Marco Digitalstream
Flickr cc Marco Digitalstream
Big numbers lose their impact after a certain amount. We can’t grasp the difference between 1 or 2 million or billion.
Framing of big numbers
Flickr cc Marco Digitalstream
Framing of big numbers
Frame the numbers or use smaller examples to make a stronger impact. (2 devices per households vs 4M devices in this area)
Big numbers lose their impact after a certain amount. We can’t grasp the difference between 1 or 2 million or billion.
Use of metaphors.
Flickr cc yosuke muroya
Flickr cc yosuke muroya
Use metaphors to make complex subjects more understandable.
Use of metaphors.
Flickr cc yosuke muroya
Use metaphors to make complex subjects more understandable.
Use of metaphors.
A metaphor is a good story-telling tool. It may help the audience to understand and remember your story better.
Storytelling
& Framing
Body Language &
Attitude
Slides&
Practical tips
Body Language &
Attitude
2
Relax.
Flickr cc RelaxingMusic
Relax.
It may seem like an impossible task but try to remain relaxed. If you’re stressing too hard, it will affect your presentation.
Flickr cc RelaxingMusic
Relax.
Flickr cc RelaxingMusic
Dry run your presentation to be prepared and avoid stressing out.
It may seem like an impossible task but try to remain relaxed. If you’re stressing too hard, it will affect your presentation.
Directive, steer focus.
Flickr cc Michael Dales
Flickr cc Michael Dales
Directive, steer focus.
Don’t push too much information on just one slide.
Flickr cc Michael Dales
Directive, steer focus.
Don’t show everything at once but lead your audience by showing point - by - point information.
Don’t push too much information on just one slide.
Positive posture/gestures.
Flickr cc Get Schooled
Flickr cc Get Schooled
Positive posture/ gestures.
Dry run the presentation and video tape it to get a good view on your posture and gestures.
Flickr cc Get Schooled
Positive posture/ gestures.
Dry run the presentation and video tape it to get a good view on your posture and gestures.
A relaxed posture is important but don’t get too comfy. Hanging on a desk isn’t the best way to present.
No alpha-males.
Flickr cc Hans Westerbeek
Flickr cc Hans Westerbeek
No alpha-males.
Don’t be too self-assured. Be confident but not cocky.
Stepping forward
Flickr cc Kim Nowak
Flickr cc Kim Nowak
Stepping forward
Take a step towards your audience while talking about a crucial point.
Flickr cc Kim Nowak
Stepping forward
Take a step towards your audience while talking about a crucial point.
People will notice this body language & understand this message will be more important!
Shaking?
Flickr cc toshi*
Flickr cc toshi*
Shaking?
Shaking is normal. Don’t be scared. Rehearse your presentation so you’re prepared and a bit more relaxed.
Flickr cc toshi*
Shaking?
Shaking is normal. Don’t be scared. Rehearse your presentation so you’re prepared and a bit more relaxed.
Put your hand down or hold something to decrease the shaking or make it less visible.
Use your space.
Flickr cc Phlora
Flickr cc Phlora
Use your space.
Walk around during your talk. But don’t pace up and down the whole time, it makes people nervous.
Flickr cc Phlora
Tip: put your glass on the other side of the room so you have a reminder to make you walk.
Use your space.
Walk around during your talk. But don’t pace up and down the whole time, it makes people nervous.
Storytelling
& Framing
Body Language &
Attitude
Slides&
Practical tips3
Check the room setup.
Flickr cc Desolate Places
Flickr cc Desolate Places
Check the room setup.
Prepare yourself. Go and see the room before you start, don’t let the unexpected get you down.
Prepare demo & backup.
Flickr cc Aenderson Fernando
Flickr cc Aenderson Fernando
Prepare demo & backup
Prepare your demo and create slides or print screens to backup your demo if something goes wrong.
Timing.
Flickr cc Louie Botha
Flickr cc Louie Botha
Timing.
Dry run your presentation to get a good view on your timing.
Flickr cc Louie Botha
Timing.
Dry run your presentation to get a good view on your timing.
Use a small clock or put your phone on a timer to guide you trough your presentation. If it takes too long, leave out some less important slides.
Golden ratio.
Picture cc Matt W. Moore
Picture cc Mariya Tereshkova
Golden Ratio.
Use mathematics to get a good overview of proportion
Picture cc Mariya Tereshkova
Golden Ratio.
Use mathematics to get a good overview of proportion
Fibonacci and the golden ratio are good tools to help you arrange your graphics.
Alignment.
Picture cc Thomas Hawk
Alignment.
Avoid things to float and be aware of hierarchy an the law of proximity.
Bold out words to make them more prominent.
Alignment.
Avoid things to float and be aware of hierarchy an the law of proximity.
Bold out words to make them more prominent.
What stands together belongs together. The use of alignment can give an instant designed feeling to a slide.
Text.
Picture cc Dyylan
Text
Don’t use too much text. People can’t concentrate on reading and listening at the same time.
Text
Don’t use too much text. People can’t concentrate on reading and listening at the same time.
If you really need a lot of text: split text in paragraphs to make it less heavy and bold out the most important words to make them more prominent.
Colors.
Picture cc dan gal
Colors.
Don’t overdo your slides with too much colors. It makes it harder to read. Instead be subtle with the use of color.
Colors.
Don’t overdo your slides with too much colors. It makes it harder to read. Instead be subtle with the use of color.
Don’t use more then 3 primary colors.
Contrast.
Picture cc Jacqueline ter Haar
Contrast
Be aware of contrast in your presentation. Some words are barely readable when presented on a screen of trough a projector.
Contrast
Be aware of contrast in your presentation. Some words are barely readable when presented on a screen of trough a projector.
Grayscale certain elements when in doubt. Contrast becomes more clear in grayscale.
Follow the eyes.
Picture cc johnny rullino
Follow the eyes.
Align pictures with faces looking at the text. The other way around may distract the viewer.
Heat-maps have shown that aligning the face increases the interest in the text.
Follow the eyes.
Align pictures with faces looking at the text. The other way around may distract the viewer.
50 % Rule.
Picture cc Mark Oliver Adams
50 % Rule
Don’t use effects on default mode. Put the settings on 50% to get a more designed and less preset look.
Be clear.
Picture cc Karma.Chen
Be clear.
Don’t make your actions look like a mistake. Be clear and consistent in the use of style elements.
We guide corporate startups from idea to executive pitch.
www.boardofinnovation.com
MORE INFO ON OUR INNOVATION ACCELERATOR