Public Speaking: How to Do It!
This Friday -> The Essentials of Public Speaking by Professional SKZ Publishing [3 min reading]
On Startup Salad I break down a business book’s key takeaways in a simple, digestible format, just like a good salad!
Hey, it’s Fede!
Two weeks ago, a dear friend of mine asked me: "I've been working on this project for a year. How is it possible that investors only give me 3 minutes to pitch my startup? What do they expect me to explain in such a short time?"
My answer?
“Well, you're right, but that's how it is.”
It’s true, it’s very strange, but that’s how it works.
Based on my experience, whether you're looking for investments or clients, every founding team member needs to be able to speak in front of an audience.
If, like 90% of people (including myself), you don't have a natural talent for public speaking, now is the time to work on it.
Today's book: The Essentials of Public Speaking by Professional SKZ Publishing
Here are some takeaways that will help you to improve how you speak in front of an audience. I also took a course with a public speaking expert, so I’ll share a lot of personal tips too.
Let’s start!
Pssst: every time you see a🥗 it means the takeaway is very hot!
Preparing Your Body
It goes without saying that your body can be your best ally or your worst enemy.
You need to prepare your body before the pitch. Here’s how you can do it:
If you know you have an important pitch, I highly recommend doing some aerobic activity (like a run) a few hours before the pitch to release tension.
Once the pitch is approaching, if you're feeling really stressed, try this exercise: Inhale for 3 seconds, hold your breath for 3 seconds, exhale for 3 seconds, then pause for 3 seconds, and then repeat. This exercise acts as a reset and will help calm you down.🥗
Do body and diaphragm warm-up exercises right before the pitch: Raise your arms as you inhale as much as you can, then lower your arms and bend your knees. Repeat for 10 times. This not only warms you up, but also helps you relax even more.🥗
Do vocal warm-ups: It may seem silly, but especially when it’s early in the morning or late at night, showing up with a bright voice changes everything. Do these exercises to prepare both your vocal cords and facial muscles. You can find a lot of tutorials online, and though they may look and sound ridiculous, they do work!
Alright, now that your body is ready, it's time to think about what to say.
Preparing Your Pitch
Now it’s time to focus on the content of your pitch:
Define Your Goal: Before you start writing your speech, ask yourself what the main message that you want to convey. Keeping this clear will help you build a solid structure.
Know the Context: Is it a formal or informal setting? Get an idea of the context, but remember to be yourself. Don’t try to be something you’re not, or you’ll come off as unnatural, and people will stop listening.
Clear Structure: Organize your speech into three main parts: Introduction, Body, and Conclusion. The introduction should grab your audience’s attention, the body develops the main theme with details and arguments, and the conclusion encourages the audience to take action.
Start with a Connection: Begin your speech with a phrase that connects the environment around you to what you're about to say. For example, if you notice everyone wearing white shirts before a meeting, you could say, "I see all of you are wearing white shirts," and then BOOM, start talking about your product and how it can be used to clean white shirts. This will be much more effective than just starting with, "My product is a stain remover that blah blah blah...". 🥗
Vary Your Tone: In preparing your pitch, make sure to use different tones of voice. I won’t go into the details of the different "colors" of your voice today, but to keep it simple: the higher-pitched tones (bright) are usually associated with happiness, while deeper, diaphragmatic tones are linked to empathy. Make sure your pitch includes these different vocal nuances to keep your audience engaged. 🥗
Vary the Rhythm: Also, ensure that your speech has varied rhythms slow down to emphasize a point and others speed up to give energy. The right balance will ensure your listener stays engaged. 🥗
During The Pitch
Here are some strategies you can put into practice during your pitch:
Never start by downplaying yourself. Avoid phrases like, "I hope I won't bore you with this," "Sorry if I’m taking up your time," or anything similar.
If you get stuck on a word, don’t be embarrassed. Instead, give it importance by saying something like, "Well, I got stuck on this point because I believe it's a crucial topic...". 🥗
When there's a moment of silence, maybe because they’re asking you a question, breathe from your diaphragm. When you inhale, try to expand your belly. It may sound strange, but it will help you keep your breath steady.
Check out this masterpiece to take inspiration from:
Follow these tips, you'll be ready to present with confidence while keeping your audience engaged. See you next week!
The guidelines you need to build your startup:
See you next Friday,
Federico Lorenzon
Super post. Most startup pitches aren’t rejected because the idea sucks. It’s because the delivery is a trainwreck. If you can’t convince someone in 3 minutes, you’re not ready to run a company.