Ways to Build Your Confidence When You Need to Pitch Ideas to Investors
It’s one thing to be a good business person. It’s a different skill you need when you have to present your business ideas to other people. You might be brilliant in coming up with new ideas that people will love. Before you can make your business a success, you need to start by pitching to investors. It’s crucial for you to convince them to believe in what you’re offering; otherwise, you won’t have enough money to start your plans. If you think you’re not a good public speaker, these are some tips to help boost your confidence.
Know your plans by heart
It helps if you know your ideas down to the smallest details. You will feel more confident when you can talk about these plans and even respond to questions. If you worked with a team in coming up with a business proposal, you need to go through the final plan before you present since not all of the ideas are yours.
Practice presenting in front of the people you know
It also helps to practice when you’re with other people. You need help from your friends who can be honest with you in saying what they think about your presentation. They might be harsh, but it’s okay. You would rather hear those words from the people you know than wait for the actual audience to express their frustration regarding your presentation. When you hear these comments earlier, you still have time to fix the problem.
Preside over all the meetings
To prepare for handling an audience, you need to preside over all the sessions in your company. If you're the top person in your team, you usually count on others to help while you sit at the back and listen. You can change the strategy by leading the team in any discussion. In doing so, you will be in front. You can practice answering questions and guide everyone in finishing the conversation.
Get to know the investors
Before you invite investors to come over and listen to your pitch, the first step is to get to know these people. You want to find out what these investors are like and what their interests are. It's like applying for a job. You need to know the details about your chosen company before you enter the room for an interview. You will change your manner of presentation or the highlight of your pitch based on the type of person you're talking to. It's also easier for you to feel relaxed when you think that you know the investor well.
Practice alone in the actual venue
Go to the place where you will do the presentation. You can have a run-through of your entire presentation even when no one is listening. The goal is to feel comfortable with the environment. You can also use it to set up the equipment needed for the presentation. You might also need to check if there is a projector mount to ensure the quality of the visuals that you will use for the presentation.
You will be under immense pressure to convince others to buy what you offer, but you need to be tough.
