“The Art of Pitch” or how to win everyone’s heart when communicating your projects
01 / 21 / 2019
The creative process in design does not end until the end customer gets to know the product. For this reason, it is important to apply the basic communication tools to prepare a pitch.
An elevator pitch is made up of an introduction, body, and conclusion. It should not really be like telling a story, but applying storytelling techniques might prove useful in a first approach. To start with, it is important to know oneself and assess the virtues and defects of our presentation skills. We all repeat some expressions or make characteristic gestures that help us communicate our message or ruin its effectiveness altogether. The first step will be to define what we want to communicate and discover the mistakes we are making.
When we prepare the body of our pitch, we need to take into account that time is a precious commodity and that we need to make the most of it. To do this, we need to manage the information in a smart way, thinking about how to grab the attention of our audience until we have communicated the message. A useful dynamics that can help work the time issue is the match game. Try telling a personal story or describing the essence of a professional project in the time it takes for a match to burn. At first, it will be difficult to say more than one sentence, but you will find a way to turn this sentence into a powerful message!
The conclusion of the pitch is also essential. If we have been able to organize our ideas, we can reach a conclusion that satisfies those who are listening to us. Remember that a pitch will not be suitable if you are lost for words in the end or if you convey the feeling that you did not have enough time to tell everything.
Cristina Salvador, Graduate in Journalism from the Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona (UAB) and Master’s Degree in International Relations from CIDOB, recommends filming the elevator pitch with a camera and watching it later to look at ways of improving it.
In November, the winners of the seventh edition of the Roca One Day Design Challenge in Spain enjoyed a workshop coordinated by Cristina. Several dynamics were practiced during the session to stimulate creativity when communicating and the pitches of all attendees were recorded. Cristina encouraged them to continue practicing: “Standing in front of an audience to deliver a message involves a high degree of courage. It is important to be able to create a magical moment.”