33 Tips to Make the Perfect Innovation Pitch

PRESENTATION SKILLS

boardofinnovation.com

To Make The Perfect Innovation Pitch

Flickr cc Ignite New Zealand

33TIPS

PRESENTATION SKILLS

http://boardofinnovation.com

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

https://www.boardofinnovation.com/corporate-innovation-accelerator/

http://www.boardofinnovation.com



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.


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.)


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.



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.


Seriously, repeat important items.

Repeat important items.


Seriously, repeat important items.

Repeat important items.

It helps your audience remember. Repeating is important.

Flickr cc Csaba Cserepes

Use of silence.


Use of silence.

Use silence to enforce your statement. It really works.


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.


Ask questions to your audience. Don’t make it a one man show.


An interactive presentation will engage your audience more.

Purpose: Why should I listen?

Include a purpose to your presentation.


Include a purpose to your presentation.


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?


Humor & Jokes?

Avoid putting jokes inside your presentation. Unless you’re 90% mostpeople will like it…


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


A team intro?

Give yourself a proper introduction but don’t get to detailed about yourself or your team.


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


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


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


Use metaphors to make complex subjects more understandable.

Use of metaphors.


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.


Relax.


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



Don’t push too much information on just one slide.



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


Positive posture/ gestures.

Dry run the presentation and video tape it to get a good view on your posture and gestures.


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


Timing.

Dry run your presentation to get a good view on your timing.


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


http://www.boardofinnovation.com



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33 Tips to Make the Perfect Innovation Pitch