“Rehearse Recovery Methods,” says Tom Marcoux, Pitch Coach and Spoken Word Strategist
Get your ticket (early discount) “Pitch with Extreme Confidence: The Pitch Hacking Method” with Tom Marcoux — via Igniters: Stanford Entrepreneurs & Silicon Valley Founders … This workshop gives you both the new skills and opportunities to practice them. Extreme Confidence does NOT merely come from knowledge of your text or focus area. People who pitch are often afraid because they do not know how to handle their mind going blank or an investor’s toughest question. They’re afraid of being embarrassed. Have you ever given a pitch and merely hoped that you would get through it without messing up? Just imagine having the Extreme Confidence to know that you can handle something—anything—going wrong.
It’s about learning what seizes attention and how to handle tough questions that build a real connection with the investors. It may seem that you’re talking to a group. But you’re talking to individual investors. They watch for how your body language and vocal tonality show that you’re on edge. Confidence is contagious. You express confidence, and the investors are confident in you—and you gain your funding. It’s all about creating trust.https://www.meetup.com/Igniter/events/237843482/
“When you rehearse, Recovery Methods, you become Fearless.” – Tom Marcoux
“I shake when I’m pitching to investors,” Sharon, a new client said.
“I hear you. I’ll guide you through a number of exercises,” I replied. “We’ll help you with that. And, I’ll help you with important, foundational processes,” I replied.
“What are those processes?” Sharon asked.
“We’ll begin with two vital steps:
Shift out of Dis-empowering Default-Settings
Rehearse Recovery Methods So You KNOW You’re Ready to Adapt”
Shift out of Dis-empowering Default-Settings
Here is something I see often: When hit with a tough question, novice speaker steps backwards—like they’ve been physically hit. The person looks like he or she is trying to run away. The reflexive stepping backwards is a Default-Setting. It’s time to shift away from Dis-empowering Default-Settings.
When I work personally with a client (or in my workshops), I help people by having them physically practice taking a step or two forward. Why? It’s about showing confidence with your body language. Additionally, taking a step forward provides a good outlet for the nervous energy you may feel.
As a professional speaker (member of the National Speakers Association for over 15 years), I have conditioned myself to create a better connection with an audience member even when a tough question is asked.
Here’s another Default-Setting: Looking like a deer caught in the headlights when a tough question is thrown, like a spear, at the speaker. How do you shift out of this Default-Setting?
With my clients, I help them prepare a number of responses that I call “Catch the Question.” Here is an example: “I’m glad you brought that up. That’s a consideration which connects with something I was going to share in a few moments. So, let’s work with that detail now.”
While you say these memorized-words, your mind is going at 700 words a minute to find ways to respond to the question.
Another way to respond is: “I haven’t looked at it quite that way before. I’ll need to pause for a moment. I want my response to be valuable to you.”
Practicing effective responses, ahead of time, helps you maintain your poise when you’re in front of a crucial audience.
Additionally, I work with clients so they develop 2 answers for each of the 10 Worst Questions They Do Not Want to Answer.
Rehearse Recovery Methods So You KNOW You’re Ready to Adapt
Where does Extreme Confidence come from? Rehearsing Recovery Methods.
Why? Merely rehearsing the text of your pitch will still keep you in suspense: Can you handle it if your mind goes blank? Can you respond with poise if an investor throws you a curve ball?
In training sessions with a speaker, I will say, “Your mind just went blank. Use a Recovery Method.”
After such training, the speaker will have less fear. She or he knows how to recover!
When I talk about “fearless,” I’m talking about how we shift you into empowered body language, vocal tonality and words. You literally fear less – because you’re empowered more.
In my workshop “Pitch with Extreme Confidence: The Pitch Hacking Method,” I share how to recover from the mind going blank. You develop your own phrases. For example, at IBM, I said, “I need to pause for a moment. My brain needs more RAM.”
I call this training process, Elite Adaptive Conditioning. In my workshops and my personal training with those who give a pitch, I help them condition themselves to respond at their best. This is in line with some words I saw some time ago: “The Navy SEALS: the best, the most highly trained, elite special operations force in the U.S. military.”
It’s best to become an elite, highly trained pitch-maker.
Your reward is the funding that you want, and to create the life you really want.
This material is on my mind because I have now opened a special opportunity. When you CLICK HERE, you can go to my questionnaire-webpage and apply for a free consultation with me (limited number available) titled: “Increase Your Pitch Power for Funding – Strategy Session.”
Let’s see if we might get the chance to work together … as a free opportunity to you.
Warmly,
Tom
Tom Marcoux Executive Coach * Pitch Coach Spoken Word Strategist
CEO (leading teams in United Kingdom, India and USA)
Speaker-author of 41 books (with free chapters on Amazon.com )
Author of Soar With Confidence: An Executive Coach Reveals Secrets, Lies and Countermeasures So You Excel Like Top CEOs and Leaders – Pitch, Lead, Succeed (See more when you CLICK HERE )
1.8 min. video (on YouTube): Tom Marcoux pulls back the curtain about how his directing a feature film that went to Cannes Film market helps with “Building Your Brand”:
Get the Advantages to take your business to a higher level. Learn Leadership Advantages, Pitch Advantages, and Success Advantages. To Soar with Confidence, you learn and use principles for top level communication to board members, team members and the media. “Marcoux demonstrates how to “Prepare a Compelling Story that Moves Emotions.” He mentions techniques that he teaches clients for developing compelling Ted Talks.” – Dantalion Jones
Learn the vital skills of pitching your ideas and enrolling others into your vision. Get that “Big Yes” to funding your project.“This insightful book shows you how to zing a curveball right past the parts of the Hollywood exec’s brain that want to say no before you even make your pitch. You will learn what works when pitching, and more importantly, why, so you can get to YES much more often. Buy this book now. Consider it Spring Training before the big game.” – Danek Kaus
This invaluable guide, used by people in 15 countries and now in its second edition, will help you become immune to dark persuasion. Learn to use countermeasures to defend yourself against unethical persuasion and seduction tactics. Break any trance in which a salesperson is trying to get you to buy something not to your benefit. “Learn how to defend yourself against manipulation. Best book you’ll ever read to protect yourself, feel strong and move forward in your life. Highly recommended!” – Dr. JoAnn Dahlkoetter
Imagine dining with Walt Disney, Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey, Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King, Jr., Helen Keller, and John Lasseter. These seven people share one thing: They’re great communicators. So this book will help you become a great communicator. “Marcoux especially stresses the importance of personal branding, of coming across as trustworthy and dependable.” – Einar Masson
Learn how you can tap into your natural gifts and tendencies to radiate Three Types of Charisma. Discover how to influence people with your words. “Marcoux explodes this myth: Charismatic people always feel comfortable before and during an important event, such as public speaking, networking or some other social event. This book shows how you can feel discomfort but still come across as confident and charismatic.The secrets include ways to radiate all three forms of charisma Marcoux describes as Warm Trust Charisma, Natural Charm Charisma and Magnetic Charisma.” – Danek Kaus
You want wealth, abundance and enjoyment–yes? Wouldn’t it be great to learn the real strategies that the Rich use to create Sustainable Wealth? This book takes you behind-the-scenes to what really works. You’ll see a lot of myth-busting, and you’ll learn the strategies that get real results. “Tom Marcoux gives you an inside look on the psychology of what it takes to be successfully wealthy in life. It’s more than just taking advantage of opportunity, but also about taking care of yourself. This book discusses a number of strategies that we often overlook when it comes to leading a successful life that leads to wealth generation.” – Barry Adamson II
Get Tom Marcoux ‘s book “Soar With Confidence … PItch, Lead, Succeed”
“I don’t think I’m confident enough to pitch and get funding—with so much competition,” my new client, Will, said.
After we went through details to ensure the value and soundness of Will’s business offering and plan, we focused on his real concerns concerning presenting a pitch.
As an Executive Coach, Pitch Coach and the Spoken Word Strategist, I help my clients hone their skills and performances.
“Will, you’ll experience Extreme Confidence through a process of developing new skills and shifting out of your ‘default-settings,’ I assured him.
I’ll share how to break Three Default Settings:
1. Break Default Setting #1 – Retreating from Tough Questions
Confidence is contagious. You need your body language AND your words to work together to express confidence in your project and your own abilities.
I’ve seen speakers/pitch-makers look confused and overwhelmed by tough questions posed by potential investors. The pitch-maker’s body language causes trouble when they reflexively take a couple of steps back—away from the questioner.
In my workshop “Pitch with Extreme Confidence: The Pitch Hacking Method,” I have attendees work with a partner and practice taking one to two steps forward and toward the person posing a tough question.
While the pitch-maker is stepping forward, they say a “Catch the Question – Reply.” This is a reply that sounds like: “George, I hear that’s important to you” or “Susan, I’m glad you brought that up. This is a good time for me to address that.”
Even if you have no ready answer, you can buy yourself time with something like: “George, I hear that’s important to you. I’ll need to pause for a moment. I want my answer to be useful to you.”
You might call this a way to “stall with poise.” By the time, you have finished saying your memorized Catch the Question – Reply, your mind will have some ideas for your response.
2. Break Default Setting #2 – Providing Too Much Data
I’ve noted in meetings in Silicon Valley, CA that some people try to combat nervousness by burying the audience in tech details. What we really need is to present briefly. You need to be able to communicate the essence of your offer in these three durations: 1 minute, 5 minutes and 15 minutes. Provide the most compelling detail. You’re looking for the “Telling Detail.” For example, I saw a film producer flub a presentation by presenting too much data. He would have been better off to have said simply: “This music star has earned numerous awards. Two of his albums have gone Platinum.” That’s it. The tech investors in the room would have received the point.
Trim your presentation. Ask yourself these questions: * What’s the most important thing the investors want to know? * What would grab their attention?
3. Break Default Setting #3 – Missing the Storytelling Opportunity
Researchers note that human beings are conditioned to like and relate to stories.
Successful pitch-makers often use a “narrative frame” so that the audience can feel the essence of the offer. [I talked about the narrative frame during a recent phone conference call for my group Pitch Power Fest CLICK HERE to see the meetup.com group]. The narrative frame includes these standard elements: Hero, Hero’s assistant, Victim, Villain.
Your first sentence or question can set up your compelling story. Here are examples:
What element of _____ are the XY companies missing? And how is this hurting customers today – and every day? [Customers are the victims. The particular companies are the “villains.”]
What causes the trouble with ____? Who can save ____[X million] people their hard-earned cash and ______?
I’ll put this in few words: “Tell the Compelling Story!”
A story can be as brief as one sentence.
Here are examples:
“Using just one of Tom Marcoux’s methods, I got more done in 2 weeks than in 6 months.” – Jaclyn Freitas, MA
“Tom Marcoux coached me to get more done in 10 days than 2 years with other coaches.” – Brad Carlson, CEO of Mindstrong, LLC
In summary, the way to deliver a powerful pitch with extreme confidence is to use Pitch Hacks. (Hack often refers to a creative, clever solution!)
I’ve shared with you the Pitch Hacks of breaking Three Default Settings.
The best to you with your next pitch.
Warmly,
Tom
Tom Marcoux Executive Coach Spoken Word Strategist
Pitch Coach
CEO (leading teams in United Kingdom, India and USA)
Speaker-author of 41 books (with free chapters onAmazon.com )
Author of Soar With Confidence: An Executive Coach Reveals Secrets, Lies and Countermeasures So You Excel Like Top CEOs and Leaders – Pitch, Lead, Succeed(See more when youCLICK HERE)
1.8 min. video (on YouTube): Tom Marcoux pulls back the curtain about how his directing a feature film that went to Cannes Film market helps with “Building Your Brand”:
Author of Time Management Secrets the Rich Won’t Tell You (See more when youCLICK HERE )
Author of What the Rich Don’t Say About Getting Rich: Work Smarter, Live Better (See more when you CLICK HERE )
“I hear you’re a pitch coach, Tom. Tell me something that can give me a true advantage,” said John, an acquaintance, trying to make the right pitches to get funding for his startup company.
“Many of us have to unlearn so we give the best pitch of our lives,” I began. “The problem is that when human beings are under stress, we fall back on ‘default settings.’ I started off as a shy, timid, 9-year-old boy playing the piano for a tough audience. My leg fluttered like a hummingbird’s wings. To give great speeches in front of hundreds of people, I had to recondition myself. I had to break outof my default settings.”
“How do you do that?”
“It took coaching by mentors. It also takes what I do with my clients. I guide and coach them through my process Elite Adaptive Conditioning.” I said. “I’ll give you an example. What’s the worst thing for someone giving a pitch?”
“My mind going blank,” John said, real concern on his face.
“Exactly. And that fear can ride inside your subconscious mind. So, what I do is help the client develop Real Confidence,” I said. “Over and over we practice what I call Recovery Methods. For example, I’ll say to the client, ‘Your mind has just gone blank. Use one of your Recovery Methods now.’ Then the client immediately does a Recovery Method. This embeds the excellent-response into the client’s subconscious mind. This is Elite Adaptive Conditioning.”
Here’s an example. Giving a speech at IBM, my mind went blank, and I did NOT skip a beat. I said, “I’ll need to pause for a moment; my brain needs more RAM.”
The audience of tech people laughed; they loved that comment. And I remained poised. I continued with, “Now, I want to emphasize …” [These are just two of many Recovery Methods that I tailor for my clients.]
Two Crucial Points for Your Rehearsal
First, merely rehearsing your lines of your pitch is NOT enough. You will do better by rehearsing Vital Details like how to respond to the 10 Worst Questions the Investor Could Ask. Have at least two answers for each question. Then rehearse those two answers in response to having someone ask you such questions.
In my graduate level, public speaking classes, I would have the students help each other practice. One student said, “Bad question” and the other student practiced “catching the question.”
One catches the question by saying something like:
I’m glad you asked that. I was going to get to that in the next section. We’ll work with this point now.
George, I can see that means a lot to you.
Good question. That leads us right into …
SECRET: Some investors purposely “mess with you.” They are testing you. They want to see if you are “Leader Material” before they even consider investing in you and your company/idea. So, you must rehearse dealing with Tough, Surprise-Questions.
Second Crucial Point: Always rehearse the Most Vital Detail.
I learned this one the hard way. In a timed-speech contest, the important thing is to end the speech on time. I made a big mistake by going overtime by 8 seconds — and my funny, warm speech was disqualified.
I had rehearsed:
how to start my speech
how to say “I have three main points for you”
how to address the speaker AND the audience
how to bring in spontaneous humor
how to end my impromptu evaluation-speech with a summary
But I had failed to rehearse the Vital Detail: how to cut a speech short—with grace. I could have rehearsed a quick ending: “And the final thing I’m going to share is ______.”
Here’s the item to notice: If you participate in a “pitch fest” and you’re supposed to pitch in just 20 minutes, prepare two patterns. First, prepare to present for 10 minutes and have a dialogue with the potential investors for 10 minutes. Second, rehearse how to cut your pitch short—with grace. You can rehearse something like: “And one final thing: I encourage you to say yes to funding my project because of [Reason #1] and [Reason #2]. Thank you.”
The Real Secret to Nail Your Pitch or Your Speech …
To nail your pitch or your speech, realize that it’s not just about rehearsing the text of your speech. You need to rise to the higher level. This is where you’ve prepared for your mind going blank, you can cut off your speech with grace, and you can handle the toughest questions.
That’s how you create your best performance – and that’s how you create Real Confidence in yourself. We’re talking about the Real Confidence that is contagious to the potential investors. This puts you in the ideal position to gain funding.
Warmly,
Tom
Tom Marcoux Executive Coach Spoken Word Strategist
Pitch Coach
CEO (leading teams in United Kingdom, India and USA)
Speaker-author of 41 books (with free chapters on Amazon.com )
Author of Soar With Confidence: An Executive Coach Reveals Secrets, Lies and Countermeasures So You Excel Like Top CEOs and Leaders – Pitch, Lead, Succeed (See more when you CLICK HERE )
1.8 min. video (on YouTube): Tom Marcoux pulls back the curtain about how his directing a feature film that went to Cannes Film market helps with “Building Your Brand”:
Author of Time Management Secrets the Rich Won’t Tell You (See more when you CLICK HERE )
Author of Connect: High Trust Communication for Your Success in Business and Life (See more when you CLICK HERE )
PitchPowerFest.com 