Pitching , even to apparently unemotional procurement evaluators, is theatre. You are putting on a show and this calls for performance from the cast , your ‘dramatis personnae’, and we can learn from the world of stage.
For actors and actresses themselves however, their pitch is not the stage performance, it’s the audition
For them, this must be every bit as competitive, more so, with futures riding on it and rejection more personal, than the fiercest business pitch. Advice on handling it is given in an excellent book, Winning Auditions, 101 Strategies for Actors. Many hold true for any pitch. With acknowledgement to author Mark Brandon, here are some of them.
” Preparation strategies deal with planning, mental discipline, and attitude- essential requirements for becoming a formidable competitor”
“Never forget this all-important rule: ‘On any given day, any given team, no matter the odds, can beat another”.
“Have Confidence. Brand it on your brain, sear it on your chest, or tattoo it on your arm: ‘Confidence Sells’. Never forget it. Nearly every result you desire will come from fully understanding this one phrase.”
“Improving your ability to obtain work is just as vital as improving your ability to act. You have to be as much a hunter as you are a performer.”
” Actors who are fiercely determined to get ahead will get ahead. Nothing will ever serve performers more than sheer persistance. A steadfast attitude that doesn’t recognise set backs practically voids all other attributes- including looks and talent”.
For me, all these strategies, which relate to preparation, ring true. Others, on presentation and performance, will be covered in future posts. Meanwhile the Staging and Content guide covers similar ideas.