What is pitching, and why does it matter?

Pitching is a communication tool designed to help achieve a specific goal.

What is pitching?

Pitching is a communication tool designed to help achieve a specific goal. It’s a short and focused presentation of an idea, product, service, or project, aimed at quickly capturing the audience’s attention and delivering key information effectively.

 

The main goals of pitching are:

  1. To inform: Present key details about the idea, product, service, or project in a clear and engaging way to spark the audience’s interest.
  2. To persuade: Highlight the most important benefits or values to convince the audience of its worth.
  3. To motivate: Inspire the audience to take a specific action, such as making a purchase, starting a collaboration, or investing.

 

Pitching typically lasts from 30 seconds to a few minutes. A well-known example is the elevator pitch, which is designed to be delivered in the time it takes for a short elevator ride – usually 30 seconds to 2 minutes. The goal is to grab the audience’s attention, clearly communicate the message, and leave a lasting impression that encourages further discussion or action. Alongside being brief and clear, a good pitch is tailored to the audience’s needs and interests. A strong elevator pitch can leave a memorable impression and open doors to deeper engagement or collaboration.

 

Why is pitching important?

Pitching is a valuable tool because it allows you to present an idea, product, service, or project in a clear and concise way, making it easier to capture attention, generate interest, and encourage action. The skill lies in sharing the most important information in a very short amount of time.

 

Here’s why pitching matters:

  1. Making a great first impression: a well-crafted pitch helps create a strong and positive first impression, which is often crucial for starting a collaboration or project.
  2. Standing out: in a world full of information and options, a good pitch helps you stand out from the crowd.
  3. Clear and focused communication: the structured nature of a pitch ensures your message is straightforward and easy to follow, increasing its impact.
  4. Encouraging action: a strong pitch doesn’t just inform – it inspires the audience to take the next step.
  5. Saving time: when time is limited, pitching allows you to communicate your message or idea quickly and effectively.
  6. Testing your idea: pitching is a great way to get feedback from the audience; their reactions, questions, and comments can provide valuable insights to improve your idea or evaluate its potential.

 

Why is it important to teach pitching to deaf and hard-of-hearing youth?

Teaching pitching to deaf and hard-of-hearing youth is important for several reasons:

  1. Improving communication skills: Pitching helps them develop the ability to express their ideas in a structured, clear, and concise way, which enhances both verbal and nonverbal communication.
  2. Building presentation skills: They learn key techniques for effective presentations, such as using body language, tailoring messages to the audience, and incorporating visual aids and other tools.
  3. Boosting confidence: As they gain skills in creating and delivering short and persuasive presentations, their confidence grows, encouraging them to actively engage in professional and social situations while overcoming the fear of public speaking.
  4. Expanding opportunities: Mastering pitching skills opens up more opportunities in the job market.

How to teach pitching to deaf and hard-of-hearing youth?

It’s essential to tailor the content and teaching methods to the needs and communication styles of deaf and hard-of-hearing participants.

 

Here are some recommendations:

  • Use visual materials: pair verbal explanations with presentations that include short, clear instructions about the workshop topics.
  • Provide written guidance: key instructions, steps, and the timeline for each part of the workshop should be written on a whiteboard or shown in a presentation visible to everyone throughout the session.

These and other tips are included in our Toolkit for educators: Workshops and activities for empowering out-of-the-box entrepreneurial thinking for deaf and hard of hearing youth, which dedicates several chapters to pitching:

  • Workshops 3: Pitching skills
  • Activity 2: Pitch perfect practice
  • Activity 14: Circle of ideas: sell your prop!

 

The workshops and activities combine theoretical presentations with interactive tasks that allow for the practical application of new knowledge. The main goal is to introduce deaf and hard-of-hearing youth to elevator pitch and improve their presentation skills. This includes developing ideas, structuring presentations to suit the audience’s needs, using elevator pitch, and practicing how to create and deliver compelling presentations.

The workshops also focus on helping participants understand and address audience expectations while using clear and practical visual aids to enhance their presentations. The tasks are designed to encourage collaboration among deaf and hard-of-hearing participants, offering a fun and dynamic learning experience that makes acquiring new skills easier. The goal is not only to provide theoretical knowledge but also to develop practical skills that can be applied in everyday life.

 

Conclusion

Pitching is a powerful communication tool for presenting ideas, products, or projects effectively and succinctly. It ensures clear and concise communication, captures attention, and inspires action. A well-executed pitch creates a strong first impression and provides an opportunity to test ideas and gather valuable feedback, helping refine future efforts.

This is why it’s so important to teach pitching to deaf and hard-of-hearing youth. It can help them build stronger communication and presentation skills, reduce communication barriers, and unlock new opportunities in the job market and entrepreneurship.

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