Guest contribution by Nils Michaelis
Products get fancier. PowerPoint slides shinier. Events bigger. But one thing never changes: you. In a fast-paced world of fleeting contacts and digital meetings, the personal component makes all the difference. You are the reason people get interested in your ideas, products and innovations.
Here are 5 principles to win anyone over: structure, mindset, body language, speaking style and audience connection.
1. Structure – Define your goal
Before creating your pitch deck, set a clear goal. What problem do you solve for your potential investor? Write down your core message. Then build a message map: for each key point add arguments, examples and facts. Always keep your target audience in mind:
- Who are they?
- What motivates them?
- What matters most to them?
The more you personalize, the stronger the connection. Because relevance is all about proximity and value.
2. Mindset – Passion creates trust
Passion is contagious. So, ask yourself: What about the topic makes my heart beat faster? Show your enthusiasm through voice and body language. Customers and investors want to work with inspired leaders.
First impressions matter. The “Halo effect” means: if you win the first impression, everything that follows looks better. Body language plays the biggest role here.
The Halo Effect
A rating bias in which a general evaluation (usually positive) of a person, or an evaluation of a person on a specific dimension, influences judgments of that person on other specific dimensions. For example, a person who is generally liked might be judged as more intelligent, competent, and honest than they actually are. (Source: American Psychological Association, https://dictionary.apa.org/halo-effect)
3. Body language – Show confidence
Our subconscious judges competence, credibility, charisma and many other things based on body language.
Your face is key. A quick eyebrow raise or a genuine smile signals attention and goodwill (there have been experiments that showed that raising one eyebrow is a universally accepted gesture of acknowledgement).
Stand firm, shoulder-width apart. Avoid nervous movements. They only distract from your point and could be perceived as you being nervous and incompetent.
Take full steps and return to a steady stance. Use open gestures and palms to build trust (it also helps the audience remember the speech, as experiments have shown).
Avoid pointing at people.
4. Speaking style – Slow down
Most people talk too fast. The result: Filler words, long and interlaced sentences, your message washy. It also makes it hard to process for the audience.
Use pauses. They give the audience time to process all new information properly; highlight your points and let you think.
Lower your voice at the end of sentences. It makes you sound confident and helps cut out filler words.
5. Audience connection – Speak to heart and mind
Use rhetorical phrases, especially storytelling. Stories stick. They engage emotions and make information memorable.
Always answer the question in your audience’s head: “What’s in it for me?”
If you follow these 5 steps, nothing will stop you from communicating convincingly.
About the author
Nils is a communications expert and ICF-certified life and business coach. He focuses on organizational development and cultural change toward openness and curiosity.
Nils works as an independent trainer and coach for “good” communication. He also educates future ICF coaches at CERTYCOACH®.
With experience from managing a leading Manhattan restaurant to restructuring international teams and organizations, Nils knows how to successfully communicate with confidence.
LinkedIn: Nils Michaelis, PCC