The pitch
A well-crafted pitch shares a lot of similarities with a well-told story: it includes a beginning, middle, and end, and guides your audience through a journey. It just so happens that the journey should take them to the outcome you want from them.
Here are the key elements of a perfect pitch:
The Hook: Your opening statement. What will capture your audience’s attention and ignite their curiosity?
Setting the Scene: Introduce the problem or opportunity. Illustrate the scenario clearly so your audience can envision it.
Presenting the Solution: Here’s where your unique value comes into play, offering a solution or seizing the opportunity.
The Climax: Highlight what’s at stake to increase urgency or importance.
Call to Action: Conclude with a compelling reason for them to take the next step.
How to actually pitch yourself
Let’s quickly take a look at how this might apply in an interview situation as you take your first steps in securing a full time role or an internship. All examples here are purely for explanatory purposes, of course, you know enough about your own personal values and story to adapt this to your own needs!
So:
The Hook: Start with something that makes you memorable. Maybe you led a campaign at MMU that picked up a lot of traction or you’ve developed a keen eye for data analytics in a part-time job. Use this as a jumping-off point to grab attention.
Setting the Scene: Now that you have their attention, introduce the broader context or problem. In the job market, this could be the industry’s need for fresh ideas or the increasing importance of making data-driven decisions.
Presenting the Solution: Time to link up your unique skills or experiences to the bigger picture. Instead of just saying you’re good at something, show how your unique qualities can offer a fresh solution to the problems or needs you’ve identified.
The Climax: Build up to a moment of urgency or importance. Why does what you’re saying matter right now? For example, it could be a recent industry shift that makes your skills particularly relevant.
Call to Action: End by guiding your audience toward the next steps. This can be as simple as suggesting a follow-up meeting to discuss your role in an upcoming project or offering to send over a portfolio that showcases your skills.