Training: Pitch, Presence, & Power
Module 1: Building the Foundation - Overcoming Fear and Finding Your Voice
Goal: Anchor your communication in a clear, compelling purpose, and achieve comfort on camera.
This lesson argues that the secret to fearless speaking isn’t eliminating fear, but making your purpose bigger than your fear. You will use the “The 3 Whys” technique to drill down to the emotional core of your innovation, resulting in a single, powerful Core Purpose Statement that will serve as the anchor for all your pitches and presentations.
Exercise 1.1: Defining Your Core Purpose (The 3 Whys)
This writing exercise guides you to peel back the layers of your project to find the deep, emotional motivation behind your work. By continually asking “Why does that matter?” you move from describing what you do to defining why you lead. The result is your Core Purpose Statement, a powerful mantra you can use whenever self-doubt creeps in.
The camera can feel intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. This lesson provides practical, low-effort tips for turning the camera into a friendly collaborator. You’ll cover lighting, framing, and sound, and learn the mental shift of “talking to one person.” The core exercise is the one-minute unscripted ‘passion spiel’ to help you embrace authenticity over perfection.
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Exercise 1.2: The One-Minute Passion Spiel
This is a private video exercise designed to desensitise you to the camera. The challenge is to spontaneously record a 60-second talk about one part of your work that excites you—unscripted and unedited. The goal is not perfection, but to see and hear your genuine passion and confidence, proving that your enthusiasm always overpowers minor speaking flaws.
Effective communication is structured communication. Learn the universal narrative arc that guarantees your audience stays engaged and understands your objective. This lesson introduces the Hook, Story, and Ask framework—a simple yet powerful template you can apply to any presentation, pitch, or video, ensuring your message is always clear, concise, and actionable.
Exercise 1.3: Arc Mapping
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This template exercise requires you to take your innovation and map its core message onto the three parts of the universal narrative structure: Hook, Story, and Ask. By defining these elements in advance, you ensure every piece of content you create begins by seizing attention and ends with a clear call to action.
Module 2: The Pitch Perfect - Selling Your Ideas
Goal: Develop powerful, structured presentations for high-stakes environments (investors, partners).
The Elevator Pitch is your 30-second handshake; it’s the instant credibility builder that gets you in the door. This lesson introduces the Problem-Solution-Impact (P-S-I) formula, a universal framework designed to make your pitch concise, compelling, and ready to secure the next meeting, regardless of whether you’re in an elevator or a networking event.
Exercise 2.1: The 30-Second Pitch
This practical writing and rehearsal task requires you to condense your innovation into a tight 30-second script using the P-S-I formula. The exercise must be timed precisely, forcing you to use clear, punchy language that grabs attention and delivers your key value proposition before the time runs out.
A high-level meeting requires a structured approach. This lesson outlines the necessary components of a formal presentation, focusing on the 5-Pillar Structure that investors and partners expect to see: Problem/Solution, Market Opportunity, Evidence/Traction, Team/Roadmap, and The Ask. You’ll learn to organise your evidence logically and tell a complete story of opportunity.
Exercise 2.2: The 5-Pillar Slides
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You will build the framework for a professional, high-level presentation deck. This exercise requires you to outline the content for the ten most essential slides, ensuring you have strong data points for the market opportunity and evidence/traction pillars, which are vital for securing funding or partnership commitment
Exercise 2.3: Objection Handling
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Description: This strategic writing exercise asks you to anticipate the three most challenging or common criticisms you might face regarding your project (e.g., competition, timeline, lack of IP). For each one, you will write a polished, professional response following the Validate, Answer, and Pivot model, demonstrating readiness and confidence under pressure.
Module 3: Connecting with a Live Audience (Public Speaking)
Goal: Amplify presence and engage a live audience using voice, body language, and visual aids.
Your body is part of your communication. This lesson focuses on the physical elements of influence: posture, voice, pacing, and eye contact. You will learn how to use strategic pauses to replace filler words, project a stronger voice, and use the “sweeping and settling” technique to connect personally with everyone in the room.
Exercise 3.1: Pacing Practice
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This rehearsal exercise involves practising your talk while deliberately integrating three planned 3-second pauses into your script. You must identify where the pause will have the most impact (e.g., after a statistic or before your core Ask). The goal is to feel comfortable with silence, using it to build dramatic tension and amplify your message.
Your slides should be visual aids, not teleprompters. This lesson provides principles for effective visual communication, centred around the 10/20/30 Rule (10 slides, 20 minutes max, 30-point font minimum). You’ll learn how to use images and data to support your story without causing cognitive overload—ensuring the audience listens to you, not reads your screen.
Exercise 3.2: Slide Audit
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You will review the slides created in Module 2 and apply the rules of visual design. This involves performing a strict edit to ensure you are meeting the 10/20/30 Rule. The focus is on replacing dense text with clear headlines and impactful visuals, making your slides instantly digestible for a distracted audience.
The best speakers talk with their audience, not at them. This lesson covers interactive techniques to maximise engagement. Learn how to use anecdotes to build trust, incorporate micro-engagement activities (like quick polls or ‘turn and talk’ exercises) to maintain energy, and deliver a memorable closing statement that compels your audience to action.
Exercise 3.3: Closing Statement Development
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This writing exercise focuses on crafting a powerful final moment. You must develop a closing that goes beyond simply saying “thank you.” It requires blending a final anecdote or summary of your Core Purpose with a forceful Call to Action, ensuring the audience leaves the room energised and knowing exactly what to do next.
Module 4: Social Media Mastery - Reaching and Growing Your Digital Audience
Goal: Adapt your message for maximum reach and authenticity across digital platforms.
The key to digital success is understanding that every platform has its own personality and expectations. This lesson teaches you how to quickly adapt your core message for LinkedIn (for professional thought leadership), Twitter/X (for quick, punchy news and immediate reactions), and Instagram/TikTok (for authentic, high-energy connection). You will learn which tone and format are most effective for each channel.
Exercise 4.1: Message Adaptation
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This writing exercise requires you to take one piece of news or a key statistic about your innovation and write three different versions tailored specifically for LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. This practice forces you to distil your message into varying lengths and tones while maintaining consistency with your Core Purpose.
Short-form video is the most powerful tool for digital growth. This lesson equips you with the technical and narrative skills to produce engaging 30-to-60-second videos. You will master the 3-second hook to stop the scroll, learn fast editing and filming techniques, and understand the critical importance of closed captions and on-screen text for maximum accessibility and reach.
Exercise 4.2: Video Scripting and Filming
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This practical task requires you to script and film a 60-second video following the Hook-Value-Ask structure. You must practise speaking quickly but clearly, incorporate both captions and on-screen text overlays, and ensure your video is filmed vertically with good lighting, putting all your Camera Confidence skills into action.
Digital leadership is a two-way street. This lesson covers how to effectively manage your online presence by maximising positive engagement (being a “host”, not just a broadcaster) and handling criticism professionally. You will learn how to differentiate between constructive feedback and trolling and how to use the Transparency Triumvirate (Acknowledge, Apologise, Action) to navigate any online crisis.
Exercise 4.3: Response Template
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This essential exercise asks you to identify a difficult but legitimate criticism of your work and formulate a professional, public response. The goal is to practise using the Validate, Answer, and Pivot technique to address the concern directly while simultaneously reinforcing your commitment, data, or future plans.
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