17A – Elevator Pitch No. 2

Reflection: What stood out to me as important from the feedback I received from my last pitch was surprising the audience with a hook that catches their attention. I started my elevator pitch with a quote from Benjamin Franklin, a lesser-known expert in the realm of losing socks while doing laundry, but still a well-known figure, nonetheless. By quoting an influential person, Franklin’s pithy, short, and relevant quote is used to capture the audience’s attention. The quote is particularly powerful and effective because it eloquently describes the actual inevitability of death to highlight the difficulty in avoiding the burden of taxes and I place a modern and humorous twist on it. Opening a speech with a hook will make the speaker unforgettable and capture interest. What feedback surprised me the most was that other students found my elevator pitch engaging, informative, and funny because it has been a while since I last gave a speech. A successful speech takes planning, careful scripting and practice, but with the right preparation, anyone can gain the ability to present in a way that will inform, entertain, and inspire others. The main objectives of a speech are making a good impression and leaving the audience with two or three takeaways, with the rest of the speech being entertainment. What feedback I thought was most useful and insightful was keeping the audience engaged and being more energetic or speaking more vigorously. In an elevator pitch, the speaker must capture the audience’s attention before, during, and after the speech if he or she wants to make a lasting impact. Due to the short attention spans of the audience, speakers must find creative ways not only to capture their attention but sustain it as well. By displaying more energy, the audience will also be energetic and be more passionate and enthralled by the speaker’s speech topic.

What did you change, based on the feedback?

Based on the feedback, I spoke a bit faster and more vigorously, along with being more energetic when speaking about the sock catcher or saver device when presenting it to the audience through my elevator pitch. Feedback provides a different perspective towards the topic and enables one to grow, change his or her style, and improve their toolbox for future speeches. I practiced delivering my elevator pitch at a faster pace until it sounded like I was naturally speaking. The ultimate goal is to speak at a conversational pace, without sounding like I was speaking in a completely steady pace, measuring out every word evenly, or delivering the speech too quickly, which can hinder understanding and generate anxiety in the audience. The combination of slow, fast, and medium speed makes the speech more engaging. After I gave and received feedback, I recorded my elevator pitch again, and then reflected over the feedback. We often assume that feedback is used to fix something but focusing on strengths can be just as productive as focusing on weaknesses. Constructive feedback leads to significant improvements in performance, after a plan is developed to improve, the actions or feedback is applied and practiced, and the outcome is reflected on. Effective constructive feedback not only shows the strengths, but also enables one to see weaknesses he or she can improve upon. By paying attention to both sides of feedback that is received and working on improving both the positives and negatives, soon to be entrepreneurs will be able to develop and produce the highest quality work he or she can possible produce. Feedback can be perceived as opportunities to develop strengths and overcome weaknesses so one can grow, looking at our faults in order to make changes. This can then be applied to both professional and personal life, becoming a natural part of a day.