3 Ways to Successfully Pitch Your Business Idea

Presentations are all about the audience. Aristotle said if you want people to listen to you, to feel inspired, and to be motivated to action, there are three things you must do:

1. Seek understanding:First ask yourself, why do you care about this, and what are you trying to achieve? And second, understand where your audience is coming from so you can better relate to them and communicate effectively.

2. Make your content clear: Of course it'll make sense to you because it's your brand that you've been steeped in, but it must make sense to the audience.

3. Have a memorable delivery: How can you seem enthusiastic about what you're talking about and convey that you care so it'll stick with the audience after your presentation is over.

In our current remote landscape, your next presentation might be virtual. Here are some basics for strong communication through your screen:

• Have your camera at eye level. Eyes should be across from the green light, and you never want to look down at your audience. Mimic eye contact by looking at the camera.
• Try to be two to three feet away from the camera with framing just below the shoulders and just above the head.
• Face a window, check your lighting, and consider your background.
• Turn off all notifications across your devices.
• Keep your feet on the floor to straighten your posture.
• When a visual or slide goes up, the audience will automatically try to digest the slide and might miss what you're saying, so be sure to tell people what they're about to see in a concise sentence before you flip to the slide, and then break it down in more detail once it's on screen.

Ready to shout your message from the rooftops? And to start bringing in sales? Office Depot OfficeMax has got your back, with a full suite of business solutions to help you succeed, including print & copy services to make sure your message comes through loud and clear.

Head to Office Depot's Selfmade page to check out even more amazing business resources (and discounts!) to help you accomplish more on your entrepreneurial journey. These offers are available for a limited time only, so be sure to take advantage of all this goodness while supplies last.