No need to spill all – keep a sense of mystery to your pitch
What’s the secret to delivering a killer pitch? Walid O. El Cheikh, Program Manager at Aalto EE and pitching and networking coach is excited about the upcoming Habitare Pitch Your Design workshop and competition.
“I have coached thousands of people all around the world, and I can tell you that Finnish designers are absolutely up there with the best. They’re eager to learn and have a real knack for bringing a visual dimension to their pitch,” Walid says.
“The thing I’ve found with Finns is that they’re committed to giving 100% and often surprise you with a really strong performance. As a coach, that’s the best feedback I can get.”
According to Walid, the main purpose of coaching is to change attitudes and eliminate any unnecessary fears about selling your work and talking about your achievements.
“I want to help young designers gain confidence and develop a sense of fearlessness – get them to adopt a mentality where selling is not something horrible, it’s just one of those things you have to do, not only to survive but also to strive”
A good pitch is all about persuasion and having that killer argument
When it comes to creating a great pitch, the first thing you need to do as a designer is to figure out how to communicate the essence of your product or service – but without revealing too much.
You need to know your rights and you need to know them before you pitch.
“It’s important to only reveal so much and make sure you don’t give your work away for free. It’s not difficult but might prove a little inconvenient for the listener,” he says.
“When you’re pitching, you need to know your audience and be really clear with yourself about what it is that you want from them. Designers need to learn to pitch to lots of different people and how to adapt the script accordingly,” Walid adds.
“It’s a good idea to maintain a sense of mystery, it helps to keep things interesting for follow-up meetings.”
Habitare Design Your Pitch – Pitch Your Design
A unique workshop to teach you how to sell your design expertise! Aalto ENT, Habitare interior design fair, Finlayson, Design Forum and Ornamo Art and Design Finland have joined forces to deliver a workshop for designers to help them communicate more effectively with businesses, investors and buyers.
The workshop is set to take place in Helsinki in September and will culminate in a pitch competition taking place in front of a live audience at the Habitare interior, design and furniture fair on 13 September. One winner will receive EUR 3000 as a prize, in addition to mentorship and crowd-funding possibilities which are decided by the judges.
Designers, artists and students studying for a relevant degree are all eligible to apply. Participation is free, and candidates will be selected on the basis of a written application.
Find out more: www.aaltoent.fi/habitare
