How to make a personal pitch
By: Henk Op'T Einde
Tags: Pitching, Personal Branding

Would you like to present yourself in a special way? For a training or a meeting? Read below, how I’ve done that in a training from Schouten en Nelissen.

What’s a Personal Pitch?

A personal pitch, also commonly known as a 30 second commercial, is a brief monologue that concisely describes your qualifications, strengths and accomplishments relevant to the internship or job that you desire.

Why develop a “personal pitch”?

Your personal pitch is most of the time your first impression. It is an opportunity to introduce yourself at a job fair or networking event. You can utilize it in cover letters, interviews, and informal or formal gatherings. By preparing your personal pitch, you convey confidence and articulately deliver your qualities and attributes to potential employers.

Example presentation: The four senses

This personal pitch, puts your audience in a state of being carried away by overwhelming emotion (if performed well), by using the sense of sound perception combined with sight, smell and taste.

Sight Use a picture with — in my example — a wild wavy ocean as a subject, and place this in front of the group. This can be a painting or a poster, or anything you like, as long as it’s not too small and visible for everybody. Smell Use a small amount of air refresher, like “Ocean Breeze” from Ambi Pur, to experience the smell of the ocean together with the high waves you sea on the picture. Hearing 1 Download a Music file with sea sounds on your IPod or any other handy device. For example, “Heavy ocean surf with seagull cries”, by Nature Sounds ($0.99 from iTunes). Make sure you have a small set of speakers, to deliver impressive sound quality. Taste Make your own Sushi with tuna or salmon. You can also use a “do-it-yourself” Sushi kit as shown above, which can be bought in most supermarkets. Make sure everybody has a piece of sushi in front of them, before you continue. Hearing 2 Write a poem with an intensity or depth of expression, which reflects your inner self. Recite this poem for your audience, while they’re nibbling on their seafood and looking at the Ocean, with seagulls squawking in the background.

My example:

“I am like the ocean….

Peaceful, but with tide: sometimes I pull back to chill out, but I can also overflow you with a wave of ideas.

I reach out and pull people to guide them through my plans as a born leader, but if the response isn’t enthusiastic enough, I might let it ripple….

I am a positive thinker, because I always see a light on the horizon. Like me, the ocean is home to many flora and fauna. I love to cultivate Bonsai trees and opened my home to a cat and a dog.

On holidays, I’m not a planner, I just go with the flow.

Just like the ocean, I love the warmth of the sun shining on my body, but that also makes my body slowly evaporate. That’s why I replenish this lack of fluid by having a beer every now and then.

Besides that, I also love cooking, which shows by the homemade Sushi in front of you. While enjoying the summery ocean sounds — which represent my state of mind — I invite you to also enjoy my creative cooking.

Your audience will be astonished.

Reading tip:

Het Merk Ik — Huub van Zwieten