Welcome to another episode of People Play Story, where we delve into the art of storytelling and impactful communication. Today, we explore the intricacies of crafting a compelling presentation, especially when pitching an idea. Drawing insights from my book, 'People Play Story,' we discuss the importance of making every second count, akin to the precision of a baseball pitch or the perfect shot of espresso.
We unravel the concept of the elevator pitch, emphasizing the need for conciseness and engagement right from the start. Discover the three-act structure of a pitch—problem, solution, and implementation—and learn how to connect emotionally with your audience, tapping into Freud's concept of transference to enhance your message.
We also highlight the power of a catchy slogan and strong visuals, using examples like Evernote's "Remember Everything" and the iconic "Jaws in space" pitch for the movie Alien. These elements help create memorable and impactful presentations.
Furthermore, we introduce the IMO framework—emotion, message, and objective—to refine your pitch's core elements. We stress the importance of simplicity in visual aids and the value of authenticity in your delivery. Embrace your unique voice and experiment with different formats to make your presentation truly stand out.
As we conclude, I encourage you to reflect on what resonated with you and what you'll try differently in your next pitch. Remember, it's about communicating your passion with clarity and energy. Thank you for joining us, and I look forward to our next episode.
[00:00:08]
Martin Kloss:
Hi, and welcome to People Play Story, a podcast about storytelling and how to communicate with impact. My name is Martin Kloss, and I'm a professional story coach and speaker trainer. I recently wrote a book. It's called People Play Story, but it's only available in German for now. So to help me reach a wider audience and spread the word about the power of stories, I created this podcast. Full disclosure, what you're about to hear is generated by an AI, courtesy of Google's notebook LM. And each episode is based on a different chapter of my book. I hope you enjoy it and that I can give you something to think about today. Have fun.
[00:00:53] Unknown:
Hey, everyone, and welcome. Today, we're gonna be diving deep into, how to craft a killer presentation, specifically when you're trying to pitch something. Yeah. Those high pressure moments when you need to really sell your idea and get people as excited as you are. Exactly. And you wanna make every second count kinda like that perfect shot of espresso. Right? Absolutely.
[00:01:12] Unknown:
Get straight to the point, make it strong, and leave a lasting impact. Couldn't have said it better myself.
[00:01:18] Unknown:
And for this deep dive, we're turning to people play story by Martin Kloss. He's got some really insightful stuff about those make or break presentations.
[00:01:27] Unknown:
And he really emphasizes that espresso approach, actually comparing a good pitch to something else that demands speed and precision, a baseball pitch. Makes sense. You've got a limited window to hit your mark and capture someone's attention. Right. It's about making that connection quickly and memorably. And speaking of pressure, Kloss tells this fascinating anecdote about the origin of the elevator pitch. You know, that whole idea of having the length of an elevator ride to totally sell your idea, maybe even to a big time investor you bump into. I've heard that story. It supposedly took place at the Empire State Building. A lift operator pitching some executive between floors. Exactly. Imagine that you've got, like, 30 seconds, maybe a minute,
[00:02:08] Unknown:
tops, to convince someone. Talk about high stakes. And I think it really illustrates how crucial it is to be concise and engaging right off the bat. You know, cut through the noise and grab their attention immediately.
[00:02:20] Unknown:
It's a skill that translates to so many areas of life, don't you think? Especially these days when we're constantly bombarded with information.
[00:02:27] Unknown:
For sure. People are busy. Attention spans are. Well, they're what they are. So making your message count right away is essential. So how do we actually do that? How do we structure a pitch that not only gets someone's attention, but keeps it? Well, Kloss actually lays out a really clear framework. He breaks a good pitch down into 3 main acts, kinda like a story. I like that. So what are these 3 acts? He calls them problem, solution, and implementation. He emphasizes that a compelling pitch needs that solid structure. Right. It needs a beginning, middle, and end. Makes sense. But it's not just about presenting the facts, is it? Not at all. You've gotta connect with people on an emotional level too. They need to feel the problem you're addressing, believe in your solution, and get excited about the possibilities.
[00:03:13] Unknown:
You know, that's something that really stood out to me in the book. Clauss ties the power of emotion in a pitch to, get this, Freud's concept of transference. Have you ever, noticed how sometimes your feelings about a person
[00:03:26] Unknown:
can unconsciously carry over to someone who reminds you of them? Oh, for sure. It's like that instant feeling you get, positive or negative, based on past experiences.
[00:03:35] Unknown:
Right. So Klaus is saying that this can actually happen during a pitch too. Like, if you can tap into a positive emotion or memory for your audience, even if it's subconscious, they're more likely to associate those good feelings with your idea. It's like you're borrowing a bit of their existing positive emotion to boost your idea. Pretty clever. It is pretty fascinating, and it really highlights how important the energy is that we bring to a presentation. You wanna be genuinely enthusiastic,
[00:04:01] Unknown:
passionate about what you're talking about. People can smell a phony a mile away. I think it's more about authentic passion for your idea. That's what people pick up on. It's contagious. So we've got the framework for a pitch. We're bringing the right energy, but how do we make it truly memorable? Well, Coles talks about coming up with a slogan. A slogan. Yeah. A really concise, catchy phrase, you know, something that sums up your whole pitch. Okay. And that'll really stick with people. He uses Evernote as an example. I like Evernote. Their slogan is remember everything. Oh, right. Which is great. Right? Because it instantly tells you what the product does. It does. But it also taps into that emotional desire we all have that, you know, desire for organization,
[00:04:42] Unknown:
for peace of mind. Yeah. Yeah. Totally. Who doesn't wanna remember everything? For sure. For sure. And it's so simple, but
[00:04:49] Unknown:
it works. Exactly. And speaking of making an impact, Close also talks about the importance of strong visuals, you know, like a really powerful image or analogy. Oh, absolutely. Visuals are huge. He actually gives that example of how the movie Alien was pitched back in the day. Really? How'd they pitch that? They just called it jaws in space.
[00:05:08] Unknown:
Wow. Isn't that brilliant? It is. Three words, and you instantly get it. You do. You get the genre, the stakes, that feeling of suspense.
[00:05:16] Unknown:
Exactly. And I think it just proves that a single well chosen visual can be way more powerful than, like, a whole slide deck full of bullet points. Totally. It's like that visual shorthand
[00:05:28] Unknown:
cuts through all the noise and grabs your attention immediately. Right. Right. It's about creating that instant connection. So we've got a catchy slogan, maybe a killer visual, but we still need to actually prepare what we're gonna say. Of course. Yeah. You can't just wing it. No. And Kloss offers a really helpful framework for that too. He calls it IMO, which stands for emotion, message, and objective. I like that EMO. It's catchy. It is. Right. So emotion, what feeling are you trying to evoke in your audience? Then message, what's that core idea you wanna get across?
And finally, objective.
[00:06:04] Unknown:
What's your ultimate goal? What do you want people to do after hearing your pitch? It's such a practical tool asking yourself those three questions. It helps you really hone in on what matters most. Absolutely.
[00:06:15] Unknown:
And even if you're someone who loves using slides in your presentations, Kloss is a big advocate for keeping things clean and concise, visually speaking. Oh, for sure. Less is definitely more in that regard. Totally. What does he say? He says to think of your slides as visual compliments to your presentation,
[00:06:31] Unknown:
not the main event. Exactly. So, you know, simple themes, large fonts, minimal text.
[00:06:38] Unknown:
The idea is to avoid overwhelming your audience with too much information all at once. Because the last thing you want is people staring at your slides trying to read everything while you're talking. Right. They end up missing your message completely. Exactly. It's like that Coco Chanel quote. Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off. I love that quote. Sometimes less is more. You know? And that applies to presentations too. Absolutely.
[00:07:02] Unknown:
Focus on the essentials. Let your message breathe.
[00:07:05] Unknown:
So we've covered a lot of ground. We've talked about structuring your pitch like a story, finding the emotional core, making it memorable with visuals, crafting that perfect slogan, but Kloss emphasizes one more element that I think is so important. And what's that? I think it's finding your own voice, that unique style that makes your presentation stand out. He talks about that. Yeah. Plus emphasizes that while all these frameworks and tips and visuals are super helpful, the most memorable pitches come from a place of authenticity. You know? There's that human element. Right? Yeah. There's just something captivating about someone who really owns their expertise and presents their ideas with passion. For sure. It's like you can tell they actually believe in what they're talking about. Exactly. And it doesn't have to be, you know, super polished and perfect. Cliffs actually encourages experimenting with different formats, having a little fun with it. Oh, I like that. Maybe you use a prop to illustrate a print or tell a personal story that really brings your message to life.
It's about finding what feels authentic to you. What feels natural. Yeah. And allows your enthusiasm to connect with your audience.
[00:08:11] Unknown:
Absolutely. Because at the end of the day, the goal isn't to become some kind of, like, pitch perfect robot. Right? Yeah. It's about taking those core principles Yeah. And then figuring out how to make them your own. Exactly. It's about honing your strengths, letting your unique perspective come through. That's what people really connect with. So true. So as we wrap up our deep dive into crafting killer presentations,
[00:08:35] Unknown:
I wanna leave you with this. What's one thing you're gonna try differently in your next pitch? What resonated with you? Yeah. What are you gonna experiment with? Because remember, it's not about memorizing a script. It's about communicating an idea you're passionate about. With clarity and energy. And who knows? Maybe your next elevator pitch will be the one everyone's talking about. Thanks for joining us on this deep dive. We'll catch you in the next episode.
[00:09:06] Martin Kloss:
Hi, everyone. It's me again. Just a quick note before I let you go. I hope you found today's episode entertaining, engaging, and maybe even inspiring. If you did, please spread the word. And if you didn't, please keep it to yourself. And if you wanna know more, have any questions, or wanna work with me, please get in touch with me on martinklaus.com or on LinkedIn. Now have a great day. Go out and do something fun.
Hi, and welcome to People Play Story, a podcast about storytelling and how to communicate with impact. My name is Martin Kloss, and I'm a professional story coach and speaker trainer. I recently wrote a book. It's called People Play Story, but it's only available in German for now. So to help me reach a wider audience and spread the word about the power of stories, I created this podcast. Full disclosure, what you're about to hear is generated by an AI, courtesy of Google's notebook LM. And each episode is based on a different chapter of my book. I hope you enjoy it and that I can give you something to think about today. Have fun.
[00:00:53] Unknown:
Hey, everyone, and welcome. Today, we're gonna be diving deep into, how to craft a killer presentation, specifically when you're trying to pitch something. Yeah. Those high pressure moments when you need to really sell your idea and get people as excited as you are. Exactly. And you wanna make every second count kinda like that perfect shot of espresso. Right? Absolutely.
[00:01:12] Unknown:
Get straight to the point, make it strong, and leave a lasting impact. Couldn't have said it better myself.
[00:01:18] Unknown:
And for this deep dive, we're turning to people play story by Martin Kloss. He's got some really insightful stuff about those make or break presentations.
[00:01:27] Unknown:
And he really emphasizes that espresso approach, actually comparing a good pitch to something else that demands speed and precision, a baseball pitch. Makes sense. You've got a limited window to hit your mark and capture someone's attention. Right. It's about making that connection quickly and memorably. And speaking of pressure, Kloss tells this fascinating anecdote about the origin of the elevator pitch. You know, that whole idea of having the length of an elevator ride to totally sell your idea, maybe even to a big time investor you bump into. I've heard that story. It supposedly took place at the Empire State Building. A lift operator pitching some executive between floors. Exactly. Imagine that you've got, like, 30 seconds, maybe a minute,
[00:02:08] Unknown:
tops, to convince someone. Talk about high stakes. And I think it really illustrates how crucial it is to be concise and engaging right off the bat. You know, cut through the noise and grab their attention immediately.
[00:02:20] Unknown:
It's a skill that translates to so many areas of life, don't you think? Especially these days when we're constantly bombarded with information.
[00:02:27] Unknown:
For sure. People are busy. Attention spans are. Well, they're what they are. So making your message count right away is essential. So how do we actually do that? How do we structure a pitch that not only gets someone's attention, but keeps it? Well, Kloss actually lays out a really clear framework. He breaks a good pitch down into 3 main acts, kinda like a story. I like that. So what are these 3 acts? He calls them problem, solution, and implementation. He emphasizes that a compelling pitch needs that solid structure. Right. It needs a beginning, middle, and end. Makes sense. But it's not just about presenting the facts, is it? Not at all. You've gotta connect with people on an emotional level too. They need to feel the problem you're addressing, believe in your solution, and get excited about the possibilities.
[00:03:13] Unknown:
You know, that's something that really stood out to me in the book. Clauss ties the power of emotion in a pitch to, get this, Freud's concept of transference. Have you ever, noticed how sometimes your feelings about a person
[00:03:26] Unknown:
can unconsciously carry over to someone who reminds you of them? Oh, for sure. It's like that instant feeling you get, positive or negative, based on past experiences.
[00:03:35] Unknown:
Right. So Klaus is saying that this can actually happen during a pitch too. Like, if you can tap into a positive emotion or memory for your audience, even if it's subconscious, they're more likely to associate those good feelings with your idea. It's like you're borrowing a bit of their existing positive emotion to boost your idea. Pretty clever. It is pretty fascinating, and it really highlights how important the energy is that we bring to a presentation. You wanna be genuinely enthusiastic,
[00:04:01] Unknown:
passionate about what you're talking about. People can smell a phony a mile away. I think it's more about authentic passion for your idea. That's what people pick up on. It's contagious. So we've got the framework for a pitch. We're bringing the right energy, but how do we make it truly memorable? Well, Coles talks about coming up with a slogan. A slogan. Yeah. A really concise, catchy phrase, you know, something that sums up your whole pitch. Okay. And that'll really stick with people. He uses Evernote as an example. I like Evernote. Their slogan is remember everything. Oh, right. Which is great. Right? Because it instantly tells you what the product does. It does. But it also taps into that emotional desire we all have that, you know, desire for organization,
[00:04:42] Unknown:
for peace of mind. Yeah. Yeah. Totally. Who doesn't wanna remember everything? For sure. For sure. And it's so simple, but
[00:04:49] Unknown:
it works. Exactly. And speaking of making an impact, Close also talks about the importance of strong visuals, you know, like a really powerful image or analogy. Oh, absolutely. Visuals are huge. He actually gives that example of how the movie Alien was pitched back in the day. Really? How'd they pitch that? They just called it jaws in space.
[00:05:08] Unknown:
Wow. Isn't that brilliant? It is. Three words, and you instantly get it. You do. You get the genre, the stakes, that feeling of suspense.
[00:05:16] Unknown:
Exactly. And I think it just proves that a single well chosen visual can be way more powerful than, like, a whole slide deck full of bullet points. Totally. It's like that visual shorthand
[00:05:28] Unknown:
cuts through all the noise and grabs your attention immediately. Right. Right. It's about creating that instant connection. So we've got a catchy slogan, maybe a killer visual, but we still need to actually prepare what we're gonna say. Of course. Yeah. You can't just wing it. No. And Kloss offers a really helpful framework for that too. He calls it IMO, which stands for emotion, message, and objective. I like that EMO. It's catchy. It is. Right. So emotion, what feeling are you trying to evoke in your audience? Then message, what's that core idea you wanna get across?
And finally, objective.
[00:06:04] Unknown:
What's your ultimate goal? What do you want people to do after hearing your pitch? It's such a practical tool asking yourself those three questions. It helps you really hone in on what matters most. Absolutely.
[00:06:15] Unknown:
And even if you're someone who loves using slides in your presentations, Kloss is a big advocate for keeping things clean and concise, visually speaking. Oh, for sure. Less is definitely more in that regard. Totally. What does he say? He says to think of your slides as visual compliments to your presentation,
[00:06:31] Unknown:
not the main event. Exactly. So, you know, simple themes, large fonts, minimal text.
[00:06:38] Unknown:
The idea is to avoid overwhelming your audience with too much information all at once. Because the last thing you want is people staring at your slides trying to read everything while you're talking. Right. They end up missing your message completely. Exactly. It's like that Coco Chanel quote. Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off. I love that quote. Sometimes less is more. You know? And that applies to presentations too. Absolutely.
[00:07:02] Unknown:
Focus on the essentials. Let your message breathe.
[00:07:05] Unknown:
So we've covered a lot of ground. We've talked about structuring your pitch like a story, finding the emotional core, making it memorable with visuals, crafting that perfect slogan, but Kloss emphasizes one more element that I think is so important. And what's that? I think it's finding your own voice, that unique style that makes your presentation stand out. He talks about that. Yeah. Plus emphasizes that while all these frameworks and tips and visuals are super helpful, the most memorable pitches come from a place of authenticity. You know? There's that human element. Right? Yeah. There's just something captivating about someone who really owns their expertise and presents their ideas with passion. For sure. It's like you can tell they actually believe in what they're talking about. Exactly. And it doesn't have to be, you know, super polished and perfect. Cliffs actually encourages experimenting with different formats, having a little fun with it. Oh, I like that. Maybe you use a prop to illustrate a print or tell a personal story that really brings your message to life.
It's about finding what feels authentic to you. What feels natural. Yeah. And allows your enthusiasm to connect with your audience.
[00:08:11] Unknown:
Absolutely. Because at the end of the day, the goal isn't to become some kind of, like, pitch perfect robot. Right? Yeah. It's about taking those core principles Yeah. And then figuring out how to make them your own. Exactly. It's about honing your strengths, letting your unique perspective come through. That's what people really connect with. So true. So as we wrap up our deep dive into crafting killer presentations,
[00:08:35] Unknown:
I wanna leave you with this. What's one thing you're gonna try differently in your next pitch? What resonated with you? Yeah. What are you gonna experiment with? Because remember, it's not about memorizing a script. It's about communicating an idea you're passionate about. With clarity and energy. And who knows? Maybe your next elevator pitch will be the one everyone's talking about. Thanks for joining us on this deep dive. We'll catch you in the next episode.
[00:09:06] Martin Kloss:
Hi, everyone. It's me again. Just a quick note before I let you go. I hope you found today's episode entertaining, engaging, and maybe even inspiring. If you did, please spread the word. And if you didn't, please keep it to yourself. And if you wanna know more, have any questions, or wanna work with me, please get in touch with me on martinklaus.com or on LinkedIn. Now have a great day. Go out and do something fun.
