Treat your next Pitch like a Rollercoaster

How was your last trip to the mall?

What was the last night watching TV like?

Who was with you on the tube this morning?

I would assume that you have trouble recalling these events. Probably you don’t even remember when exactly you did them for the last time.

They are everyday activities that feel safe. There is no tension involved when you do them. There is little that can ever go wrong.

The scary events are the memorable ones

When you think, however, about the events that are really stuck in your head, you might discover a difference.

The incredible weekend trip without a plan.

The first time you kissed a beloved one. 

And yes, that one time you gave a big presentation in front of a group of strangers.

What they all have in common is an element of fear. They might work or not work. Failure was an option every time.

That element of fear is also what makes them memorable and worthy to share with your kids later on. They are the moments when we level up, feel alive and make our life worth living.

Fear on stage is a good sign

Whenever we have to give a presentation, we hope that there was no fear. We wish that we could feel safe and that nothing could go wrong. 

We wish that it would not feel different from watching another series on TV.

But that would probably make it as exciting as watching someone watch TV. It would take away the special energy and glow that we get from doing something that might go wrong.

That fear that you fear is a good sign. 

It is a sign that you are truly stretching yourself. It makes sure that you walk the extra mile to make the presentation perfect. It guarantees that you are on fire when you are on stage, even if you had a long night out the day before.

Your pitch is your own rollercoaster

Instead of avoiding that fear, seek it out. Make it the rollercoaster ride that you enjoyed so much when you were young.

Little can go wrong on a rollercoaster ride that was well prepared and engineered. Yet, it gives us the tension that makes a life worth living.

Any minute you spend preparing your next presentation makes it safer to succeed as well. Yet when you go on stage, you will still feel an excitement that you won’t forget.

Next time you sit in front of the TV, maybe you’ll think of that and seek out the next scary experience instead.