Pitching an Idea
Presenting a business idea to others convincingly; explaining what makes it good and why people should support it; building confidence in public speaking about ideas
What a learner can do afterwards
- Deliver a 1-2 minute pitch for a business idea covering: what it is, who it helps, and why it's good
- Answer at least two questions about their idea from an audience
- Explain why being able to explain your idea clearly matters for getting support
1 · Read
Your business plan names what you will sell and who might buy it. A pitch explains that idea out loud. Include what it is, who it helps, and why it is good for them. Name the people who could use it. Give a useful benefit, such as saving them time. Liking your own idea does not explain how it helps a customer.
Zara plans dog walks with her dad joining each walk. Her short example is: 'We could walk dogs after school for busy neighbors. Their dogs could get exercise while they are at work.' This names the service, the customers, and the benefit. It is a starting point for a longer practice pitch.
For this activity, prepare a one- to two-minute pitch. Practice out loud with a timer. If it runs too long, cut repeated details. Speak at a pace and volume your listeners can follow. You can feel nervous and still give a clear pitch.
After your pitch, invite at least two questions. Listen and pause to think if needed. Use facts from your plan, such as price and when orders will be ready. Respond to each detail asked about. If you do not know an answer, say so and offer to check. Try this with a partner.
A clear pitch helps listeners understand the idea and decide whether to support it. Support might be help, supplies, or a purchase. Give benefits you have reasons to expect. Listeners may understand your idea and still choose not to support it.
Explain the idea, its customers, and its benefit. Practice with a timer. Answer questions from your plan, and say when you need to check.
The lesson, questions and flashcards were written for this dataset.
The five readings were written for this dataset. Video references identify TED-Ed's Public Speaking 101 series through the hoofer-content corpus. Video publisher terms have not been verified.
More to read
Choose what your listener needs
A business plan may hold more detail than a short pitch needs. Choose the details that explain your offer.
Make a note of what you would sell, who could use it, and how it could help them. Keep information about supplies and price nearby for questions. You can use a small card to remind yourself what to say.
After practicing, ask a listener to describe your idea back to you. Did they identify the customers and the benefit? If a part was unclear, try explaining that part another way.
Practice without rushing
Try saying your pitch to a partner while a timer runs. For this activity, aim for one to two minutes. Use a voice they can hear and a pace they can follow.
If you finish early, check whether you explained the idea, its customers, and its benefit. If you run over, look for repeated details to cut. Try again after making a change.
Ask your partner which part needed more explanation. You might still feel nervous during practice. That feeling does not tell you whether your listener understood the idea; their response gives you something to work with.
Check before making a promise
Imagine offering to make cards for a school fair. Before promising a large order, check how much paper you have and how long making the cards could take.
Discuss the work, costs, and help you need with a trusted adult. An adult should handle online accounts and customer messages if your plan involves selling online.
Your pitch can explain an idea that is still being planned. Say which details you have decided and which need checking. If someone asks when an order could be ready, use a date you have checked rather than choosing one to please them.
Make a clear request
After hearing your pitch, someone may understand the idea but not know what help you want. Tell them what you are asking for.
Suppose you want a teacher's permission to use a table at the school fair. Explain what you would sell there and how the table would help. Then ask whether you may use it. Give the teacher time to ask questions or say no.
A request for supplies should name the supplies. A request for help should explain the task. Use your plan to ask for something you need, and let the listener decide whether they can offer it.
Take turns asking questions
Practice your pitch with a partner. Afterward, ask them to choose two questions about your plan. They could ask who would use the product, what it costs, or when it could be ready.
Listen for the detail each question asks about. Give a response using facts from your plan. If a detail is undecided, say that you need to check it. Write it down so you remember to find out.
Swap roles. As the listener, check whether both questions received a response. If part of a question was missed, ask about that part again.
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2 · Watch
به انگلیسیTake it off screen
Where it sits
Learn first
Optional connections
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.