HTE406
Pitching to Investors. Becoming Authentic Speaker
Faculty
Natasha Kotlyarova
Business Trainer in Communication & Public Speaking
Course length
Duration
Total hours
Credits
Language
Course type
Fee for single course
Fee for degree students
Skills you’ll learn
Overview
“You can read a thousand books on how to swim in the ocean. But you have to experience and practice; otherwise, you sink.”
WARNING! If you take this programme, your pitching and public speaking will never be the same again!
• You will learn how to properly structure your pitch for investors, and you could easily deliver an elevator pitch.
• You will learn the principles of managing anxiety and fear from the audience.
• You will understand how to work with difficult audiences, their objections, and complex questions.
• You will learn to confidently control your body, voice, and gestures and hold yourself on stage while enjoying what is happening.
• You will know how to inspire the audience, which will listen to you by holding a breath!
Learning highlights
- Increasing self-confidence and knowledge for public speaking and pitching for investors, particularly.
- Developing yourself as a confident and effective leader in public speaking.
- Creating and embedding an elevator pitch of your project, product, or startup idea that a participant could present at any moment, anywhere.
- Creating a five-minute pitch for your project, product, or startup idea. (stage and video formats).
- Experiencing the real Demo Day pitching process in front of the experts. (TBC).
Course outline
15 classes
Session 1
Intro to the course and road map.
Why should I care about public speaking?
Presentation and pitch: roles and goals.
Session 2
Public speaking basics. What to present? How to present? Whom to present? (structure, speaking tips, fear management).
Session 3
Diving to the investor world. What is inside of the investor’s head?
Shaping up. Investor’s pitch structure. Tip’s and Hint’s.
Session 4
Workshop 1. Elevator pitch. Speaking tips of the day. Practice and feedback.
Objectives for participants:
To begin speaking before an audience about you.
To emphasize your speaking development and introduce yourself to your workshop participants.
To discover speaking skills you already have and skills that need some attention.
Session 5
Workshop 2. Structure your presentation. Speaking tips of the day. Practice and feedback.
Objectives for participants:
Select an appropriate outline that allows listeners to easily follow and understand your speech.
Make your message clear, with supporting material directly contributing to that message.
Use appropriate transitions when moving from one idea to another.
Create a strong opening and conclusion.
Session 6
Workshop 3. Straight to the point Speaking tips of the day. Practice and feedback.
Objectives for participants:
Select a presentation topic and determine its general and specific purposes.
Organize the speech in a manner that best achieves those purposes.
Ensure the beginning, body, and conclusion reinforce the intended purposes.
Project sincerity and conviction in your presentation, and control any nervousness you may feel.
Aim to present without using notes.
Session 7
Workshop 4. Simply speaking. Speaking tips of the day. Practice and feedback.
Objectives for participants:
Select the right words and sentence structure to communicate your ideas clearly, accurately, and vividly.
Use rhetorical devices to enhance and emphasize ideas.
Eliminate jargon and unnecessary words. Use correct grammar.
Session 8
Workshop 5. Speaking with your body. Speaking tips of the day. Practice and feedback.
Objectives for participants:
Use stance, movement, gestures, facial expressions, and eye contact to express your message and achieve the purpose of our presentation.
Make your body language smooth and natural.
Session 9
Workshop 6. Vocal variety. Speaking tips of the day. Practice and feedback.
Objectives for participants:
Use voice volume, pitch, rate, and quality to reflect and add meaning and interest to your presentation.
Use pauses to enhance and dramatize your message.
Use vocal variety smoothly and naturally.
Session 10
Workshop 7. Speaking with facts and figures. Speaking tips of the day. Practice and feedback.
Objectives for participants:
Collect information about your topic in your presentation from numerous sources.
Carefully support your points and opinions with specific facts, examples, and illustrations gathered through research.
Session 11
Workshop 8. Speaking with visual aids. Speaking tips of the day. Practice and feedback.
Objectives for participants:
Select visual aids that are appropriate for your presentation and audience.
Use visual aids correctly with ease and confidence.
Session 12
Workshop 9. Persuade with power. Storytelling. How to use it for business? Practice and feedback.
Objectives for participants:
Persuade listeners to adopt your viewpoint or ideas or to take some action.
Appeal to the audience’s interests.
Use logic and emotion to support your opinion in your presentation.
Avoid using notes.
Session 13
Workshop 10. Inspire with confidence. Speaking tips of the day. Practice and feedback.
Objectives for participants:
To inspire the audience by appealing to noble motives and challenging the audience to achieve a higher level of beliefs or achievement.
Appeal to the audience’s needs and emotions, using stories, anecdotes, and quotes to add drama.
Avoid using notes.
Session 14
Demo Day. Pitching your project to the expert's panel - TBC
Session 15
Snow Summit
Prerequisites
Openness, willingness, and commitment to learn, prepare, and practice new tools to become authentic speakers for investors’ pitches.
Methodology
The course focuses on the students’ personalities and the improvement of their pitching and public speaking skills. Each session was designed to be highly interactive and engaging for the participants, with elements for improvisation and topics prepared for delivery. Each workshop has its own theme and focus to develop particular elements of the pitch and presentation. After each workshop, each participant will increase their own level of confidence and clarity. We’ll work on specific elements that are required for pitching in front of investors. The methodology being used is a blend of knowledge sharing in video and Powerpoint presentation format by the coach, practicing and obtaining individual experience, and mindfulness tools to reduce stress levels before going to the stage.
Grading
Apply for this course
Pitching to Investors. Becoming Authentic Speaker
by Natasha Kotlyarova
Total hours
42 Hours
Dates
Jan 13 - Jan 30, 2025
Fee for single course
€1500
Fee for degree students
€750
How to secure your spot
Complete the form below to kickstart your application
Schedule your Harbour.Space interview
If successful, get ready to join us on campus
FAQ
Will I receive a certificate after completion?
Yes. Upon completion of the course, you will receive a certificate signed by the director of the program your course belonged to.
Do I need a visa?
This depends on your case. Please check with the Spanish or Thai consulate in your country of residence about visa requirements. We will do our part to provide you with the necessary documents, such as the Certificate of Enrollment.
Can I get a discount?
Yes. The easiest way to enroll in a course at a discounted price is to register for multiple courses. Registering for multiple courses will reduce the cost per individual course. Please ask the Admissions Office for more information about the other kinds of discounts we offer and what you can do to receive one.