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How To Pitch: 9 Tips From a Public Speaking Coach

ed darling public speaking coach

Ed Darling | 6 min read

Last updated: 1/12/2025

As a public speaking coach, I’ve helped many entrepreneurs turn shaky presentations into powerful pitches. From my front-row seat, I get to see up close the mistakes that trip people up — and the fixes that win investors over.
 
These 9 expert tips will teach you how to pitch with clarity, confidence, and impact.

What you’ll learn:

  • Key ingredients for a persuasive pitch.
  • How (and why) to weave in storytelling.
  • Why competence beats confidence.
Man practising how to pitch in a presentation

1. Simplify to Sound Credible

Mistake: Many of my clients fall into the “jargon trap,” thinking buzzwords like “AI-driven synergies” prove their expertise. In reality, it usually confuses people, and undermines credibility.
 
Solution: As a public speaking coach, I recommend simple, clear language. If you can explain a complex topic in a simple way, it shows me you really understand it. Start by explaining your idea like you’re talking to a friend over coffee, and as the old marketing phrase goes: Benefits over features.
 

For example…

Instead of: “Our platform optimizes scalable ecosystems.”

Try: “Our tool helps businesses grow faster with smart tech.”
 

Clarity builds trust, that’s exactly what you want. If in doubt, pitch to a non-expert friend and ask them to explain back to you what they understood. 

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2. Hook with a Story, Not Just Facts

Facts and data are important — but story is what elicits an emotional response, and people make decisions based on emotion!

Your pitch should include a well-crafted story that helps people understand you, your business, and the problem it’s solving.

It doesn’t have to be a Hollywood epic. It just needs to be honest and relatable.

For instance, I might say:

“Ten years ago, public speaking terrified me due to social anxiety. Conquering that fear inspired me to coach others on how to pitch with confidence.”

But notice:

  • It’s not my entire life story, just a short anecdote on what’s important.
  • It highlights the same pain points my target market are feeling.
  • It shows how I’m uniquely placed to deliver this service.

Your story should include the same key points: the problem you’re solving, and why you’re the person to solve it.

3. Highlight Your Unique Edge Clearly

Many entrepreneurs I coach ramble about their idea without pinpointing what makes it special. This leaves investors confused about why they should care.
 
Solution: When learning how to pitch, focus on your unique edge. Properly articulating your “differentiator” is what grabs attention.
 
This could be:
  • A novel process or feature.
  • Standout customer service.
  • Your personal expertise.

For example, Washed Up Cards stands out by making greeting cards from ocean plastic. Out of thousands of small businesses designing cards, no one was doing it this way.
 
Nail this in your pitch.
 
Pro Tip: Summarise your unique selling point in one clear sentence. If you can’t

4. The Strongest Pitches Bring Proof

A key characteristic of charismatic leaders is “setting high expectations”. We’re naturally drawn to people who confidently believe in their ideas.
 

But when pitching, your bold claims need to be backed up with evidence. You need to prove there’s demand through things like:

  • Customer testimonials or reviews.
  • Market research showing demand.

  • Sales data or pre-orders.

Pro Tip: If you’re pre-sales, start by gathering followers, an interested email list, or a waitlist of people who’ve signalled interest.

5. Showcase Your Team, Not Just the Idea

Investors often reject a good idea, because they doubt the people behind the plan.

A key part of how to pitch is proving you have the right team. As a speaking coach, I encourage my clients to highlight:

  • Relevant skills or experience.
  • Passion for the project.
  • Past successes.

It’s not about presenting a “perfect” image; that’ll immediately seem too good to be true. Better to be honest about your flaws, transparent with past mistakes, and show you can really be trusted as a potential partner.

Solo founder? That’s fine – share your journey, your expertise, and why you’re the right individual to launch this idea. 
 
Tip: For more on this, check out this post on building a solid introduction, and an engaging backstory.

6. Choose Competence Over Flashy Confidence

I often see clients overly worried about speaking with 100% confidence, thinking any sign of nerves will ruin their credibility. 
 
As a speaker myself, I know that “perfect” confidence often comes across as faked, or as arrogance.

Investors (like any audience) want confidence, but more so, they want to see competence: Less flash, more substance:

  • Calm body language: Standing tall, using pen gestures, sharing relaxed eye contact.

  • Clear voice: Varying your tone, pausing for effect, removing filler words.

  • Preparation: Knowing your numbers, and being intimately familiar with your content.

Overall, it’s about finding your authentic speaking style and being exactly that. If you’re outgoing and engaging? Brilliant. If you have more of a quiet confidence? That’s fine too.
 
Pro Tip: If you’re worried about “nervous tells”, record your pitch and review any bad communication habits. 

7. Anticipate Objections When Pitching

Clients I coach often freeze or ramble when faced with tough questions, which erodes trust, and knocks their confidence.
 
Dodging objections is a pitching killer, but that doesn’t mean you need an answer for everything.

Learning how to pitch means preparing for objections. As a speaker coach, I recommend anticipating questions like:

  • “What’s your revenue model?”
  • “Who are your competitors?”
  • “How will you scale?”
  • “What makes you different?”

If stumped, be honest:

“Great question! We’re exploring options and would value your input.”

People can tell when you’re fluffing an answer, so it’s always better to be confidently transparent.

8. Practice to Perfect Your Pitch

Some entrepreneurs wing their pitches, thinking charm & passion will carry them. Without practice, they stumble under pressure.
 
Solution: Learning how to pitch with charisma demands rehearsal. When I’m working with my public speaking clients on an important speech, pitch, or presentation, the mantra we follow is:
 
“An amateur practises until they can get it right, a professional practises until they can’t get it wrong.”

Practise is best with:

  • Peers for feedback.
  • An expert for coaching.
  • A camera to refine delivery.

Each run-through sharpens your pitching skills, and earns you more confidence, when you’re in the room. 

9. Let Your Personality Shine Through

I often work with people who come off as robotic or inauthentic when they start speaking – even if they’re not like that in “real life!”
 
Rather than putting on a persona, the real challenge is being yourself: but the most confident, credible, and prepared version of you.
 
Your personality is your pitch’s secret weapon, don’t lose it in pursuit of trying to be what you *think* people want. 
 
Competence is key to a winning pitch, but so is warmth, passion, enthusiasm, and coming across as a real human being who your audience can connect with.

How to Pitch: Work With A Coach

With these public speaking-inspired tips, you’ll avoid common pitching mistakes and present with clarity, and confidence.
 
Remember: dodge the jargon, weave in your story, prove demand, prepare for questions, and most importantly… be yourself (on a great day!)
 
Got a pitch coming up? Or feel that your public speaking skills are ready for a level-up? 
 
Feel free to book a 1-1 call with me, and we’ll schedule 30-minutes to talk through your goals, and some possible options.
 
If there’s a good fit, you’ll get to see my pitch! 😆
 
To your pitching success.
Ed

When you're ready, 3 ways to work with me...

Coaching Programme: Follow a proven system to build confidence, find your charisma, and step-up as a speaker in your niche.

1-Day Masterclass: Learn everything you need in 1 day to face your fears, and begin speaking with confidence.

Corporate Team Training: Bring confident communication to your team. High impact workshops, events talks, and leadership training.

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Hey Ed,

Just wanted to share some feedback we had from the delegates after the October Away day 😊 You went down a storm!

– Presentation skills session very good
– The presentation skills session was AMAZING! Very informative and will definitely come in handy.
– Really enjoyed the presentation skills
– Speaker was very engaging and interesting and worked for all aspects of our work
– The presentation was amazing, getting to interact with each other and learning different presentation skills.- there wasn’t a moment which I found it boring or not helpful.

Jess Docksey, Workforce & Education Programme Manager

 

“Absolutely Brilliant training session to do, really enjoyed it. Ed was fab made everyone feel at ease, more confident and relaxed. I will take so much away from this session thanks Ed, you do a great job 👍👏”

Diane Axford — GMCA

 

“Attended an excellent full day session hosted by Ed at Project Charisma, it was a fantastic learning experience and would recommend to anyone who gets the chance.
Ed made everyone feel at ease even when facing our insecurities, individual conversations around the exercises left no question unanswered. A great experience that I can put into practice straight away.”

Siobhan Keane — GMCA

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100% recommendation rate! All attendees gave you a 10 on how likely they would be to recommend the workshop to peers!

Here’s a summary of the group’s feedback from the session:

  • “The workshop was well-timed, with an excellent balance of information, interactive activities, and group work that kept participants engaged.”

  • “Ed, the facilitator, was professional, knowledgeable, and exceptional at delivering clear, constructive feedback. His energy and positivity helped create a safe and supportive environment, which was particularly important given that many participants were outside their comfort zones with public speaking. Ed’s personal story of overcoming anxiety resonated with the group, fostering trust and making the experience more relatable.”

  • “The content was well-structured, breaking down key elements to make the learning process less daunting, and the pacing was comfortable for everyone. The variety of tasks, including the workbook to take away, added value, and the session ultimately empowered participants to deliver speeches with confidence.”

Ideas that resonated with the group the most:

Presentation Structure: Key techniques like planning, the “rule of three,” and the power of pausing.

Audience Engagement: Effective strategies such as the “audience hug” and balanced eye contact (“light housing”).

Public Speaking Elements: Focus on body language, voice modulation, and mindset.

Vocal Variety & Filler Words: Importance of vocal variety and minimising filler words.

Mindset Shift: Emphasis on being prolific over perfect; enthusiasm and charisma over confidence.

All the group have rated themselves as an 8, 9 or 10 in terms of confidence in demonstrating the skills they have learnt in your session.

Other comments:

“This workshop has given me a great toolkit to help build my presenting skills. I feel more empowered in my public speaking and have the confidence to participate in presentations within my role.”

“I thought it was well run, the overall content was excellent. Great feedback throughout the course to support not only the individual but also the group. I would recommend the course strongly to my peers.”

“Was nervous going into the class, worried that it would be a bit school-like or based more in acting (which it was not). Thoroughly enjoyed the experience – would love to do it again later on in the year/next year to look see how my skill has (hopefully) improved.”

“I thoroughly enjoyed this workshop and was highly impressed with Ed. Ed’s approach to the subject, his personal story, the layout of the workshop and his energy made for an engaging, memorable and impactful workshop. Ed was able to give helpful feedback to everyone whilst also filled us with encouragement and confidence. I feel he shared some life skills that I will take forward with me in my career and I would love the opportunity to work with him again!”