For those that will soon be pitching their business ideas, below are 16 short, structured and simple tips that will equip, empower and educate you on how to pitch with distinction.

1. Be yourself.

2. Practice, practice, practice.

3. Know your numbers.

4. Smile and breath, breathe and smile.

5. Know your product/service and know it well.

6. Keep it short, sharp and structured.

7. If you were a potential investor, what questions would you ask you?

8. Dress well, remembering, you are your brand.

9. Remember the 3 V’s of branding, your vision, your voice and your values. This is actually paramount.

10. Remember the names of the investors and always give eye contact when talking.

11. Talk at a steady pace.

12. Don’t raise your voice.

13. Always receive feedback with an open heart.

14. Don’t pitch if you know everything is not in order.

15. Don’t raise your hands over your head and don’t stand with your hands in your pocket.

16. Where necessary, don’t use too many slides or have too much information on your slides.

So there you have it, 16 short, structured and simple tips that will equip, empower and educate you on how to pitch with distinction.

Do let me know your thoughts and if you have any tips too.

You can follow me on Twitter via: @Onyianyado777