Pitching for success is all about confidence

For many women entrepreneurs, the idea of standing up in front of an audience of business decision-makers and corporate procurement panels to pitch their businesses in a competitive environment can be a daunting, if not terrifying, prospect. But like anything in life and business, it’s all about developing confidence in ourselves and in the businesses and brands we are building. Successful pitching is a skill that can be learned, but like so many things, it is underpinned by confidence. I was reminded of this yesterday when I was attending our Lionesses of Africa Accelerator session in Johannesburg. The topic was on Pitching with Confidence and for some in the session, the prospect of standing up in front of an audience and pitching remained daunting. And yet here’s the thing - these amazing women entrepreneurs have been learning over the past few weeks how to grow and develop not just their businesses, but also their confidence, and it showed. These women found their ‘inner lioness’, confidently presented their businesses and connected with the audience on a human level, and got their messages across powerfully. It was a great example of how important confidence is to achieving business and personal success in life.