5 Instant Fixes to Elevate Your Pitch Presentation

Do you struggle with pitching?Do you want to improve — but aren’t sure where to begin?

You’re not alone.

My name is Bobby Allan. I’m a professional actor and performance consultant who works with business leaders on high-stakes communication.

Through my coaching, I’ve identified five common mistakes that consistently undermine otherwise strong pitches.

If you’re preparing for a pitch competition, investor meeting, or any high-pressure presentation, here are five immediate adjustments that can dramatically improve how your pitch lands.

1. Don’t Gloss Over Your Introduction

The first 20 seconds matter more than most founders realize. Most casting directors say they know they have the right actor within 30 seconds of their audition. Like it or not, first impressions matter, especially if they are seeing many different founders and pitches in one sitting.

I often see presenters rush through their name and company — especially if there are tech hiccups, microphone issues, or slide delays before they begin. But this is your first moment to establish confidence.

In the audition world, actors are trained to clearly state their name before performing. It signals readiness. Ownership. Presence.

Your pitch is no different.

No matter what’s happening technically:

• Take a breath.

• Walk to where you’ll be presenting.

• Plant your feet.

• Make eye contact.

• Clearly state your name and your company.

And remember to breathe. When we’re nervous, breathing becomes shallow and tight. Breath is what physically relaxes tense muscles and supports vocal strength. It’s not a cliché — it’s physiology.

Don’t stare at your intro slide. That slide is the least interesting thing in the room because you are literally about to state that information.

We want to meet you. I am not investing in the name of the company or your cool logo, I am investing in YOU.

2. Stop Staring at Your Slides

This is one of the most common habits I see.

Founders turn their backs to the audience and talk to the screen. They’ve worked hard on their deck — and understandably want to rely on it.

But your slides are support material. You are the presentation.

Actors rehearse extensively. We memorize lines, blocking, emotional beats. But once we’re on stage, we don’t think about any of that. We trust the preparation and stay present.

You must do the same.

If you’re glued to your slides, it usually means you don’t fully trust your preparation or you have done very little preparation. Either way you do not come across as confident in your material.

Connect with the audience. Let the slides reinforce you — not replace you.

3. Memorize the Core Structure of Your Pitch

When I started coaching founders, I was shocked by how many said that they didn’t memorize pitch, they would all say something along the lines of  “It’s my company — I know it. Why would I have to memorize anything”

And that’s true. Its your passion, you know it deeply. 

But adrenaline changes everything.

Under pressure, people forget numbers. Skip key points. Lose clarity. Fumble phrasing. That’s often why they retreat to the slides — they haven’t committed the structure to memory.

Ask any Actor what is the most annoying question we get, and they will tell you it is, 

“How do you memorize all those lines?”

Ironically, that’s the easiest part of the job — because we train it.

I know for those who don’t have proper memorizing technique it may be too difficult to memorize every word of your pitch. While I think you should work towards being word perfect you can start by memorizing:

• Your key beats i.e. the problem, how your product solves it, who are your competitors, how are you better then them, what your ask is, etc.

• Your critical data points

• Your Intro and your closing statements

If memorizing full text feels overwhelming, write a structured outline and practice delivering from that. Lock in the architecture of your pitch so you’re not searching for it in the moment.

Preparation creates freedom.

4. Develop Your Voice

Your voice is your primary instrument — and the most neglected skill in business communication.

The common issues I see:

• Trailing off at the ends of sentences

• Swallowing words

• Speaking too quietly

• Or overcompensating by yelling, remember volume does not mean shouting.

With proper breath support and intention, you can project clearly without strain — even in large rooms.

You must think of your voice as physical, because it is! It’s sound waves traveling through space.

When I warm up vocally, I sometimes imagine throwing a ball to the back of the room. As I approach a strong note or important phrase, I “throw” the sound outward. That imagery helps drive energy through the entire sentence instead of letting it fade.

Too many presenters let their sentences die before they land.

Drive the energy through to the end. Make sure the “ball” reaches the back row.

5. Learn Basic Microphone Etiquette

This may seem minor — it’s not.

If you’re using a handheld mic:

• Keep it about a fist’s distance from your mouth.

• Don’t “eat the mic” (press it against your lips).

• Don’t hold it so far away that it can’t pick you up.

• Keep the distance consistent.

If there’s a sound engineer, inconsistent mic placement makes their job nearly impossible.

Also: hold the microphone at roughly a 45-degree angle toward your mouth. The sound-sensitive part of most microphones is the tip. If you talk into the side of it, you won’t be heard clearly — no matter how loud you are.

These details signal professionalism immediately. Every actor knows that those who light you and mic you are the most important people, make their life easy and they will make sure you look amazing on stage.

The Bigger Picture

So many founders spend hours refining the content of their pitch — and almost no time refining how they deliver it.

Content matters. But delivery determines whether it lands.

If you want to improve quickly, start here:

Set up your phone and record yourself giving your pitch. Or ask a colleague to film you. Then watch it back — not casually, but critically.

Are you rushing your introduction? Are you glued to your slides? Does your voice trail off at the ends of sentences? Are you grounded — or visibly tense?

Most people have never actually seen themselves present. That alone can be transformative.

Preparation creates confidence. Rehearsal creates freedom.

Actors don’t wait until opening night to figure it out. We rehearse deliberately — then step on stage ready to trust the work.

Your pitch deserves the same level of preparation.

If you’re building something important and want your delivery to match the strength of your ideas, I work one-on-one with founders and executives to develop presence, vocal control, and composure in high-stakes moments.

If that’s something you’d like to strengthen, let’s talk.