Your pitch and your business are about building trust with the intended audience. No matter how long your pitch is, it has to come with more than a dash of trust. Whether you are pitching the media or a venture capitalist. You better have the right recipe for business success. There is no road map to how you build a business, but what after a slew of pitch experts, attendees are on right on the way after this hard hitting, yet inspirational training. Here, is a mashup of all the tips from the weekend. 

Take your audience on a ride in your keynote speeches. Take them with you on the hero’s journey. It is an excellent storytelling technique, that will never grow tired. Jill Salzman of Founding Moms gave a kickass story about Amsterdam. She didn’t believe I don’t get nervous. I kinda just get angry that other people are not doing what I want them to be doing. It has always been my thing. 

One of my top 5 takeaways. The 20-20-20 Rule. One you finally have the meeting of your dreams. In your meeting, spend 20 minutes on them to learn about how they got where they are today. 20 minutes on you. How you got to this place and what let you to this path and where you would like to go. The last 20 minutes talk about how you can work together on something amazing. This can also be the 5-5-5 Rule when on the phone. A 15 minute phone conversation can be structured the same way. This will help nail down if a further in person meeting is needed to collaborate ideas. This strategy was given to us by Alexandra Eidenberg of The Insurance People. 

Liz Strauss told us to build trust with the audience of our pitch. Don’t just ask for someone’s name and then ask them to sleep with you. She did and suffice it to say it didn’t work. Be willing to work on the people you want to work with. Do you homework first. 

Amber Naslund of Sideraworks talks about how to pitch yourself in the social media sphere. Basically, don’t be the dude at the party no one wants to see coming. She summed it up with this photo. She also tells us there is no magic formula. I say it all the time. Social Media is about work and engagement. You don’t need a wand you need to work.

Heather Gold taught us how to unspeak in here interactive presentation. Unpresent, as a way to make real connections with the people in the room. No scripted BS, just talk to your crowd. Connection to the space we are in will help ground your presentation in truth and presence. Your story will take shape and have a calm that will carry your audience with you throughout your talk. She gave great information and her insight as a comic on how to really work a room. 

Raise your hand if you have ever felt alone. Well you aren’t alone in that. Niofer Merchant gave a sobering yet inspiring talk on how to depend on your own solo awesomeness, before worrying about who will support your foolery idea. Onlyness is the idea of celebrating the personal greatness in every single person. Don’t just believe that the CEO has value, believe that every single person in your organization or in your cocreated reality of success, have a hand in getting you over the bridge to successful. There is a full supporting cast of characters who help you along your hero’s journey mentioned earlier. She is working to raise the awareness around the supporting cast that brings to light our modern day heroes. She was so inspiring I bought her current book #SocialEra before she even finished speaking and I believe you will enjoy it too. 

This weekend was information overload on steroids. I was exhausted, but away with a mental basket full of information that I will carry with me to the top. I truly enjoyed the weekend and I met some amazing entrepreneurs along the way who are turning Chicago into the new powerhouse of rebirth. To find out more or to register for next year’s conference, go to Pitch Refinery’s Website.