THERE was a good turnout at the Engen Pitch and Polish in Joburg last Saturday.
Author and TV talk show host, Justin Cohen, motivated the crowd when he talked about business: “The truth is build it, pitch it and maybe they will come.”
Now in its eighth national tour, the Engen Pitch and Polish workshop and competition is designed to teach entrepreneurs the art of pitching their business.
And if the response of the audience in Joburg is anything to go by, this year’s programme promises to bring greater learning and guidance than ever before.
Engen Pitch and Polish is a partnership between Engen, Nedbank, Raizcorp and Caxton.
“Just because you have a product that you think will change the world, you will still have to learn to find a way to communicate it to the public,” said Justin.
Key pitching lessons
- Tune in: Are you addressing your customer’s needs?
- Be optimistic: Turn that rejection around! If your pitch is rejected, ask yourself: “How can I make my pitch better?”
- Solve problems: Focus on adding value to what your customers need.
- Boost your presence: The number one advantage when pitching your business is your energy and enthusiasm.
- Find your purpose: Being an entrepreneur is not a job or a career – it is a calling so treat it as such.
- Be of service: To sell is to give. Entrepreneurs need to create something wonderful and serve people with it. Pitching is the art of communicating this to people!
Over 150 people applied to compete in this year’s Engen Pitch and Polish event but only five got to pitch their ideas: Noughty Maluleke – chicken supplier, Nkosinathi Hadebe – shoe designer and manufacturer, Masego Mohajane – medical engineering products, Hloniphile Manana – body part-shaped chocolates and Lebohang Molapo – online tutorial platform. But only Masego Mohajane will proceed to round two.
