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Highland Entrepreneurs to Hone Pitching Skills at New Workshop
Highland Entrepreneurs will be taught to fine-tune their pitching skills at workshops hosted by Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
Entrepreneurs from the Western Isles will be taught to perfect their pitching techniques this month as part of a workshop by Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
Business leaders and aspiring entrepreneurs will be given the chance to develop and hone their business pitches through the organisation’s Entrepreneurial Academy.
The workshop, which is free to attend, will take place in Stornoway on the 19th September and will be followed by an additional workshop on brand development in 2019. The events aim to help entrepreneurs of businesses and social enterprises improve their skills in a number of key areas.
Entrepreneurial Sparks
The workshops will be delivered by Maryanne Johnston, who has led similar events to train entrepreneurs and employees from the startup stage through to large, established companies. Johnston said she hopes to enable employees to develop the necessary tools to communicate effectively under pressure.
Previous clients have gone on to secure Scottish Edge funding and become established, respected business figures.
Commenting on the upcoming pitching skills workshop, Johnston said: “I believe that everyone can communicate effectively when they are relaxed, and it’s the stress, pressure and rush of adrenalin that can throw you off.
“Many people believe you have to put on a show when pitching your business, but I encourage people to be themselves. An investor or new client needs you to be the best version of yourself, not you putting on a performance.”
Johnston noted that pitching skills are crucial for an entrepreneur at any stage of their career journey and can be applied in a number of different scenarios, such as conference speaking or product promotion.
She said: “Whether you’re pitching for investment that could see your business expand globally, selling a product to customers or speaking at a conference, the basic principles of pitching are all the same. I think it’s a life skill everyone needs, whatever your business sector or position.”
Supporting Ambition
Entrepreneurs or staff of growing firms – or those with an ambition to scale – are welcome to attend the one-day workshops. Louise MacDonald, senior entrepreneurship manager at HIE said she is confident that those who attend the workshop sessions will find it “incredibly useful” and echoed Johnston’s comments on the importance of pitching skills.
“Pitching does not come naturally to everyone and increasingly, it is such an important skill to have,” she said. “I’m delighted that Maryanne is returning to the Highlands and Islands to deliver this workshop.”
MacDonald added: “She will help attendees to get their message, personality and credibility across as well as give techniques to conquer nerves to ensure every pitch is clear and concise. I am confident that anybody that attends this workshop will find it incredibly useful.”
HIE is also hosting its Accelerated New Product or Process Development programme in Lerwick on the 25th and 26th of September. This event will be delivered by Dr Paolo Siciliano and Dr Steve Carden, of Cambridge-based PA Consulting.
Combined, they have decades worth of experience in supporting clients to build high-quality products and develop business strategies.
