I’ve never read Dante’s book describing his vision of the nine circles of hell, but I’d be happy to take a punt that making a pitch hovers somewhere around level eight.
It’s not just the fear of saying the wrong thing and losing a potential contract, it’s also the stress of being on show – being scrutinised by others. Just what are they looking for?
In all honesty, the panel probably don’t even really know themselves. They will have clocked whether you look well presented and professional within the first couple of seconds. But after that most of their opinions about your character will come from tiny pieces of body language that we all react to but few can explain.
It’s very hard to cheat and fool people that you’re something you’re not. However, as 90% of all communication is non-verbal an understanding of how to present yourself can make all the difference in business situations, whether it’s a 30 minute pitch or a 30 second introduction.