Knowing the role you play in a pitch or presentation is really important, because roles signal expertise, and expertise is what your audience expects and respects – ultimately, it's what they’re shopping for.

Not just titles – CEO, Head of Sales, etc. I mean your role in a pitch – the leader of the meeting, the timekeeper, the subject-matter-expert, the notetaker. Titles may do that, but is the CEO always the leader of a presentation? No.

This is a popular topic in my workshops because a lack of roles can project uncertainty, not expertise, and a lot of people have experienced that firsthand – especially when they are included in a pitch but don’t know why. Roles can help alleviate that frustration.

Even if you don’t introduce yourself in a particular role, project your expertise, so your audience knows why you’re in the room. Roles also short-circuit implicit bias from an audience that doesn’t know you.

When rehearsing, offering criticism about a role can land more easily than commenting on the person in it – and that helps your chemistry.

Leave your own experiences or questions below. Or get in touch for a workshop or rehearsal. Thank you.