How to do a 3 minute pitch
3 minute/’elevator’ pitches are increasingly being requested at conferences and by funders. They’re a great way to succinctly present your research at a lay/public engagement event or a serendipitous meeting with a potential collaborator.
Think about what you want to say:
- What is the rationale behind your project/ the clinical need?
- What have you done to answer the research question (methods)?
- What do the results show?
- What are the next steps/future plans?
You’ve only got 3 minutes so concepts may need to be kept general/’lay’ rather than specialised and detailed.
Find out how many slides are permitted. You may be limited to a single slide. Check the rules: can you layer images?
Design your presentation carefully. There may not be a prescribed format, which allows you to be creative. Examples include:
- splitting the slide into the sections of a poster e.g. introduction, methods, results, conclusions
- layered images on a single slide
- a single picture as a focal point which you talk around (this requires a lot of confidence but can be very powerful)
Practise, practise, practise! Don’t underestimate the amount of preparation required: often this will be more than for a longer presentation. It’s essential that your pitch flows and that you keep to time.
Decide if you’ll set a timer on your phone – this can be distracting, but it’s essential that you don’t overrun. Presentations which do, may be penalised.
After the presentation:
- Ask for feedback
- Update your CV
