Giving your Total Exposure pitch

If you are successful in making it to the pitching day, you will have a twelve minute time slot to get your idea across during your discussion with our panel. 

Here are some pointers to help you make the most of your precious moments in front of the panel: 

• Keep it simple. If you try to include too much you risk confusing the panel and diluting the quality of your idea. Remember that this is not for an academic audience – you ultimately want to appeal to the general public. 
   
• Be very clear about what your programme is for. Are you addressing a knowledge gap? Raising questions? Changing public opinion? 
   
• Spell out a story. Explain why your pitch is original and interesting to the public. This should not be a summary of your research; focus more on the narrative rather than the theories and arguments behind it. You need to break new ground to win a commission. 
   
• Try to find a positive. No one wants to watch or listen to a programme that is all doom and gloom. Bring out an uplifting element of the issue or story. 
   
• Be yourself – personality is often key! The best pitches are engaging and demonstrate a real talent for storytelling. Enthusiasm and energy are crucial. 
   
• Relax and slow down. The best deliveries are calm, clear and succinct. 
   
• Think on your feet and go with the flow! This is perhaps the most important rule of Total Exposure. The most successful candidates may have come in with a very clear idea, but their success has been flexibility. Listne carefully to the questions that the panelists are asking you and think about where they are leading you. Be open to their suggestions and demonstrate a willingess to adapt your pitch. 

Read next: More questions? Our Total Exposure FAQs.