Right after the live session on 27 August, August Kjerland sat down for ten minutes to talk about his new book, Pitching Decoded. One table, two cameras and the first printed copy. The full conversation is below, with the main points underneath.

Why another book on pitching?

"Pitching is probably the most important thing an entrepreneur does," August says. "We pitch all the time."

There is no shortage of books on the subject. His problem with most of them is simple. They are not clear, not concise and not structured. Pitching Decoded is built the other way round. It is a workbook you can find your way through easily, with short cases, questions to answer, tasks to do and examples of what good looks like.

He is putting it into the curriculum at the University of Agder, where this year's Entrepreneurship and Innovation class has 404 students.

Forty years of pitches

August moved to the United States in 1977 and stayed for twelve years. Back in Norway he worked in international business and ran his own consultancy. Over four decades he has seen a great many pitches, good and bad, and wanted to put what works into something short and to the point.

The book is built around checkpoints. What to do before you pitch. What has to be in the pitch. What to do after it. And one principle runs through all of it: the pitcher is responsible for the pitch. (If you want the checklist version, it is in How to prepare for a pitch.)

It is small enough to travel with, and there is room to write your own notes. "Bring it on a business trip and use it as a tool before you go into a meeting."

Not a soft skill

This was the line of the conversation.

"It is not a soft skill at all. It is an operating skill. You may have a great business, but if you do not know how to pitch it well, you are not going to get very far."

A pitch is not a one-off performance. It is one part of a continuous business. Pitch well and you secure the next meeting, or the next conversation.

Know your audience

August has worked extensively in Japan and lived in the United States, and the book sets the two cultures side by side. Not to decide who is right.

"That is not the point. The point is that you understand them, so you can communicate in a way they understand, and that you respect them."

Respect, trust and explanation build a business, and a better working life along with it. More on this in How to pitch across cultures.

Who it is for

Founders, entrepreneurs, students and anyone who sells, nationally or across borders. It is written in English because so many Norwegian companies work internationally, and any age can pick it up. The appendices give you templates to structure your own pitch and deck.

Practice is the rest of it

"Practice, practice, practice. That is the most important thing."

August is starting workshops with the book as the base. Three to four hours, five to fifteen people, everyone working on their own pitch.

And there is more coming. More courses, and more books. Pitching Decoded is the first.

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Go further

The book. Pitching Decoded is out this autumn. Be first in line.

The course. Can't wait for the book? How to Pitch: Precision in Every Detail covers the method in video, at your own pace. €49.

The live session. The replay and notes: How to Pitch So People Say Yes.

A workshop for your team? Get in touch.