From the NSC Stage 🎤 Jenna Dominique: The Invisible Pitch

Have you have ever stepped into a room to pitch to an investor, present to a prospective client, or sell a new strategy to your team? Then, you know that the pressure is on from the moment you say hello.

At the London Leadership Edition of the National Sales Conference, top pitch coach Jenna Dominique (who has helped more than 2,000 startups and scale-ups raise millions of pounds) shared a refreshing truth. Namely, a game-changing pitch is rarely about what is visible on the surface. Instead, it comes down to what you do before you even step into the room: the “invisible pitch.”

Here are some key takeaways and actionable strategies from Jenna’s session. Thus, you could transform your communication and consistently win the room.

The Three Pitching Superpowers

To turn audience hesitation into a confident “yes,” Jenna advocates leaning into three core principles: Curiosity, Clarity, and Creativity.

Curiosity: Get Under the Hood of Your Audience

The most common mistake presenters make is focusing entirely on what they want to say, rather than what the person across the table needs to hear. As Jenna emphasized during her talk, pitching is never about you; it is strictly about them.

Before structuring any presentation, Jenna advises asking two crucial questions about your listeners:

1. What do they care about? (What is in it for them?)
2. What might frustrate or disengage them?

To help tailor your delivery, Jenna outlines four distinct audience profiles based on speed (fast vs. slow pace) and structure (methodical vs. exploratory):

• The Train (Slow & Structured): Driven by process, logic, and details. Break information down into step-by-step roadmaps and back up every assertion with clear facts.

• The Plane (Fast & Structured): Highly efficient and destination-focused. Lead with the headline, keep points sharp, and communicate with concise confidence.

• The Campervan (Slow & Exploratory): People-oriented and reflective. Use visuals, share real-world stories, and give them time to process the journey.

• The Rocket (Fast & Exploratory): Thrives on big ideas, high energy, and innovation. Match their enthusiasm, hit them with dynamic sparks, and leave room to bounce ideas around.

A classic startup mismatch occurs when a Rocket founder pitches to a Train investor. The founder operates at 100mph on broad vision, whilst the investor is internally shouting, “Slow down and give me the operational details!” Identifying these dynamics early allows you to flex your style to match their wavelength.

Clarity: Strip Away the Corporate Noise

If your audience cannot grasp what your business does within the first few seconds, you risk losing them entirely. Too many business leaders hide behind jargon, buzzwords, and overly complex explanations. As Jenna pointed out during her presentation, your core objective is simple: make your audience say, “I get it, tell me more,” rather than delivering all your features and technical specifications upfront.
Consider these common pitch phrases alongside what they actually mean:

For instant clarity, Jenna recommends using the Steve Blank Value Proposition formula:

“We help [X] to do [Y].”

“We have discovered [X], which allows you to achieve [Y].”

Keep your explanation simple enough that anyone outside your industry can grasp the core benefit immediately.

Creativity: Ditch the Vanilla Opening

Most business presentations suffer from being entirely “vanilla” (safe, predictable, and forgettable). To keep an audience engaged, you need to introduce “mint” (something dynamic that stands out). Jenna reminded our audience that your window to capture attention is less than 10 seconds, meaning that starting with a standard “Welcome to the meeting” is a huge missed opportunity.

Jenna highlighted three practical ways to inject creativity into standard presentation moments:

• The Opening: Swap formal pleasantries for a provocative question, a brief story, a striking visual, or a relevant analogy.

• The Data Shift: Instead of dropping raw data onto a slide, frame your numbers using comparisons or visual stories that illustrate real-world impact.

• The Discussion: Rather than opening the floor with a vague “Let us discuss,” guide your audience with specific, targeted scenarios to generate productive dialogue.

Real-World Case Study: Resolving Objections

To illustrate how these principles work together, Jenna shared a personal story from her teenage years when she wanted to host her end-of-school prom afterparty at home. Her initial request was met with a firm “no” from her dad.

Instead of arguing, she applied the invisible pitch framework:

Curiosity: She asked her dad why he was objecting. He cited noise and mess. Knowing he worked in construction and processed information visually, she realised he needed a clear spatial plan.

Clarity: She drew a bird’s-eye floor plan of the house and garden, marking out “no-go zones,” side access for guests, and an itemized budget for a hired portable toilet.

Creativity: She timed her pitch for just after he had won a golf match, presenting the clear visual plan that addressed every single objection upfront.

The result? Seeing the thought and detail behind the proposal, her dad relented and even told her, “Save your money on the portable toilet and use the house instead.”

Key Takeaways for Growth Hub Readers

Prepare the Invisible Pitch: Spend as much time understanding your audience’s motives and communication style as you do building your slides.

Lead with the Value: Cut out technical buzzwords and state clearly who you help and what problem you solve within the first 10 seconds.

Match Their Style: Adapt your delivery speed and detail depending on whether you are presenting to a Train, Plane, Campervan, or Rocket.

Address Objections Upfront: Frame your presentation around the specific risks or frustrations your audience is most worried about.

Don’t miss out on the next batch of fantastic keynotes and lessons from industry experts and inspirational spokespeople. Grab your tickets for National Sales Conference 2027, taking place on 21 January in Birmingham.