ENGEN Pitch Polish 2015 Winner Announced – The Wild Card

BE THE WILD CARD IN YOUR LIFE

ENGEN Pitch & Polish is a lateral-thinking national workshop and competition designed to give smaller, local communities access to expert guidance and input on how to polish their business pitches. It is an opportunity to have their ideas brainstormed and tested, to learn valuable business lessons and tools and to create a well-rounded, knowledgeable, investor-ready pitch.

2015 marks the sixth year of this annual programme, which has grown considerably each year.

Programme sponsor Engen Petroleum Ltd, business incubator Raizcorp, national media partner SAfm and programme and partner Quad Para Association of South Africa strongly believe in nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit in South Africa, which will ultimately drive South Africa’s economic stability and job creation. The workshops and the ensuing competition are national and offer a lively and interactive learning experience. To date, more than 7000 people have attended the annual event.

A Wild Card element is significant for and relevant to this programme, offering entrepreneurs opportunities for growth and development; highlighting the importance of being prepared at all times; and emphasising the value of a refined business pitch. At the beginning of each workshop a Wild Card(s) is chosen from the delegates, pitches for 30 seconds, and the best pitch becomes an instant contestant. Cultivating the Wild Card within can lead to enormous success.

First step: ARE you a wild card?

What defines a wild card? And are you ready to be labelled as one?
A wild card sometimes bucks the system: a wild card is definitely different from the crowd.
A wild card can be surprisingly good at everything;
But a wild card can also be unpredictable, without defined methods and characteristics.
A wild card doesn’t always think before acting, doesn’t always calculate every move;
And a wild card can be fairly reckless but will keep in mind at all times the effect it will have on the business the benefits it will bring to growing the business.
Unconventional, creative, lateral thinking, out-of-the-box notions: these often describe wild cards.

Second Step: Luck plays a HUGE part

Wild cards and luck often go together like bread and butter. Over the years, many entrepreneurs have ascribed their success at times less to hard work and dedication than to the luck they experienced as a wild card.

So yes, luck plays a part, but not the only part.
It is part of the journey.
And everyone in business gets some luck at some stage.
And those who recognise it acknowledge that it came at the right time, and was part of the growth of the business.
It’s luck and unconventionality – and to achieve what you want, you must exhibit both when the time is right.

Step Three: Ready to march forward
Recognise the opportunity, and it will boost your self-esteem and ensure that you feel deserving enough of what you are presenting and how you are pitching.
Recognise the opportunity as a ’lucky’ one and use it before it disappears.
Recognise that you have to use it before your ‘wild card-ness’ begins to fade.

Step Four: Just do it!

Be audacious, sassy and bold; show self-confidence and chutzpah; don’t shy away from imaginative and creative ideas.
Take the road less travelled; think laterally; use your imagination; walk in someone else’s shoes for the experience.
Don’t be afraid to think differently; don’t fear criticism; don’t stifle your inventiveness, your originality, your verve or your vision – as long as you keep them all within reasonable boundaries.
Believe in yourself, because if you miss taking the opportunity to be a wild card, you miss out.
Polish your ideas and present them as you pitch to potential investors or possible partners.
But what if rejection stares you in the face?
It does? You’re rejected? Don’t let it dishearten you, because rejection also holds opportunities. Learn from other’s experiences: learn from other Pitch & Polish contestants, many of whom have taken second or third place and gone on to achieve great things, because they are determined to succeed.
Learn from the feedback you will get, and appreciate it as the gift you are given from rejection. Learn from your mistakes and grow, move on, reach the pinnacle.

Final Step: You’ve made it!

You’re in! You’re now ready for that ‘lucky’ break, where preparation meets opportunity.
You’re pitching to investors, partners, the experts: you’re playing the wild card: you are the wild card: don’t back off.

The combination of a finely polished presentation, luck, timing and your own uniqueness has infused them with eagerness to hear more, see more, and become involved with you.
It’s now all systems go!

The 2015 ENGEN Pitch & Polish programme culminated in an exclusive and prestigious event, held in Johannesburg. The competition final saw Sanele Shabalala with his travel magazine for long distance bus commuters take 1st prize, winning R60 000. Sanele found himself in the semi-final of the national competition as a result of winning the SAfm Wild Card Competition, which is run concurrent to the national programme. During the SAfm Wild Card, Sanele had to pitch his business idea LIVE on air, competing against other contestants and it was then up to the listeners to vote for who they want to give a spot in the national semi-final to.

In 2nd place overall in the national competition is Strawberry Mphore, also a Wild Card contestant, but this time from the Klerksdorp event. She won R30 000 on the night.

3rd place and R15 000 went to Hercules Kgaphola from Middelburg with his “Finger Mate” plastic bag holder.

ENGEN Pitch & Polish’s power is in the pitch which produces a ripple-effect of growth and success for your inner Wild Card who naturally attracts opportunities for change.

Avinesh Pillai, Group Capital Expenditure and Project Governance & Performance Manager from Engen Petroleum Limited, commented, “I am very excited to be part of this programme to collaboratively build entrepreneurs. Engen Petroleum Ltd and Pitch & Polish have a synergistic partnership which addresses the need to develop the entrepreneurship environment for a viable and sustainable economy.”

For more information visit www.pitchandpolish.com

Author: Jodi Lynn Karpes from GreenQueen Communications.
More Info link: http://pitchandpolish.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GreenQueenComms/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreenQueenComms/
Images: For high res version/s of Three image/s please contact GreenQueen Communications.

ENGEN Pitch & polish 2015 – Sanele Shabalala-Hercules Kgaphola-Strawberry Mphore Photo: ENGEN Pitch & Polish

ENGEN Pitch & Polish 2015 – Sanele Shabalala – Winner Photo: ENGEN Pitch & Polish

Pitch & Polish 2015 – Logo Photo: ENGEN Pitch & Polish

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