I enjoyed pitch coaching so much that I made it my job
I am dr Esmeralda Kleinreesink and I am De Pitchcoach. People often ask me: how do you become a pitchcoach? Well, I not only worked in the corporate sector and with startups, but I also served nearly 20 years as an officer in the military. I was a Lieutenant Colonel with the Royal Netherlands Air Force.
In my last position, I worked for the Defense Innovation Fund, where people from the shop floor could speak directly to the top brass. They had five minutes to pitch their ideas. However, this often didn’t go well.
Following my own TEDx talk, I had been giving the masterclass “Speak Like a TEDx Speaker” for years. And during my time as an associate professor at the Netherlands Defense Academy, I’d earned my PhD in storytelling in organizations.
So they asked: “Would you like to be the fund’s pitch coach?”
It turned out to be an amazing experience! Not only did I like it, but so did the pitchers. And the top brass were thrilled, because they could finally make decisions based on substance.
However, it didn’t completely solve their problem: “Before you came, we struggled to decide because all the pitches were poor. When you arrived, it was still difficult, as now all the pitches were good.” Well, those are the kinds of luxury problems I love to create. ;)
In fact, I thought, this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. This is my passion! Pitch coaching combines everything I love and excel at: being on stage, writing, coaching, and academia.
So I left the military right in the middle of the pandemic and became De Pitchcoach.
I'm enthusiastic
If my clients are asked to describe me in one word, they say: “enthusiastic”: “You are so enthusiastic. You light up when you talk about pitching.” That is absolutely true. I have the best job in the world. I work only with people who are passionate about their own work and want to turn their amazing ideas into reality. That is why they come to me, And I use that passion to help them shine. It’s wonderful! For them, for their audience, and for me. How can I not be enthusiastic about that?!
I simplify complex things
What I’m good at is making complex things simple. “When I work with you on my pitch, everything seems so simple and obvious,” clients often say.
I’m also no-nonsense, I love quick results, and I rely on science. So, we work in short sessions where you learn exactly what you need. No pointless exercises, but practical work on the pitches, speeches and presentations you will be giving soon.
I teach you and your team in clear steps how to inspire, persuade, and simplify your complicated message so that it resonates with your audience, using the Perfect Pitch Method.
I can't memorize things
There are also many things I’m not good at, like memorizing texts, for example. I can’t do it, I don’t want to, and it takes me an enormous amount of time. This was a challenge when I had to memorize my 13.5-minute TEDx talk, which took me (no exaggeration) 45 hours.
It became a problem again when I opened as a stand-up comedian for comedian Javier Guzman with 20 minutes of new material. One wrong word in the wrong place, and there would be no laughter.
Night after night, I sat backstage watching a comedian with 24 years of experience. His material was different every night, but his gestures and positioning on stage were always the same. That’s when it clicked for me. You shouldn’t memorize; you should internalize it! I call this Body Narration™.
In my masterclass “Perfect Presenting”, or when I coach you one-on-one, I’ll teach you that as well.
I am an award-winning researcher in storytelling
I don’t teach you tricks; everything is based on science. I have the title ‘Dr’ for a reason—I earned my PhD in storytelling in organizations from Erasmus University. The commercial edition of my dissertation even won the Caforio Award in 2016. So, I not only tell you what to do, but also why. Because that makes it much easier to actually put it into practice.
Interested in acquiring the international rights for my autobiography "An Officer in Afghanistan"?
My passion is to help make your passion a reality
You have a passion too. To turn that passion into reality, you need to connect with other people. You must be able to quickly persuade and inspire them. In short, you need to pitch. As a CEO, entrepreneur, or top professional, you may need to do this daily. This is the core of your work. That’s where I come in. I help you move from an 8 to a 9.5. No, not a 10, because I’m a realist and I don’t believe in false promises or sales pitches.
